A diet isn't supposed to be a long-term fix. Examined objectively, the claim that something you did at age 20 will keep you thin at age 40 is pretty ridiculous. We don't expect our brains to retain material for twenty years - why would we expect it of our bodies?

The other reason that diets don't work is that many people don't know how to diet. The big benefit that participants in scientific studies (and famous pop stars) have over the average dieter is the advice and careful monitoring of industry professionals. Many people have a poor understanding of nutrition, or even what their body needs to function. I know that for many years I tried to diet without knowing exactly what a "diet" was. The result: even when I was slim, I was incredibly unhealthy.

Psychologically, I think diets are difficult because you start thinking you're holding back from something you truly deserve. For example, you're laying off brownies, but you wouldn't have to, if it weren't for your diet. The truth is, brownies are unnatural to begin with. In order to lose weight, people have to permanently change the way they think about food. And that's a tall order.

I agree with some of the things said in a few of the posts. Including "Don't diet. Change your diet" and"people need to start thinking how they think about food." I think these two concepts are important in looking at the belief that dieting harms you more in the long term. I would totally agree that dieting will cause people to put the weight back on. When people diet, they do it for a simple goal and don't use it as a way to live healthy. The people that succeed at diets are those that use the term diet to mean what kinds of food they eat on a daily basis and not what they are doing to make themselves thinner. When people change their mind about food and change the way they live that is when they succeed and when they keep the weight off. I would like to see this same experiment done but have the participants thoughts on food and exercise. I would assume that a majority of the people that fail to keep off the weight, simply see changing the way they eat as a temporary means to an end and not as a healthy and enjoyable way to live as they should

"The truth is, brownies are unnatural to begin with. In order to lose weight, people have to permanently change the way they think about food. And that's a tall order."

It isn't a tall order, it's very simple. My mother didn't make dessert except for Holidays. There was no money for the sugar and chocolate. There was no money for candy bars, sugary gum, cookies, cake, anything sweet. We got 3 square meals a day, because that's all my parents could afford. No snacks except Saltines once in awhile.

I don't crave sweet things, because I never had them. When I bake now I develop a powerful sweet craving until the dessert is gone a few days later. Then I stop craving it after 2 or 3 days. That's about the length of time it takes me to get off my caffeine addiction too! You crave what you are addicted to. The trick is to not start down that road. Fat kids, and fat adults are a direct result of not limiting access to wrong foods from the start (oh AND a penchant for stillness).