The first ‘no diet’ diet

Is it possible to lose weight without going on a diet? New psychological research suggests that it is.

In a study led by Professor Ben Fletcher, overweight people had to change their everyday habits and 'do something different'. People lost an average of 11lbs and the weight was still off a year later.

The results of the study were presented on Wednesday 8 September 2004, by Prof Ben Fletcher and Jill Hanson of the University of Hertfordshire, and Dr Fiona Jones of the University of Leeds, at the British Psychological Society's Division of Health Psychology conference, hosted by Queen Margaret University College and taking place at Pollock Halls in Edinburgh.

The method was based on Professor Fletcher's habit breaking 'FIT' (Framework for Internal Transformation) science.

55 people took part in controlled trials over a four-week period. They didn't need to focus on food or exercise. Nor did they need the willpower that people so commonly lack when trying to lose weight. They simply had to 'Do Something Different' each day and to break their usual habits.

The more they did this the more weight they lost. Average weight loss was 11 lbs per person after 4 months, and some people lost more than 40 lbs by the end of the first year.

The 'Do Something Different' method led to people eating less and exercising more without the focus on food and willpower that most diets demand. Many people had kept the weight off up to one year later.

"This success offers an exciting alternative for people who find dieting doesn't work," said Professor Fletcher. "FIT thinking helps people with a range of problems and now we are applying it to obesity to help counteract a growing problem for children and adults".

Ref: PR661