Research
Adherence
Repeated dieting and rigid, all-or-nothing dietary restraint increase susceptibility to disinhibited eating (overeating) and weight regain, whereas flexible restraint strategies are associated with better weight control.
Avoid rigid, all-or-nothing dieting. Instead, adopt flexible control strategies that involve forward planning, portion control, and the acceptance that occasional transgressions are normal. Compensate for slips rather than abandoning your goals. This approach is associated with better long-term weight maintenance.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Repeat dieting, high day-to-day fluctuations in intakes, and attempts to enforce highly rigid control over eating all seem to be counterproductive to weight control efforts and may disrupt more appropriate food choice behaviors.
Why this rating
Based on multiple behavioral studies and questionnaires (Restraint Scale, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) cited in the review.
Source
Determinants of Food Choice: Relationships with Obesity and Weight Control
David J. Mela · Obesity Research · 2001
DOI 10.1038/oby.2001.127
narrative_reviewCited 243×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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