Editorial Warns of Heart Disease Risks Associated with Yo-Yo Dieting

A new editorial – published in Nature – suggests that frequent fluctuations in diet, commonly known as “yo-yo dieting,” can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The authors, from the University of Pennsylvania Schools of Nursing and Medicine, describe how cycling between high-fat and low-fat diets in mice led to a substantial acceleration of atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by the buildup of plaque in arteries.