Does The Dukan Diet Work For Obesity?

You may have already heard of this “miracle diet” called the Dukan diet, which is the choice of many Hollywood celebrities.

It is a favorite for those who want to lose weight without having to make a lot of sacrifices in front of this. It requires no exercise at all, and you can eat almost anything during it.

Those who have studied this diet think that it does not work in 80% of people who try it, and it is not a good choice, especially for those who are obese.

So now we’ll take a closer look at this popular diet – is the Dukan diet even worth considering? Continue reading if you are interested in the topic!

The claimed effectiveness of the Dukan diet – is it true?

A French doctor named Dukan has published several books on this miracle diet, and they have all been a success. In Spain, his three books have reached the top of book statistics and have sold more than half a million.

The debate surrounding this diet has not gone unnoticed on a wider scale. One study by the Spanish Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) describes the Dukan diet method as “deceptive, illegal, useless to people trying to lose weight, and in addition, it is a risk to those who do so”.

Many dieters started experimenting with this diet after seeing how quickly actress Penélope Cruz lost her weight after giving birth to her son. Then the weight loss of the future Queen of England, Kate Middleton, was noticed – it is said that Dukan sent her book to her home and thanked her for her confidence in her diet.

Does the Dukan diet work for obese people?

Some think the Dukan diet is the perfect choice for those with a problem with obesity. Others think it’s good only when you want to shed a few pounds. The method promises long-lasting results – for life – but many scientists have questioned this alleged miracle diet technique.

One of the studies that shows why this method doesn’t work was done by a group that was strongly against the Dukan diet.

They conducted the study with the help of 5,000 people who had embarked on that diet.

A large number of people said the method was effective at first, but later they had experienced the following:

• 35% regained the weight they lost in one year.
• 48% returned to their original weight after more than a year.
• 64% were heavier than at the beginning of the diet two years after treatment.
• 70% exceeded their initial weight after three years.
• 80% of respondents weighed more after four years than when they started the diet.

One of the basic ideas of this method is that “if the expected results are not obtained, it is because there is not enough commitment”. According to this, it is therefore the fault of the individual if the results are not obtained – not the method.

If we look at some of the participants in the study, 60% of people said they didn’t lose weight because they ate too much, didn’t work out enough in the early stages of the diet, or ate something they shouldn’t have eaten.

The psychological consequences of the Dukan diet

These feelings of guilt are  detrimental psychological consequences associated with the Dukan diet, but they are not the only bad consequences of this method.

In addition, the Dukan diet-occupants have also suffered ma of depression and low self-esteem symptoms,  because one day a body is slender, and then a few weeks later everything is as before – or worse.

It is also essential to remember that Pierre Dukan himself has said that people who are a little overweight are “sick” and obese even more so.

A similar finding was made by the World Health Organization in 1997, when obesity was described as a chronic disease. Unfortunately, Dr. Dukan treats any person who is not slim, with the same assumption – that this is a problem.

Different people, different diets

It has been estimated that those who are obese or overweight have been able to lose about 2.5 pounds a month after starting the Dukan diet. This is not a significant amount when you consider how to go to the extreme of eating with that method.

There are other, more effective and healthier ways to lose weight and get good results.

Fat melts when less industrially processed flours, sugars, and fats are eaten, and when fruit and vegetable intake is increased. In addition, you should exercise regularly and avoid bad habits such as smoking and alcohol use.

There is no need to resort to such dramatic diets, which bring with them a high risk of harm. In addition, with healthier alternatives, you will be better able to avoid the “rebound effect” phenomenon, meaning that all the pounds you drop will come back.

Among the many people who believe that the Dukan diet is not suitable for all those with obesity is one researcher from the University of Navarra in Spain.

Dr. Silva believes that even following the method exactly as described in the book is no guarantee of results.

Of course, it is the case that Dr. Dukan himself is not responsible for monitoring every single patient, as would happen under medical supervision. Nor can he control how the patient understands the diet. Another disadvantage is that the book is quite general in nature and does not focus on any particular segment of people.

It is clear that not everyone can follow the same diet, as there are differences between people in the following areas, among others:

• age
• physical features
• weight
• customs and activities

• hereditary factors
• diseases

Therefore, it is very important that if you are considering starting a Dukan diet , you first talk to your doctor and evaluate other options. This will ensure that you are able to lose weight in a healthy way and at a pace that suits you.