If you've ever gone on a diet and then gained the weight straight back, you're not alone, as yo-yo dieting is thought to affect a whopping 80% of people trying to lose weight. That's an awful lot of dieters putting all their weight (and more) back on within a year of getting the pounds down.
Do you end up weighing more after dieting? It could be in your genes. Photo: Getty
Scientists are keen to come up with a way of identifying who will regain their weight after a diet - especially as it affects so many of us. Earlier this year, experts came up with the theory that yo-yo dieting is linked to the way your body reacts to appetite hormones. And now they're saying it could be linked to a gene that's involved in maintaining your blood pressure.
Scientists from Maastricht University's Department of Human Biology claim to have found a link between the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) genotype and the likelihood of weight regain after dieting in women.
The researchers, whose paper has just been published in the medical science journal PloS One, studied around 100 women aged between 20 and 45. About half of the women had dieted and maintained their weight, while the other half had dieted and put the weight back on.
After examining blood samples from the women, the researchers claim those who were yo-yo dieters had experienced big changes in the level of angiotensin-I converting enzyme when compared to the dieters who had kept the weight off.
They can't explain why, but the scientists' discovery could lead to a yo-yo dieting risk test within a few years.
Are you a classic yo-yo dieter?