A recent study conducted on stickleback fish indicates that binge eating mixed with crash dieting could lower life expectancy by a significant amount.
A Glasgow University research team found that fish that binge ate and then dieted lowered their lifespan by as much as 25%. The research team studied how the fish grew, reproduced and how long they lived for.
Although not obviously linked to human trials, the Glasgow team indicate that teenagers and children that follow extreme dieting patterns may face similar problems.
Professor Neil Metcalfe, author of the study, reportedly said: “The fish on the fluctuating diet put just as much effort into breeding – the males became brightly coloured as usual and the females produced the normal number of eggs. However, on average their lifespan was three-quarters that of animals eating a constant amount every day.”
