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Just like fashion trends, every generation can be defined by a weight loss method that promised a way to drop kilos quickly and with minimal effort.<\/p>\n
In the \u201990s, it was the carb-free craze, and the new millennium brought diets such as keto and paleo, which promoted eating like cavemen to achieve our health goals. A few years ago, intermittent fasting<\/a> entered the chat as the diet du jour, with Lululemon-clad health fiends restricting their food consumption to certain hours or fasting on particular days.<\/p>\n The late Michael Moseley popularised the weight loss approach with his 2013 book The FastDiet. Intermittent fasting, we were told, produced significant weight loss results and improved health.<\/p>\n But today, doctors want you to read the fine print on the promises of intermittent fasting.<\/p>\n In a major Cochrane review<\/a>, researchers analysed evidence from 22 randomised clinical trials into intermittent fasting involving 1995 adults from across the world, including Australia. They looked at different variations \u2013 the 5:2 method of fasting on two days every week, alternate-day fasting and time-restricted eating \u2013 and concluded that there was no meaningful evidence to say intermittent fasting was better for weight loss compared to other diets, or doing nothing.<\/p>\n Related Article While there are limitations to the review \u2013 not all intermittent fasting techniques are the same, and people don\u2019t always commit 100 per cent \u2013 it\u2019s a reminder you shouldn\u2019t put all your eggs in one basket.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no easy fix for health and even for losing weight,\u201d says Professor Luigi Fontana, scientific director at the Charles Perkins Centre RPA Clinic, University of Sydney.<\/p>\n So if you want to lose weight, but not at the expense of your health, what should you do? We spoke to five experts to find out.<\/p>\n Understand \u2018weight loss\u2019 is different to \u2018health\u2019<\/p>\n Losing weight doesn\u2019t automatically lead to improved overall wellbeing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s of critical importance to understand that \u2018health\u2019 and \u2018weight loss\u2019 are not the same goal,\u201d says Dr Fiona Willer, lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at Queensland University of Technology. \u201cOften the means people use to achieve weight loss actively undermine health.\u201d<\/p>\n Fontana agrees, encouraging people to think about the serious long-term health implications of quick weight loss. \u201cYou can lose weight on these extreme diets, but you\u2019re going to disrupt your gut microbiome, you\u2019re going to cause gut leaking, you\u2019ll have a deficiency of fibre and struggle to feed healthy bacteria that produce microbial metabolites that are extremely important to lower inflammation and autoimmune diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n Go to your GP for personalised advice<\/p>\n One issue with popular weight loss diets is that they make us believe one size fits all when that\u2019s far from true.<\/p>\n \u201cThe best diet is the one that works for you,\u201d says Dr Rachael Taylor, director of Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre, University of Otago. \u201cThere will never be a totally universally best diet because nuance is involved, but one that concentrates on \u2018real\u2019 unprocessed food will always be a good diet.\u201d<\/p>\n As a first step, Dr Clare Collins AO, professor in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Newcastle, recommends anyone pursuing a weight loss goal visit their GP, who can give you a comprehensive health screening that sets you up for success with a personalised approach.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t realise that, depending on their health insurance, they might already have access to a coaching program that\u2019s covered,\u201d says Collins, adding that these appointments can uncover other health issues. \u201cSometimes what starts out as \u2018whoops, the school reunion\u2019s coming up\u2019 turns into \u2018wow, I had no idea I had high blood pressure\u2019. \u201d<\/p>\n Across the board, studies have shown<\/a> that your chance of regaining any lost weight on any approach is high. You can minimise that risk significantly by exercising regularly.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to lose weight and keep your weight low without exercise, forget about it,\u201d says Fontana, who explains that most diets lead to loss of muscle mass and a drop in your resting metabolic rate.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout exercise, any diet is going to maybe achieve eight to 10 per cent weight loss if you\u2019re lucky, and then you\u2019re going to regain the body weight for physiological reasons, there are metabolic hormonal reasons why that happens \u2013 it\u2019s not magic,\u201d he says, recommending people incorporate weightlifting into their regime three times a week, alongside endurance sessions.<\/p>\n Dr Melyssa Roy supports this.<\/p>\n Related Article A public health physician and senior lecturer in medicine at the Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Roy shares that her own research has shown physical activity is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n \u201cExercise is independently health promoting and critically important for preserving muscle mass during periods of energy deficit. Any recommendation that focuses solely on when or how much people eat, without addressing movement, is incomplete,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Educate yourself on potential secret kilojoules<\/p>\n For many, trying to lose weight can feel like you\u2019re Sisyphus pushing the rock up that hill. Collins says that\u2019s due to a lack of awareness around the energy make-up of food.<\/p>\n \u201cSome processed foods today are so energy dense that people don\u2019t realise that their whole week of healthy eating is blown by the big night out at the pub,\u201d Collins says, noting that it\u2019s not about kilojoule counting, but being able to make informed decisions.<\/p>\n Focus on whole foods<\/p>\n Before you stop eating on Tuesdays, take stock of what you eat and assess whether your overall diet is made up of unprocessed, whole foods.<\/p>\n \u201cThe basics of a healthy diet \u2013 fruit, vegetables, grain-based foods, lean meats, fish and poultry and minimally processed dairy foods and alternatives \u2013 provide the core nutrients your body needs to function properly,\u201d Willer says.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is ample room for food enjoyment beyond those basics. I just wish people would learn to accept, nourish and enjoy the body they have, whatever its size.\u201d<\/p>\n Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox<\/a> every Monday.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3ded01e70e08842b27c822e287b1fe22172d9e47.jpeg\")
The basics of a healthy diet provide the core nutrients your body needs. Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Study\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/84cc4a93047736231b31a5eba57b080052fa1f6a.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Doctors](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8ac649c7a9e9d7b956d456c4a98a9090d3cfb06b.jpeg\")
Doctors say exercise is a non-negotiable companion to any diet. Getty ImagesIntegrate exercise into your daily routine<\/p>\n![\"Oat](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771453810_656_b0e26da0ca7ffeedd0e14a6aff432a6c86db4c94.jpeg\")
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