Research paper
Dulloo AG, Jacquet J, Montani JP, Schutz Y. How dieting makes the lean fatter: from a perspective of body composition autoregulation through adipostats and proteinstats awaiting discovery. Obesity Reviews. 2015 Feb;16 Suppl 1:25-35. doi:10.1111/obr.12253. PMID: 25614201.
Why we cite it
Review in *Obesity Reviews* (published as part of the Fribourg Obesity Research Conference proceedings) proposing a body composition autoregulation framework that explains why dieting — particularly in lean individuals — leads to progressive increases in body fat with each weight cycle. Central mechanism: after dieting-induced weight loss, feedback signals from depleted fat mass (adipostats) and depleted lean mass (proteinstats) both drive weight regain via increased appetite and suppressed thermogenesis. However, fat mass recovers faster than lean mass (preferential catch-up fat). Because fat overshooting is required before lean mass can fully recover, each weight cycle deposits additional fat. This becomes a vicious cycle: dieting → lean deficit → hyperphagia to rebuild lean tissue → faster fat recovery → fat overshooting → net gain in body fat. Builds on Dulloo's 1996 re-analysis of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Referenced in companion 411 (the-bodys-memory) as evidence that weight cycling compounds metabolic defences against weight loss.