• Posted February 5, 2025

Diabetic 'Yo-yo' Dieting Can Harm Kidneys

“Yo-yo” dieting -- repeatedly losing and gaining weight -- can significantly increase risk of kidney disease among people with type 1 diabetes, a new study warns.

Diabetics with greater weight fluctuations experienced a 40% decline in their kidneys’ ability to filter toxins from the blood, researchers reported Feb. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

“We showed that high body-weight variability is associated with increased risk of different outcomes of diabetic kidney disease progressions (DKD) in people with type 1 diabetes, independently of traditional DKD risk factors,” lead researcher Dr. Marion Camoin with the University Hospital Center Bordeaux in France said in a news release.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study showing this association,” Camoin added.

As many as 35% of men and 55% of women yo-yo diet, and this pattern of weight loss and regain has been shown to increase risk of heart disease in both healthy people and people with diabetes, researchers said in background notes.

Type 1 diabetes has long been considered a disease of lean people, but obesity is becoming more common in that group as well as the general public, researchers said.

For the study, researchers examined six years of body weight data for more than 1,400 people participating in a long-term diabetes health study.

The team compared weight fluctuation with six criteria that show how well a person’s kidneys are working.

Kidney function declined among yo-yo dieters, and they also were more likely to have increased levels of the protein albumin in their urine. Larger amounts of the protein occur in patients with kidney disease.

It’s not clear exactly why repeated weight loss and regain would harm kidney health, researchers said.

However, they noted that the insulin used to treat type 1 diabetes can contribute to body-weight cycling. 

Other researchers have theorized that yo-yo dieting can place strain on the heart, contributing to damage of the kidneys and blood vessels, the study says.

“Strategies aimed at weight reduction in people with type 1 diabetes should focus on promoting long-term weight maintenance, as weight stability may have a positive impact on health outcomes,” the researchers concluded.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on diabetic kidney disease.

SOURCE: The Endocrine Society, news release, Feb. 4, 2025