> A bit like every single diet works (compared to no diet) because the fundamental thing is dieting in the sense that you think actively about diet. (This is c

> A bit like every single diet works (compared to no diet) because the fundamental thing is dieting in the sense that you think actively about diet. (This is completely tangential to the main point, but...) Every diet "works" because the underlying mechanism driving weight loss is eating less calories than your body uses throughout the day. And almost every diet makes people consume less calories than they normally do, at least at first. That's why every diet "works" at least in the short term.