Why do you get fatter if you don't eat? The truth about 'starvation mode'
                                
                                
                                •
                                
                                
                        
                                    
                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                In a 2016 study of contestants from the reality show “The Biggest Loser,” researchers found that a drastic drop in metabolism persisted years after the weight was lost, demonstrating how the body fights against extreme calorie deficits. This phenomenon helps to explain why you get fatter if you don't eat, or more accurately, why extreme dieting can lead to paradoxical weight gain over time.