It is the start of a new year — a time when people dash to sign up for gym memberships and pass up that deliciously gooey slice of pizza for raw carrots and a protein shake.

But now, doctors at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in Towson say Marylanders need to review their New Year’s resolutions. Diets do not work, they say.

“I think as soon as you set up a mindset that your goal is to lose weight, then before you ever start you’re in trouble,” said Dr. Steven Crawford, associate director of the center. “The focus really becomes a number instead of being healthy.”

Most people who lose 30 pounds or more regain two-thirds within a year, and five years later are back to their pre-diet weight or heavier, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

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Crawford and Director Dr. Harry A. Brandt believe dieting sets people up for failure, causing frustration and trapping people in a cycle of losing and gaining. Instead of dieting, people should listen to natural body cues, Crawford said.

They reject the body mass index standard — based on weight and height — in determining obesity, Brandt said.

“In fact, we probably overemphasize the relationship of thinness to health,” he said. Everyone has a natural “weight set point,” determined by height, weight, genetics and family history.

Many people do not realize it takes two to five years to fully change eating habits, said Cynthia Finley, dietitian at John’s Hopkins Weight Management Center. “It’s a growth process. It’s like therapy — it doesn’t happen overnight.”

kvorce@baltimoreexaminer.com