It seems February should be the new January when it comes to losing weight. That’s because a whopping seven in 10 of the nation (71%) say the pressure to lose weight or get fit in January makes it harder to succeed and, if they started their diet in February, they would be more successful.
This comes as the Diet Index report, created by The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan, also found that 60 per cent of people feel their life would have been better if they didn’t struggle with weight issues. On average, people have tried 10 diets in their lifetime and most stick to them for just 21 days.
It’s clear many people would love to find a diet that actually works, as almost two thirds of people (64%) would like to lose weight and on average, to lose two-and-a-half stone. In fact, 60 per cent say being overweight has affected their mental health. A massive 86 per cent of the nation agree that people should be more supportive to those who suffer with weight problems.
Shockingly, nearly a quarter (22%) of people with weight-related health issues are scared they will die young. 14 per cent have had to give up work and 12 per cent have been hospitalised. And while a fifth say their weight-related health issues have put a strain on their relationships with loved ones, 10 per cent have even separated from their partners as a result.
The research showed that lockdown is still having a knock-on effect on people’s waistlines, with 13 per cent of people trying to lose weight ever since then, coming in second only to since they were teenagers, at 14 per cent.
Parents have a lot to answer for too, as 57 per cent of people have had someone comment on their weight in a negative way and parents came out as the top culprit for this (27%). And who needs enemies with friends like this? 26 per cent of people say a friend is the one who commented negatively on their weight, followed by a stranger at 24 per cent.
A third of people dislike their reflection and this rises to more than half (55%) for people who are overweight. Although 40 per cent of respondents say they feel happy for other people who successfully lose weight, nearly a fifth (17%) feel jealous that other people have succeeded losing weight and they haven’t.
Concerningly, 22 per cent of people suffer from Type 2 diabetes, 17 per cent suffer from heart disease or heart attacks and nearly a quarter (24%) have trouble sleeping as a result of their weight-related health problems.
Mark Gilbert, commercial nutritionist at The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan, said: “Almost three quarters of people (73%) feel judged for being overweight; that is not a nice way to feel. Although many are sympathetic to the challenges of being overweight, there are still negative comments and discriminatory behaviour, with eight per cent of people even being bullied in the workplace due to their weight.
“Everyone has an opinion and can be very righteous on how it is best to lose weight, but there is no ‘one size fits all’ and this research proves the negative mental impact it has when people continue to struggle. That’s why we are keen to reassure people who are feeling let down by diets that this one works, because dieters have a trained Consultant giving them personalised support.”
* This research of 1,004 British respondents aged 18 and over was conducted by Perspectus Global on behalf of The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan during December 2021.
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