New Research Finds People Aren’t Losing Weight For Looks Anymore
New research reveals that there’s been a big shift in why people are dieting. As we head into summer, it’s not being ready for bathing suit season that has people trying to lose weight. A new survey from the Mayo Clinic finds that what now motivates most Americans to shed pounds is their health.
For the Diet Mindset Assessment, the Mayo Clinic surveyed more than 200-thousand Americans about their reasons for losing weight and it turns out, it’s got more to do with biomarkers than bikini bodies. According to the results, 83% of those polled say that since the pandemic, their motivation for losing weight is their health, not the way they look. And that’s five times more than participants who say their primary concern is physical appearance.
So it seems dieters are now focused on wellness and want to lose weight for themselves, not for others, and that’s a good thing. “We think there may be a new movement on focusing on improving health,” says Mayo Clinic associate professor of Medicine and Nutrition Dr. Donald Hensrud. Experts say having that as motivation could be the key to long-term success with keeping the weight off, which is especially beneficial to the 55% of participants who’ve dieted at least six times during their lifetime.
Source: Today
Scott's Thoughts:
- Sure, because people suddenly don’t care how they look in an Instagram post or how their jeans fit?
- How honest do you think people are on surveys like this? Even when it’s anonymous, do you think people are telling the truth about why they want to lose weight or just saying what they think sounds good?
- Have your reasons for wanting to lose weight changed since the pandemic? What motivates you now?