Are you on a diet? Most likely your answer is "no." But, are you watching your weight? If you answered "of course," then you're like most Americans. Two out of three adult Americans are trying to control their weight, yet the majority of them are not on a diet, according to a recent national survey, indicating a growing realization among Americans that diets dont work.
The survey, conducted for the Calorie Control Council, shows that 27 percent of adult Americans (54 million people) are on a diet. Yet another 39 percent (77 million people) say they are making a serious effort to control their weight but do not consider themselves to be on a diet. Another 34 percent (66 million people) are not on a diet nor making an effort to control their weight.
This survey confirms that dieting is now perceived as a quick-fix, short-term, on-again, off-again solution to a weight problem, said John Foreyt, Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Research Clinic at the Baylor College of Medicine and author of the book Living Without Dieting. The controllers in this survey take a different approach. They see weight control as something to be permanently incorporated into their lifestyle, recognizing that to be successful at maintaining a healthy weight theyll have to develop lifelong habits incorporating diet and exercise.
The difference has a significant impact on how Americans approach weight control. Overall, the survey showed that 60 percent of adults say they need to lose weight. These people were asked why they hadnt been successful at maintaining their desired weight. The number one answer: dont exercise enough, given by 56 percent.
However, dieters were significantly more likely to report unhealthy reasons for failure. Fully 41 percent said one reason they fail is because they often binge on their favorite foods, compared with 34 percent of controllers. Another reason for failure, given by 34 percent of dieters, is that they watch only fat intake, and not calories, compared with a much smaller percentage (24 percent) of controllers.
Counting fat at the exclusion of calories and bingeing are two symptoms of a diet gone awry, said Foreyt. The fact that dieters are more prone to these behaviors is further evidence that diets usually fail.
Other obstacles to weight loss mentioned most often were: snacking too much, eating too many high-fat foods, overeating at mealtimes, and eating for emotional reasons.
The survey also identified a health trend that has grown in parallel with the increasing interest in controlling weight (as opposed to dieting) -- low-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages have become an integral part of most Americans lifestyles. The number one reason people consume lighter versions of their favorite foods? Its not to lose weight, even though that used to be a primary reason a decade ago. Today, fewer than half the consumers say weight loss is one of their reasons for using light products. Instead, the vast majority say they consume them to stay in better overall health.
Overall, 90 percent of adults consume light foods and beverages on a regular basis. Thats up from 81 percent five years ago. The Council, which has been studying U.S. dieting trends for 20 years, first found that light foods and beverages were consumed by a majority of Americans in 1989, when 51 percent reported consuming them regularly.
Its been a decade of growth for light products, said Lyn O'Brien Nabors, executive vice president of the Council. Light foods and beverages have become a way of life for most Americans. And the availability of new ingredients such as olestra and sucralose should make these foods and beverages even more exciting in years to come, as consumers get new tastes and choices in this ever-changing category.
The survey findings are based on a nationally projectable sample of 1,163 Americans aged 18 and older. The sample reliability is +/- 2.5 percent. The survey was conducted in March 1998 by Booth Research Services, Inc., for the Calorie Control Council, a non-profit international association of manufacturers of low-calorie, reduced- fat and light foods and beverages.
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