A Diet By Any Other Name?

A poll has revealed the on-off dieting culture is to blame for over 60% of people regaining weight after dieting just for a special event such as a holiday, post-Christmas or a wedding.

With 82% of the country admitting to having been on a diet (87% women, 75% men), and over half (55%) starting one in January, it’s hardly surprising that entering a new decade would be any different.

For many, a new year sparks a list of New Year’s resolutions – or a repeat of old intentions – but a large proportion of people will have fallen off their personal resolution wagon before January is out.

Stats unveiled by weight management brand LighterLife and Google trends analysis reveal that the nation is more hooked on weight loss than ever before, even if only 29% of Brits say they are on a ‘diet’. The other 71% refer to it as a “health kick”, “healthy eating regime”, “clean eating regime” or “mindful eating”.

Recent analysis of Google Trends confirms a significant rise in online searches for “weight-loss”, “diet” and “diet plans” since 2004. In fact, it’s clear that Brits are Googling weight-loss methods in their droves at particular times of the year, with those search-term peaks coming into play in January, April, June and September, with December taking a nose dive –75% of people wouldn’t start a diet in December.

Look out for helpful dos and don’ts for promoting weight loss in Better Retailing Magazine Spring 2020 issue.