No, you're not crazy, and you're not alone—losing weight remains a struggle for many Americans.
A poll of 2,000 Americans who had tried to lose weight found that 95 percent had tried to lose weight in the past five years. 44 percent of those who struggled so much over the past five years ended up gaining 21 pounds or more.
For the next year, 62 percent said they planned to lose an average of 22 pounds to achieve their goals. However, more than half (58%) recognized that their weight loss goals were ambitious.
While 72 percent say losing weight is their top priority this year, nearly as many (71 percent) say there are many challenges that make it difficult for them to lose weight.
The study, commissioned by Nutrisystem and conducted by OnePoll, reveals the biggest challenges people face when trying to lose weight: maintaining willpower (28%), lack of motivation (27%), eating healthy foods (27%) and overcoming hunger (27%) %) ).
Other major challenges people said they faced included the sheer difficulty of losing weight (26%), the costs associated with losing weight (25%), and even finding time to exercise (25%).
Many place the blame on distractions in their lives – health issues (25%), money issues (23%) and social media (19%).
Even where people work has been found to affect eating habits. Of the 27% of respondents who said they work in a mixed environment (half work from home and half in an office or on-site), 69% eat at home more often than at the workplace.
“Losing weight may seem like a daunting task, but it's not,” says Courtney McCormick, MD, a nutritionist at Nutrisystem. “The best way to achieve your weight loss goals and overcome your challenges is to find an affordable program that helps you through every step of the way by providing real-time support, an intuitive app, and portion-controlled but protein-packed meals – packaged to help you Feel fuller longer.”
The study also revealed that 73 percent of Americans said weight loss “was great at first,” but then slowed down and plateaued. Likewise, 72% claimed to “feel like forever” before seeing any weight loss results. Even so, the average person doesn't know they've lost weight until they've lost 20 pounds.
People choose to lose weight more for personal reasons, such as improving appearance (43%), feeling more confident in themselves (39%), and addressing major health concerns (39%).
When discussing their weight loss journey, 44% prefer to keep their goals private, while 40% don't mind sharing their weight loss journey with others.
Adds McCormick: “Losing weight can have setbacks, but the best thing you can do for your future self is to make a commitment to your present self today. Losing weight is a journey, not a sprint. Aim to lose 1-2 pounds of a healthy weight and you will have lasting success.”
Top 10 Weight Loss Challenges:
Maintain willpower – 28%
Lack of motivation – 27%
Eat healthy food – 27%
Overcoming Hunger – 27%
Difficulty of losing weight alone – 26%
Costs related to weight loss – 25%
Find time to exercise – 25%
Inability to use gym/sports equipment – 25%
Time Spent – 23%
No support system – 22%
This random double opt-in survey 2,000 Americans age 30 and older have tried to lose weight in past 5 years entrusted nutrition system between January 18 and January 23, 2023It is conducted by market research firm OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Association and are corporate members of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Public Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).
