Camera Shy: One in three start a diet after seeing a bad photo

by Taryn Davies | 22 August 2012

What spurs you on to lose weight?

Most of us look for something to encourage us to lose weight, but what about the motivation to keep on going? New research reveals that while many of us start out with the best intentions, one in ten cannot even manage to follow a diet for a whole month. 

Opinium Research discovered that, other than feeling unhealthy/overweight the next most common trigger to start a diet is seeing a bad photo of yourself. Other causes differ between men and women such as a bad shopping trip, where clothes don’t fit as well as you’d like, affects a third of females but only influences 6 per cent of men.

Kate Norfolk, head of healthcare research at Opinium, commented: “If you choose to lose some weight or get fit, the key is to change your lifestyle and attitudes which are reflected in a healthier diet – not to yo-yo with crash diets every time you see a bad photo of yourself.

“Even if there are no medical concerns remember exercise is also an important tool in getting fit and by getting a balance between an active lifestyle and good diet, you can always reward yourself with a few treats!”

The Opinium Research reveals that almost two thirds of women in the UK have dieted, compared to just over a third of men.

While there may be various reasons behind starting a diet, only five per cent of dieting Brits stick to them without exceptions.  Staggeringly, just over a quarter of dieters make exceptions to their regime every weekend and one in ten can’t cope with their self-imposed rules when they are hungover.

The top five circumstances where diets fall to the wayside are:

1. At events e.g. parties, Christmas, weddings (34%)
2. When you feel stressed, tired or upset (30%)
3. When you’re on holiday (30%)
4. At weekends (27%)
5. When you don’t have enough money to afford the correct food (11%)

Femalefirst Taryn Davies

by Taryn Davies for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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