Diet Stress
Diets cause us stress- some bright spark has concluded- as if we didn't know that already!
The impact of sticking to weight-loss regimes for some dieters can be as stressful as meeting a deadline at work, studying for exams, moving house or even going through a bad patch with a partner according to a nationwide report out today.
Thousands across the UK are suffering needlessly from Diet-Related Stress in their bid to lose weight. Almost half of those surveyed had tried various ‘fad’ diets, reporting symptoms similar to those experienced when going through stressful life periods. Nearly a third of respondents believe sticking to a diet is as stressful as being on a deadline at work, one in five compare the feeling to studying for an exam, and astonishingly one in 10 believe dieting involves the same level of stress as planning for a wedding!
Georgina Burnett, NLP practitioner and lifecoach, said “Instead of becoming victims of Diet-Related Stress, we should instead look to prioritise positive food choices over fad diets and eat happily ever after.”
Nutritionist Nicola Burgher-Kennedy commented, “Extreme fad diets causing such high levels of stress and anxiety will be having a negative effect on the body rather than achieving realistic goals. Such emotion puts people at risk of rebelling against their weight loss regime rather than enjoying healthy food choices as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. It’s essential that, to maintain a healthy weight, or lose a little excess, you follow the principles of a healthy balanced diet.”
According to the survey for Müllerlight, many dieters said they sometimes feel teary and agitated while dieting and one in ten say it has been the root cause of arguments with partners or friends.
Fad diets are often to blame – with a whopping 77% of us trying at least one at some point in our lives. Interestingly more than twice as many men [54%] than women [27%] have lost their target weight on a fad diet and kept it off. Yet overall only a third of people lose the amount of weight they intended on a fad diet.
Tagged in Diet