SubscribeWeight Loss Approaches Around the World
When we read studies about weight loss approaches and attitudes, we often tend to hear about the American perspective. But what does the rest of the world think? And what are they doing about the growing obesity problem? A recent global survey of over 9,000 people in 13 countries over five continents contained some intriguing contrasts and surprises.
For example, which country would you guess has the most "emotional eaters?"
And The Emotional Eating Winner Is...France?
The survey asked whether people agreed with the statement "I tend to eat junk food when I am feeling down." Generally, 31% of people agreed. However, in France it was 57%, the US it was 48% and in the United Kingdom it was 44%.
What Are People Doing to Lose Weight?
Generally, when asked what measures people were taking to reduce or maintain their weight the most popular choice, at 40% was... none.
But asked more specifically what steps people took when their weight exceeded a certain threshold, 47% said they reduced their food intake; 43% increased physical activity, and 35% changed the types of food they ate.
But countries varied in their approaches: Fifty seven percent of Americans, 56% of French and 54% of the British reduced their food intake to try to lose the pounds, while 14% of Malaysians chose to use herbs and supplements.
Home Exercise
Overall 22% of those surveyed used home exercise equipment. It was most popular in the United States (a third) and the United Arab Emirates (also a third), Canada (31%) and the United Kingdom (30%).
Diet--Low Fat or Low Carb?
Low-carb foods are eaten most in the UAE (27%) and Brazil (26%) while low-fat foods are the most popular choice in Saudi Arabia (60%), the UAE (44%) and Canada (43%).
Hopping On The Scale
Fifteen percent of French people and 12% of Americans weigh themselves every single day, and half of the French and the Americans check their weight once a week or more. In contrast, only 15% of those in Hong Kong get on the scales at least once a week, and 37% of those in Singapore never get on the scale at all.
Dependent on Fast Food
When asked to agree or disagree with the statement 'I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up', the British were most in agreement at 45%. They barely beat out Americans at 44%. Canada followed at 37%.
On the other hand, the nations that most disagreed were France (81%), Singapore (75%), Hong Kong (73%) and Romania (also 73%).
Weight Loss Groups
Weight loss classes and groups like Weight Watchers are most popular in the United Kingdom (10%), Saudi Arabia (10%), and Australia (9%).
Global Confusion?
Steve Garten, an executive at Synovate (which did the survey) noted:
"On one hand, more than half of all respondents agreed that they eat whatever they want, whenever they want. On the other hand, more than two thirds say 'I watch my food intake carefully and strive to be healthy' which rather flies in the face of the first claim."
Apparently it isn't just Americans who can sound awfully confused and contradictory when they talk about food and weight loss.
"On one hand, more than half of all respondents agreed that they eat whatever they want, whenever they want. On the other hand, more than two thirds say 'I watch my food intake carefully and strive to be healthy' which rather flies in the face of the first claim."
Maybe what they want to eat is healthy, and they don't want to eat that much :)
I don't think this is that contradictory. About a year ago, my eating habits were pretty bad. I decided to change my eating patterns for the better. These days, I don't really want a lot of the "bad stuff" that I used to eat so much of. And I don't eat just for the sake of eating like I used to.
Replythats right- the francais- they don't stuff someselves with crap the way Americans do.- they eat quality, not quantity, they actually enjoy and savor it. you need to fill up?? WATER! its not either/or. savor something small that tastes incredible and have the water with it.
Replyyou guys seem to be forgetting something- your bodies are composed 2/3 of this- water! drink water! fill up with it! it will make you healthy, not fat! do not fill your stomach with lots of food, thats not the purpose of either. our bodies are not composed of 2/3 meat, milk, donuts, ice cream, chocolate or even vegetables! it is composed 2/3 of water!!
Replyanother thing that really screws up our bodies is high fructose corn syrup- it stimulates insulin, but doesn't need it - it is very easily stored as fat, and also causes a terrible addiction- not only to sweets, but it makes terribly hungry -you eat more AND more often you are hungry. it is added because it is cheap and you buy more because you eat more. you get addicted unknowingly, but then you just crave more, more more- you give your money to the pusher of this crap.
ReplyPrecisely, and I fall into this category.. :-)
ReplyGood to know that a healthy 35% of weight watchers would take the pains to reform their diets as a means to trim down the fat. Reducing food intake doesn't always guarantee weight loss but if only people could integrate fitness, proper nutrition and dietary supplementation with fibers, Omega 3's found in flax seed and vitamins--now that is a healthy and effective way to sustain a fit and trimmed body.
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ReplyI think sometimes people hurt themselves more on their diets than help themselves simply because they deprive themselves of healthy nutrition and nutrients. Then they cave in and eat the worst food for your body. The best and most healthy thing one can do is eat right and not eat crap. Nutritional shakes are great because they include so much good stuff. Go to your drug store and see what you can find. I get mine from http://www.herbalbuddy.com made by Herbalife because they taste great and have great ingredients to help keep us healthy
ReplyI don't agree with nutritional shakes except for:
1. Recovering from an illness
2. Undernourished child
3. Elderly
otherwise why not eat whole foods?
Replyeat from God, not Monsanto.
ReplyDespite what you may have heard, losing weight isn’t a incomprehensible process. In fact, weight loss doesn't even have to include odd diets, uncommon exercises or even the use of medication or fitness equipment. So what is the secret to losing weight effectively? Simply make minor changes each and every single day and you'll slowly but surely lose extra unwanted weight, pound by pound.
Secrets to Weight Loss
To lose a sinlge pound, you must burn approximately 3500 calories above what you already burn while conducting daily activities. That sounds impossible doesn't it? Well, it’s not. Here's how simple it is.
1. Calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Your BMR is what your body needs to maintain normal functions like breathing and digestion.
2. Calculate your activity level. Use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while doing various things like sitting, standing, exercising, etc. throughout the day.
3. Closely monitor of how many calories you eat. Use a food journal to add up what you eat and drink each and every single day. If you're eating less calories than you're burning, you will lose weight.
Focusing your attention on daily changes is the best way to reach your weight loss goals. Don’t expect to lose weight overnight. Instead expect to lose weight gradually over time. To lose weight gradually over time, is to lose weight the healthy way. When attempting to lose weight it’s important that you always remember, your Health is more important than your Appearance!
Replythats difficult. its easier to learn to fill up with something that makes up 2/3 of our bodies- water. also, slowly savor something incredible- not a great quantity, but a small amount. a little goes a long way if you savor it slowly. - do not use food to fill up your stomach. use water. food-quality,not quantity. water- fill up as you need. water won't make you fat no matter how much you drink.
ReplyGood advice,that's exactly what I did 2 years and 140lbs ago...it worked!
ReplyYeah, cool article :)
ReplyI'm little fatty, but not so lazy. But.. I like junk food
Ha, it makes sense that the French would be the group with the most people hating fast food for its taste. The stuff truly is vile-tasting, especially when you're used to eating real food.
And I don't think it's contradictory to both eat what you want and also to strive to be healthy. I used to eat "whatever I wanted" back when I was obese and now I still eat "whatever I want". It's just that now the foods I want are generally healthy foods whereas back in the day I wanted junk a lot more.
Replyeat something small that tastes incredible. savor and enjoy it have water with it or before or after. fill yourself up with the -water- (water is 2/3 of your body)
Replyyes, there is no french paradox. eat a little of something incredible- and use water to fill up.
ReplyI wish I was like you Spectra, but I am not. I eat healthy foods now, but I still want unhealthy foods. Hopefully one day I'll only want to eat healthy foods.
ReplyThe information on France is really interesting to me. I'm reading this book called "French Women Don't Get Fat." The author was born in France and now lives in New York, and she has an interesting perspective on eating. For her, it's about taking pleasure in what she eats and having a healthy relationship with food. These statistics about France seem to back up what she's saying. If anyone else has read the book I'd love your opinion on it - I haven't finished it yet.
Replyive started to read the book- i seem to understand: do not stuff yourself with food, especially with crap disguised as food- eat something incredible! savor it! - but don't eat a lot- don't fill yourself up with food, fill up with water!! face it, fast food isn't that great- it's just big. trade in stuffing yourself with something unsatisfying for something you truly LOVE. eat it slow.. make it last.. a small amount will last a long time.. use water to fill yourself up while you are savoring your incredible-tasting food. if you have good water, then water is good for you. it will fill you up while you enjoy yourself slowly with the great food.
Replyshe got fat because she started eating like an American. then she went back home, and learning how to really ENJOY food, she got slim again.
ReplyOh, I sometimes still want stuff that's not the healthiest. I just try to only eat a handful of gummy peach rings instead of the whole bag or one ice cream bar instead of half a carton. But for the most part, I do crave things like carrots, apples, spinach, brown rice, broccoli, or hot tea more than I crave, say, pizza or brownies. Maybe it's just because I don't eat those foods very often, so I've lost the desire to eat them.
Replydon't forget to fill up with water. if you don't fill up with water, you will fill up with something else. you need the water. then you won't feel like eating lots and lots of food/junk.
ReplyI lived in France in the early eighties then again in the late 90's. It was amazing to see how much bigger the European people were in 17 years. However, now there seems to be a McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, etc. on every street corner just like here. When I first lived in France I had to travel all the way to Geneva, Switzerland to eat at a Burger King. I am a firm believer that fast food is to blame for obesity and the French, Belgian, Swedish, etc. people are not too far behind us in the obesity rate.
Replythey traded in their great food for that? that's too bad- that stuff isn't even satisfying- that's why we eat a lot- we think satisfaction is to be had when you fill up with something unsatisfying. instead, we need to fill up with water and eat something we truly enjoy in smaller amounts. our stomachs are not made to fill up with food- we need water!!
ReplyHi,
While I agree that when you get down to the basics, it is a matter of calories in, calories out, I don't believe in counting calories. It's just another example of deciding what/how much to eat based on an outside source instead of listening to your body. We need to get back to letting our bodies tell us when & what we need to eat (and when or what we need to stop eating!) I lost 70 pounds without counting calories--more specifically, after I STOPPED counting calories--and I've kept it off for several years. Relegating myself to, say, 1800 calories a day and expecting to eat that exact number of calories (or even very close) from day to day doesn't make sense. Some days I'm hungrier than other days. I know that there are days when I eat maybe 1400 calories and other days when I eat 2400. I suppose it isn't for everybody, but I've found that I don't need a lesson in nutrition to tell me what and how much is good for me. My body reacts well to fresh, whole foods, and not so well to processed stuff.
Replyi totally agree, spectra. i dont really enjoy the foods i used to or as you said crave them. i havent eaten a whole piece of pizza since august. and speaking of other countries, when i went to Hungary for two weeks i totally didnt eat very much and when i came home all i wanted was healthy food because their food is greasy and fatty.
ReplyI'm not at all suprised by the UK figures you bring up there (being from London myself) and totally agree with the stat that shows we like our weight loss classes. There are at least 2 people in my life who regularly attend them but the thing you may find surprising is that both at 25 or under. It's now a lot more acceptable to partake in such activities at a younger age whereas before it was frowned upon by peer groups.
ReplyI think the biggest issue when it comes to nutrition is lack of education of what the food really is and what it does to your body. The food industry is so good at marketing that the common person really has no idea what is healthy and what isn't.
Replyumm limit carbs add more green vegis
the more color vegetables you have the better..
If you must eat fast food skip the bun
Even wheat sucks its filled with gluten and other crap they add high fructose syrup to breads as well.
Your best off with the Ezekiel bread you can find that in the frozen section costs a couple more dollars per loaf but definitely worth it and tastes great.
Eat more soups preferably home made so you know whats in it alternate from with organic chicken broth..then maybe a beef soup with barley and vegs then fish soups
Replyyou can drink the broths from these and fill satisfied and not fill guilty..get your favorite music get a medium size trampoline 25 min will pass like nothing do that 5 days a week you will see huge difference within a month
This blog is useful and well-organised. Thanks! (from Hong Kong)
ReplyI wish I was like you Spectra, but I am not. I eat very much healthy foods now, but I still want unhealthy foods but I can't control it. May be one day I'll only want to eat healthy foods.
ReplyFollowers of these eating plans believe that a decrease in carbs results in lower insulin levels, which causes the body to burn stored fat for energy. Initially, when you follow a low-carb diet you may lose more weight than if you followed a low-fat, low-calorie diet. This increased weight loss may or may not continue long term depending on your commitment to following the eating plan.
A low-carb diet doesn't appear to be any easier to maintain than are other diets. Studies comparing low-carb diets and low-fat diets have found that after a year, people drop out of both diets at similar rates. This suggests that the low-carb diet, like so many diets, is no easier to stick to long term. Well-known low-carb diets include the Atkins diet, Zone diet and Protein Power.
Reply