Dieting Disaster #1: Dieting Just to Lose Weight Does Not Work Experts Say
Naweko San-Joyz
January 11, 2008
Why do most people go on a diet—to lose weight, of course. But according to a study in Sex Roles, baby boomers who exercise merely to lose weight are blindly leading themselves to fat camps.
In fact, according to the report, women motivated to change their body image spend about 40 percent less time exercising than women who exercise for motives not related to achieving a certain body shape or weight.
Everyone knows they need to exercise, yet Michelle Segar, a University of Michigan psychology researcher who helped with the study says that, “Most don't do it consistently.”
Why would a woman who genuinely desires to change the way her body looks not stick to an exercise program? Apparently her core motivation bears a fattening flaw.
Researchers deduce that the chances of maintaining fitness habits increase when the exercise is for a non-body shape related reason. For example, reasons like desiring to reduce stress, to increase a sense of well-being, to enjoy social activities, or do something with a friend spurred a woman to exercise more than her body image-centric counterpart.
In the investigation, the women, all in their mid-40s, reported how much they exercised during a typical week. Almost half --44 percent-- said they exercised to lose weight, maintain weight and/or tone their bodies, yet these women exercised barely half as much as others with non-body shape motivation.
What investigators discovered is that there is a direct link between the type of exercise a woman chooses to engage in and her reasons for choosing to exercise. If a woman chooses to go hiking, for instance, simply because she loves the serenity of nature, she is more likely to continue hiking for the long term because she sincerely enjoys this activity and does not feel pressure to do it.
Alternately, a woman who feels pressed to drop five pounds within the next week may choose traditional exercise routines such as walking on a treadmill or climbing the stair machine. In this case, exercise becomes a torturous mandate and not a pleasant and physical escape from her daily demands.
Segar has pointed advice for women wanting to lose weight but not sabotage their efforts: "Don't take up running if you don't particularly enjoy running. You're better off to find something more pleasurable, like walking with a friend, or to do something you do like and will keep doing long-term as a regular part of your life.''
In short, apparently dieting to lose weight does not work for the same reason that most garages do not get organized—it’s a chore. Engaging friends, adding music, and adding spontaneity are a few ways to transform the “chore” of losing weight into a rewarding, welcomed and more importantly, life-long activity.
Sources:
Segar, Michelle; Donna Spruijt-Metz and Susan Nolen-Hoeksema. Go Figure? Body-Shape Motives are Associated with Decreased Physical Activity Participation Among Midlife Women. Sex Roles: February, 2006, vol 54, no 3-4, pp 175-187.
University of Michigan. Go Figure: Weight Loss One of the Worst Reasons to Exercise. Newswise. April 13, 2006.
In fact, according to the report, women motivated to change their body image spend about 40 percent less time exercising than women who exercise for motives not related to achieving a certain body shape or weight.
Everyone knows they need to exercise, yet Michelle Segar, a University of Michigan psychology researcher who helped with the study says that, “Most don't do it consistently.”
Why would a woman who genuinely desires to change the way her body looks not stick to an exercise program? Apparently her core motivation bears a fattening flaw.
Researchers deduce that the chances of maintaining fitness habits increase when the exercise is for a non-body shape related reason. For example, reasons like desiring to reduce stress, to increase a sense of well-being, to enjoy social activities, or do something with a friend spurred a woman to exercise more than her body image-centric counterpart.
In the investigation, the women, all in their mid-40s, reported how much they exercised during a typical week. Almost half --44 percent-- said they exercised to lose weight, maintain weight and/or tone their bodies, yet these women exercised barely half as much as others with non-body shape motivation.
What investigators discovered is that there is a direct link between the type of exercise a woman chooses to engage in and her reasons for choosing to exercise. If a woman chooses to go hiking, for instance, simply because she loves the serenity of nature, she is more likely to continue hiking for the long term because she sincerely enjoys this activity and does not feel pressure to do it.
Alternately, a woman who feels pressed to drop five pounds within the next week may choose traditional exercise routines such as walking on a treadmill or climbing the stair machine. In this case, exercise becomes a torturous mandate and not a pleasant and physical escape from her daily demands.
Segar has pointed advice for women wanting to lose weight but not sabotage their efforts: "Don't take up running if you don't particularly enjoy running. You're better off to find something more pleasurable, like walking with a friend, or to do something you do like and will keep doing long-term as a regular part of your life.''
In short, apparently dieting to lose weight does not work for the same reason that most garages do not get organized—it’s a chore. Engaging friends, adding music, and adding spontaneity are a few ways to transform the “chore” of losing weight into a rewarding, welcomed and more importantly, life-long activity.
Sources:
Segar, Michelle; Donna Spruijt-Metz and Susan Nolen-Hoeksema. Go Figure? Body-Shape Motives are Associated with Decreased Physical Activity Participation Among Midlife Women. Sex Roles: February, 2006, vol 54, no 3-4, pp 175-187.
University of Michigan. Go Figure: Weight Loss One of the Worst Reasons to Exercise. Newswise. April 13, 2006.