Form about weight loss
Thank you for completing the survey. Data collection has been completed. With 123 responses, I consider this project a great success! I am very grateful!
Let’s take a look at the results.
88% of respondents were women, which is consistent with my experience: women tend to pay more attention to health-related issues. Perhaps it is no coincidence that married men live longer thanks to their caring wives.
In terms of age, the vast majority fall into the 40-60 age group, which is also characteristic of people over 40 paying more attention to health signs.
Two-thirds of respondents are overweight, and two-thirds have experienced long-term weight loss. We yo-yo. I was in the same situation, and it is challenging to break out of it. Exercise and lifestyle or diet changes are the two most common factors in weight loss, but calorie counting and intermittent fasting also rank high. (I lost weight using these four factors, just for the record.)
If I narrow down the previous group to those respondents who lost weight permanently and are currently at a normal weight, the answers suggest that exercise and calorie counting are the keys to success.
The most common reason for losing weight is aesthetic. This is followed by feeling better, with health reasons coming in third and self-confidence fourth. (I’m vain too, but health was the deciding factor for me.)
At the same time, sugar cravings and snacking are the most common reasons for people to stray from their diet, followed by lack of time (which, given the age group, may be due to being active parents). The lack of motivation and support can perhaps be explained by the achievements of the modern age, as many obesity-related diseases can be compensated for with medication, and we humans have become much more self-focused in recent decades (and I think this has been accelerated by the COVID lockdowns).
Unfortunately, many people in the obese category would spend less than an hour a week on a weight loss program, which I find very surprising given the risks associated with obesity. It took me about 1-2 hours a day to make the changes related to weight loss, including exercise, cooking, and calorie counting. What we build up over decades does not disappear overnight. Unfortunately, it is a cliché, but slow weight loss really does promise more lasting success in the long run. To put it even more clichédly: slow and steady wins the race.
As for the type of help, self-study materials, community support, and a combination of the two received around 25% each, while individual counseling rose above them with over 30%. From this, I would conclude that we welcome support from others, which is consistent with the fact that in many cases, respondents felt that support was lacking for successful weight loss.
Support and shared or social motivation are the most requested forms of help, but personalized diets and recipe ideas also appear in the responses.
And how much would people be willing to pay for such a program? More than half of the respondents would be willing to spend between $6 and $30 per month.
Thank you for your responses, they were really informative – some of them were even personal. Thank you for writing so much!
I still need some time to crystallize my idea based on the responses, but my solution is already starting to take shape based on your answers.
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