The study of 1,544 people by Slimming World revealed that 60% of overweight men had never spoken to anyone about their weight concerns as they preferred to deal with things by themselves and felt their weight wasn’t anyone else’s problem.
Women who are overweight are similarly coy when it comes to talking to others, with 51% having never shared weight worries with another person. And while they were quicker than men to take action, the study revealed that women still took 2.2 years to start to address their weight.
When men and women do eventually open up to someone about their weight, health professionals are high on the list of people they turn to, which confirms the important role that health professionals can play in supporting patients to manage their weight. This was also recently demonstrated by a high-profile University of Oxford study, published in The Lancet, which found that 80% of patients felt it appropriate and helpful when a trained GP raised the issue of weight with them in a 30-second intervention.
Dr Jacquie Lavin, Head of Nutrition and Research at Slimming World, says: “It’s a big concern that so many of us are keeping weight worries a secret and avoiding seeking support. Most people gain weight each year so this delay could result in significant weight gain.
“We know that health professionals may worry that they will cause offence by talking to patients about weight, however the research published in The Lancet showed that patients find it appropriate and helpful.
“If health professionals routinely raise the issue of weight with patients in a respectful and non-judgemental way, they could help reduce the average six years it takes men to take action and cut the two years it takes for women to try to lose weight too.
“By addressing weight concerns earlier, men and women can start to develop healthier habits sooner and help reduce the risk of developing secondary health problems like Type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer which, sadly, become increasingly likely as people gain more weight.”
Case study
Name: Andrew Newson
Age: 53
From: Maidenbower, Crawley
Start weight: 22st 5.5lbs
Weight loss: 8st 11lbs
Percentage of body weight lost: 39%
Andrew, 53, gained weight in his early twenties when his job as a sales rep started impacting on his lifestyle choices. Long hours driving led to him living on snacks and convenience foods (a can of coke and a Mars bar was a typical breakfast) and he was also less active than he used to be.
At his heaviest, the stepdad of three and grandad to four experienced a number of incidents that left him feeling embarrassed. He had been asked to leave a theme park ride on two occasions because staff said he was too big and he was unable to accept a lift in his boss’s sports car as his weight meant he couldn’t fit through the door. Andrew says that up until then, he had actively avoided visiting his doctor because he knew he would have to get weighed.
“I didn’t want to have an uncomfortable conversation about needing to lose weight and so avoided it for a long time,” he says. “However my health was getting worse. My mum was worried about me too, especially as my father had died from heart disease aged only 42. I knew I had no choice. After prescribing me medication to reduce my blood pressure and cholesterol, my GP talked to me about my weight, letting me know that my health was severely at risk and suggesting I join a weight loss group like Slimming World. I joined the next day and walking through the doors at my Slimming World group was the best thing I have done.”
After a warm welcome from the group and learning how the plan works, Andrew started eating more fruit and veg and cooked healthy versions of favourite meals like chicken tikka masala, egg fried rice and Singapore noodles. He also began getting more active, starting by walking and then progressing to running and cycling.
He says: “After my first night at Slimming World I came home with an armful of recipe books and we started cooking healthy versions of our favourite meals. It was great and because I was eating food that was filling and lower in energy, things like pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit and vegetables and lean meat, I could still enjoy decent portions.
“The group support was brilliant too. Setting my own personal target gave me something to aim for and sharing ideas and experiences with other people at group taught me so much and helped me to recover if I ever slipped off track. As a group, we draw a line under things and move on.
“I’ve now lost 8st 11lbs and life is completely different. I’m no longer on prescription medicine and my blood pressure and cholesterol are back to normal. I recently had a health check at work and every single measure was green, rather than red like it used to be. I go to the gym, I cycle and I love running too – I’ve even qualified as a scuba diver and did a trek in Peru! I have the energy to play with my young grandchildren too, which means that life is never boring!
“My doctor is really pleased with the changes he’s seen and, like me, he’s delighted that he talked to me about my weight as it really was the first step to a new healthy me.”