The weight loss industry is worth billions. Millions of people worldwide buy into it because they want to lose weight and feel great, yet many of these people are still overweight and feel bad about themselves. It is something of a paradox; weight loss products and services rake in the cash, yet the people who use them are still overweight. This very concept is what keeps them on the shelves.
Suppose for example someone has played their latest fitness dvd so many times they are sick of it and decide to go and buy another one; there are so few recipes in their diet books they actually like that they have to add another book to their collection; they are bored silly slugging it out on their running machine every night and so they treat themselves to a rowing machine as well. Before they know it they will have a pile of dvds they never workout to, a pile of books gathering dust and a whole host of fitness gadgets just begging to wing their way to the nearest charity shop. Sound familiar?
Diet books, diet foods, diet pills, fitness dvds, slimming magazines, gyms, health clubs, home exercise equipment; the list goes on. Although most do have something of value to offer, and initially they may work, the novelty often wears off sooner or later. Once someone stops doing something, they stop seeing the results.
The sales pitch of many weight loss products is that they promise to give results, quickly. Today’s fast-paced lifestyle means many people are easily sold on the idea of ‘instant results’ in return for very little effort. But the reality is they still have to do the work and when they realise this, their momentum goes right out of the window.
That’s the thing about weight loss products and services; they only work if people can put in the effort to stick at them, and many people don’t because they either get bored, or they do not have the time. It is a well-known fact that diets are hard to stick to and gym dropout rates are high.
The key to weight loss is actually very simple. It’s really just about making lifestyle choices and adopting good habits that will allow us to lead a healthy way of life.
In a nutshell we should: eat less convenience foods that are laden with refined sugars and saturated fats, eat more whole foods, fruits and vegetables, chew our food properly, stop eating when we have had enough to eat, drink more water, avoid smoking, watch our alcohol intake and take more exercise. All of these things need to be addressed continually throughout life and not just on a whim.
How someone goes about incorporating these healthful behaviours into their life depends on who they are; people are different. What works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else.
Lifestyle factors such as work and family commitments need to be taken into consideration. We all have different lifestyles; it is unrealistic for a single mother with three children to have the time or inclination to sweat it out at the gym for an hour every night. However, a person with no family commitments may spend all day looking forward to their evening gym session because they really enjoy it and they are able to stick at it.
It is important to be realistic. Every small step someone takes is important, whether it is eating one more piece of fruit a day or getting off the bus one stop early, drinking more water or making a conscious effort to chew their food properly. If they gradually build these things up they will become habits of day-to-day life rather than just short-term fads, and they will see long-term results with seemingly little effort.
So, do weight loss products and services work? The answer is yes, but only if they can be incorporated into someone’s lifestyle on a long-term basis, and that will depend on the person not the product.
Sharon Kirby is a freelance health writer who likes to write about exercise, fitness, nutrition and a multitude of other health issues. She also writes about eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder.