IN Northern Ireland 65 per cent of adults are either living with overweight or obesity. This has risen from 62 per cent in 2018/19. Males (43 per cent) had a greater tendency to be living with overweight than females (33 per cent) and around a quarter of children aged two-15 are either living with overweight or obesity. Studies show children living with obesity are approximately five times more likely to become adults living with obesity and this is the first generation where children will pre-decease their parents because of weight-related problems. The country is in a fight for weight loss.
Yet, there is a much bigger battle – for self. People who want to lose weight are increasingly feeling lost, desperate and hopeless – their self-confidence and self-belief that anything can help them, worn away.
A new survey of more than 2,000 UK adults commissioned by the UK and Ireland’s largest group-based weight-loss organisation Slimming World reveals 50 per cent of UK adults say they’ve put off even trying to lose weight, with six-in-ten of those aged under 27 (Gen Z) the most likely to delay. More than one-in-five people say they’ve delayed losing weight for three years or more, with many saying that has impacted their health and caused them to gain even more weight.
The survey, carried out independently by Censuswide reveals four-in-ten have thought about losing weight at least once a week without taking action, despite around half being unhappy with their size and saying they know they eat unhealthy food and almost three-quarters wanting to improve their health.
For many, this lack of hope and desperation for a quick solution could make the allure of the new ‘magic bullet’ weight loss injections even stronger. The costs are high. Painful and expensive weekly injections, with side-effects of diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, vomiting and more. Growing evidence that weight regain is very likely once people stop injecting. For many, lack of appetite removes the pleasure from eating and socialising.
And the long-term safety of the regulated drugs is still unknown.
Within the already deafening weight loss arena, weight loss injections add even more confusion, contradiction and uncertainty. The personal conviction and self-determination of people living with overweight and obesity depletes further.
In just one session, almost every new member left filled with self-belief, self-confidence and self-determination. This switch came from learning more about Slimming World’s health-giving eating plan, seeing the success of other members, and experiencing the empowering support to help them overcome their personal barriers.
Renowned Psychologist, Dr Linda Papadopoulos, says: “Delaying weight loss stems from fear of failure and feeling comfortable with what’s familiar. Each time we put off change, we chip away at our confidence, creating a cycle where taking action seems harder and harder. Procrastination isn't just about weight – it reveals our deeper doubts about our ability to transform our lives. One way to make our goals feel more tangible and achievable is by seeking support from people who understand and share the same challenges and aspirations. In pulling on the strength that comes from that kind of togetherness we create something powerful – a supportive accountability network that transforms our personal intentions into collective motivation."
There is good news. There is a way people can win the battle for self, rebuild their hope and optimism, and achieve a healthy, lasting weight loss.
In new research, which surveyed more than 7,000 new Slimming World members last January, more than two-thirds said that before going to a Slimming World group, they didn’t dare dream they could lose weight and stay slim (69 per cent). More than half of the members surveyed said that they’d had feelings of doubt, uncertainty and a lack of motivation and control for more than a year, and for some people ten years or more.
However, in just one session, almost every new member left filled with self-belief, self-confidence and self-determination. This switch came from learning more about Slimming World’s health-giving eating plan, seeing the success of other members, and experiencing the empowering support to help them overcome their personal barriers.
They left feeling:
• Committed to their weight loss (98 per cent)
• That they could lose weight and keep it off (96 per cent)
• Motivated to make changes to their lifestyle in order to lose weight (97 per cent)
• More confident to manage the things that had previously got in the way of them losing weight (89 per cent)
Christine McCann, from Newtownabbey, who lost two stone with Slimming World says before joining her local group her self-esteem was low. Although she had lost weight previously, following a close family bereavement, she took the attitude that life was too short and decided to eat and drink what she wanted. It wasn’t until she saw a photograph of herself on a family holiday that she realised she needed to make a change. Her doctor was also worried about her weight, he had begun to only prescribe her HRT medication monthly whilst keeping a close eye on her BMI.
Christine joined her local Slimming World group and says she knew within moments that she would reach her weight loss goal there.
She says: “I took that first step, joined my local group and found my sense of self restored. I was warmly welcomed and my motivation was jump-started being in a room of likeminded people. My hope, self-confidence and self-belief came flooding back. The shift happened so quickly, within just 90 minutes, in my very first group I knew I would have the ability to reach my weight loss goal for good, this time.
“Learning about the real food I could eat with my family and also the strategies and thinking time I’d get each week in group, the knowledge I’d build and seeing other members around me picking up three, four, five stone awards. I bounced out of the room that night with a confidence and a belief in myself that I hadn’t felt for years. The accountability of the weekly group is important for me and with the encouragement of my Consultant and the other members, I was able to stay committed week after week.
“The belief my Consultant had in me was like nothing I’d felt before – it felt like I’d come home. I’ve always tried to lose weight on my own and failed every time. I now realise that the support, understanding and friendship of others who know what you’re going through – that’s what was so vital for my success. I feel like I’ve found myself again – my back pain has eased, my doctor now prescribes my HRT once a year – and I’m holding on to her for good.”
With over a decade of expertise in neurogastroenterology and cardiovascular pharmacology from leading institutions including the University of Sheffield and the University of Nottingham, Dr. Jemma Donovan PhD, Slimming World’s Research Manager, says: “This January, those feelings of doubt, fear and hopelessness could easily lead people to look to weight loss drugs as a silver bullet, however unless they get effective support to make lasting changes to their eating and activity habits, they’re very likely to regain the weight once they stop the medication, and they’re far less likely to experience the sense of personal achievement and the increased self-worth that comes with knowing you’re in control in the long term.
“Our research confirms what so many of our members tell us. After many years of feeling hopeless, out of control and desperate about their weight, new members quickly experience a powerful shift in self-belief, self-determination and self-confidence, restoring their hope about what they can achieve – without resorting to weight loss drugs or surgery. And that shift happens in less time than it takes to watch a movie!”
Join Christine’s Slimming World group in The Chester,
466 Antrim Road on Wednesday 8th January at 7.30pm or phone 07824777112 for more details.
