What influences men to take part in weight loss programs?

Men tend not to take part in weight loss programs but few studies explore why this may be. In this blog post, the lead author ofa new qualitative studypublished today inBMC Public Healthdiscusses her team's research which seeks to answer this question.

We all have some knowledge about how to lose weight, but this does not often change what we do. Using formal weight loss services can be effective in helping people who want to lose weight. In most parts of the UK, people who want to lose weight can be referred to an evidence-based group or a one-to-one weight loss program.

However, engagement of men in these weight loss programs is low. Men make up 11-25% of people who go to Counterweight, Weight Watchers, Slimming World and Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs. With a greater prevalence overweight men compared to women in the UK, and rising obesity rates globally, this lack of engagement is concerning.

Our study, published inBMC Public Health,试图了解什么影响男人在减肥服务中的参与。

Study findings

只有我和另外两个男人和大约40位女性(在体重观察者)有点令人反感

通过与18名具有不同减肥计划经历的男子的访谈(从不参加重复企业),我们确定了两个关键主题:恐惧作为变革的动力Attitudes towards existing weight loss services.

主题1:恐惧作为变革的动力:A medical diagnosis, coupled with instructions and a referral from a healthcare professional, triggered feelings of fear and worry, which motivated men to engage with weight loss programs. Awareness of severe alternative treatments, irreversible damage caused by obesity and impaired mobility were also key motivators:

“My weight had gone up to 160kg … and my GP hinted at, well you don’t want to carry on putting on weight because you might have to have a gastric band我说不,我们不会去那里” [参与者2]

Seeing the effects of long-term weight problems on family members often boosted men’s personal motivation and helped them to understand how severe their situation was:

“我失去了我的sister子……一生都有一个巨大的体重问题,我把它放下了,你知道,最后付出了一生的损失” [参与者8]

主题2:对现有减肥服务的态度:尽管这些医疗触发因素和恐惧是有力的,但男人通常仍然不愿加入或坚持减肥计划。两个子主题可以解释原因:

Subtheme 1:以女性为主的服务:Men often found themselves in the minority, provoking feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment, particularly due to the weight loss context:

“Only me and two other guys and about 40 women [at Weight Watchers], which is a bit off-putting” [Participant 4]

Some men felt that the female-dominated weight loss service threatened their identity and participating or worrying about weight was not perceived as a ‘manly’ thing to do; men also reported a lack of social support from discussing weight with peers:

“我认为这只是为男性减肥而附加的污名,他们认为减肥和担心自己的体重更多是女人的东西” [参与者7]

Subtheme 2:Incompatibility of existing services for men:Often, available services were not what the men wanted; programs that focused on discussing weight and praising weight loss were seen as intrusive and overbearing. This often led to men not taking part, only partially engaging or dropping out altogether.

“All clap each other and that, that doesn’t work for me, because that’s quite embarrassing for me. They have like a slimmer of the week and all that stuff, that doesn’t work for me” [P13, Repeater, Commercial]

对实践的影响

Men in the study discussed strong motivations to lose weight, triggered by fear resulting from a medical diagnosis or complication. The findings highlight the importance of healthcare professionals raising the issue of weight with patients. However, men are less likely to visit the GP compared to women, so engaging men in alternative, non-medicalized settings, is also vital.

Findings that existing services are perceived to be female-dominated and misalign with men’s preferences emphasize the importance of providing a variety of service formats (e.g. men-only, mixed groups, one-to-one), which may be more compatible and satisfactory for men.

Understanding motivations and barriers to engaging is key to addressing them and reducing rising rates of obesity, overweight and associated weight-related health problems.

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