viewed weight loss as a female phenomenon, and a negative one at
that. But men’s views appear to be changing: they are more likely to decide to lose weight and are acknowledging that they are following a specific weight-loss method to accomplish it.
Women’s views are changing, too. Women have taken notice of men’s success at weight loss and are beginning to seek their advice and ask about their experiences.
But why are more men making the commitment to lose weight? There are no doubt several reasons, including the undeniable fact that there are now more overweight and obese men than ever before. But Weight Watchers research also suggests that when it comes to men, age matters. Based on a large study conducted in 2006, Weight Watchers discovered that while men over the age of forty-five said that their primary reason for losing weight was health-related, for men under the age of forty-five the reason cited most often was to look better and get in shape.
Age also seems to play a role in the method chosen to lose weight. Although men tend to rely more on exercise than women, the study found that both younger and older men are also changing their eating behaviors. And although men in both age groups are changing those behaviors, the age groups differ in the changes they are making. Older men, particularly those
with quite a bit of weight to lose, said that they had found limited success by reducing their overall food intake—often they reduce or eliminate carbohydrate-rich foods, eliminate alcohol, and consume meal replacement shakes. Younger men said that they are using those eating strategies as well, but they are also exercising more than the older guys. In fact, it was not uncommon for men under the age of forty-five to say that they exercise three or more times a week and spend four or more hours doing it.
So why are guys getting on the weight-loss bandwagon and going public with their efforts? In a phrase, they need to. Older guys are get- ting the news from their doctors that those years of gaining weight are catching up with them. Men tend to be natural problem-solvers, and there’s nothing to motivate a guy to lose weight like the diagnosis of a life-shortening disease. And for the younger guys, the media may be a key. Just as women have been bombarded for decades with images of superthin women, men are now getting similar treatment. Mar- keters are targeting men with ads featuring young, athletic male mod- els with six-pack abs and a percentage of body fat in the low single digits. Those Adonis-like male bodies have undoubtedly persuaded some men, particularly the younger ones, to take action.
Whether it is health or appearance that motivates the decision to lose weight, the good news for both genders is that the opportunity to have constructive conversations about weight has never been greater. Both women and men recognize the importance of
losing weight. If women and men can learn to understand and adapt to their unique ways of talking about weight, they can help each other learn the strategies that work and encourage each other’s weight-loss progress.
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