Sparking People’s Interest in Losing Weight 2

When does a woman know that the time is right for an appearance-related weight-loss effort? It generally boils down to one of two trig- gers. The first is when clothing no longer fits. When a woman goes up a dress size or can no longer breathe comfortably in her jeans, she’s often motivated to start losing weight. Social situations are the second trigger that women cite as a motivator to get started losing weight.
Special events, like a class reunion or a wedding, are likely to jump- start a woman’s enthusiasm to lose weight, often playing a greater role in women’s motivation than in men’s.

As we discussed in chapter 3, women, when they are in the public eye, are more likely than men to be concerned with how others view them, especially in relation to their physical appearance and their weight. Special events are a prime example of being in the public eye. Knowing that a special event may be an emotionally vulnerable time, many women prepare for the event by deciding to lose weight to improve their appearance.

Men care about their appearance, too. But for men more than for women, age seems to be a greater factor in the way appearance works to trigger weight loss. Weight Watchers research has found that men under the age of forty-five are far more likely than older men to say that their primary reason for losing weight is to look better or to get more fit. And when those guys are asked to give more details about their experience, another difference between the genders emerges. Men nearly always cite a situation involving clothing as the deciding point for taking action. Pants that are too

tight and the need to go up a belt notch are the most often heard triggers. Unlike women, many men are simply not motivated to lose weight by special events that will put them in the public spotlight. Men believe that they are more likely to be judged on factors other than weight during such social occasions.

Weight loss isn’t just about appearance. Health is a real motivator as well, especially for older men. Several clinical studies have found that health seems to be the primary trigger setting off most men’s decision to lose weight. Weight Watchers research confirms that existing healthproblems seem to top many men’s list of reasons for wanting to lose weight. Some of the most common health problems men said that they hope to reduce or eliminate with weight loss include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated blood lipids, sleep apnea, digestive problems, back problems, and joint pain. How do most guys become aware of the fact that they have health problems? Usually their doctors tell them. One Weight Watchers Online subscriber summed it up rather frankly when he stated, “The doctor said my diabetes and high blood pressure can be controlled for maybe one more year with- out my losing weight. It’s lose weight or die.”