Stressed and obsessed: the true toll of diet culture on Australian women

August 2023 — Australian women are spending, on average, nearly 15 years dieting*, over the course of their lifetime, according to new research released in Juniper’s ‘True cost of diet culture’ report. Yet, in the last decade, the proportion of the population living with obesity has almost doubled. Currently, 2 in 3 Australians are living with obesity or are overweight, the equivalent of 12.5 million adults.¹

The Juniper ‘True cost of diet culture’ report, released today^**, unearths the toll of failing diet culture, with a third of women (35%) claiming to have been unsuccessful in their last attempt to lose weight, revealing not only the enormous time investment, but the mental toll weight loss attempts have on women and the plethora of weight loss programs and regimes out there that simply are not designed for successful results. Lastly, the lack of regional access to healthcare professionals that Australian women face to achieve a healthy body weight. 

With 19% of women spending between three and eight hours each week engaging in thoughts about weight loss, which can be the equivalent of up to an eight-hour working day it’s not surprising that the research found that the mental burden of dieting is taking a heavy toll on women. 

Alarmingly, the research found more than a third of women (35%) who think about or engage in activities with the purpose of losing weight say they experience negative emotions including feelings of depressed mood, increased levels of stress and anxious thoughts. 

Endocrinologist and Juniper weight expert, Dr Ramy Bishay says, “Far too often obesity is considered a lifestyle condition, but this report demonstrates that the ‘eat less, move more’ mantra is failing Australian women. So much time and headspace is taken up by dieting and perceived quick fixes, when obesity is a medical condition that requires professional support and medical intervention.”

While the report illuminated that weight loss is, indeed, on the minds of Australian women, it revealed a true need for long-term solutions that negate these obsessive thought patterns. Juniper GPs agree that weight loss is a key step for unlocking long-term health benefits and longevity, but they also understand that achieving these outcomes can be hindered by our environment, genetics, lifestyles, and factors as simple as medical access.

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The Juniper Weight of the Nation report reveals:

Restricting eating, or even thinking about dieting is eating into women’s time

• Six in ten (60%) women are either dieting or restricting their eating habits to lose weight at some time each year. 
• Almost 1 million (919,000) Australian women revealed they are permanently on a diet or practicing restrictive eating to lose weight. 

The mental toll of dieting and restrictive eating is weighing heavy on women

• More than a third of women (35%) who think about or engage in activities with the purpose of losing weight say they experience negative emotions when they do so including feelings of depressed mood, increased levels of stress and anxious thoughts. 

Expert support is key to keeping kilos off 

• More than two in five (42%) Australian women who diet say that on their last weight loss attempt, they did not consult a healthcare professional.
• Australian women who consulted with an expert were more successful in their last attempt at weight loss compared to those women who did not (72% compared to 54%).

Highlighting the geographical barrier to accessing health care professionals’ weight loss advice

• One in five (19%) of those in regional areas who didn’t consult a health professional during their last attempt at dieting, also citing they either can’t get an appointment or don’t have a regular GP or nearby health professional to talk to about weight loss.
• Those in regional areas are more likely than their city counterparts to experience negative emotions when it comes to thinking about or engaging in activities with the purpose of losing weight (38% versus 33%). 

Dieting and generational behaviours 

• Gen Zers who diet are most likely to have started dieting prior to 18 years of age (66%) compared to Millennials (15%), Gen X (22%) andBaby Boomers (17%)
• Gen Z (47%) are most likely to experience negative emotions when they think about or engage in activities with the purpose of helping them to lose weight followed by Baby Boomers (43%), Gen X (34%) and Millennials (27%). 
• Gen Z are most likely to experience feeling overwhelmed (32%) and stressed/anxious (30%) when thinking about dieting and weight loss compared to older generations.
• Among Australian women who have tried dieting or restricting food to lose weight, one in four (23%, 1.4 million women) say they first started dieting as a minor, with 15% (860,000 women) saying this was under the age of 15 years and 4% (217,000 women) saying it was under 12 years of age.

In response to the failure of typical diet mantra of ‘eat less, move more’ to help many women successfully lose weight, Dr Bishay says:

“For the many women who have tried everything and remain overweight, a combination of medical treatment and holistic support services can help them improve metabolic function and help lose the weight for good.” 

The Juniper program is delivered via telehealth consultations with a team of specialist doctors and allied health professionals. The program takes a holistic approach to weight loss, combining diet and health coaching with medical treatments. Clinical treatments are coupled with professional nutrition, exercise, and community online support. 

Juniper’s Program has helped more than 130,000 Australian women on their weight loss journeys. Juniper patients have lost over 60% more body weight on average than participants in a comparable clinical trial, with our personalised coaching program being the key distinction.

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The Juniper ‘True cost of diet culture’ Report is a detailed look at attitudes and behaviours of Australian women aged 18+ towards dieting and restrictive eating. The report aims to uncover the true toll of diet culture, shedding light on the mental strain, time commitment, and access to healthcare professionals that Australian women encounter while endeavouring to shed excess weight.

The report underscores the importance of bolstering support systems and enhancing access to qualified healthcare professionals capable of providing evidence-based guidance, clinical treatments, and personalised interventions to help women successfully transition towards a healthy weight and lifestyle.

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—ENDS—

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All statistics in this report were sourced from an online survey of Australian women undertaken by YouGov, unless otherwise specified. 

About Dr Ramy Bishay‍

BSc (Hons), MSc (Hons), MBBS (Hons), FRACP‍

Ramy is a staff specialist endocrinologist and clinical lead of the Metabolic & Weight Loss Program at Blacktown Hospital, Sydney. He is also staff specialist endocrinologist and general physician at Canterbury Hospital Sydney. Dr Ramy has also published over 16 publications (including a book) and has given talks at both national and international conferences in endocrinology and in the field of obesity.‍

References

*Figures calculated based on the average life expectancy of 85 years for women (WHO, 2023). Formula used is as follows: 85 - 17 years  = 68 adult years x 11.32 weeks per year dieting on average = 769.76 weeks of dieting; 769.76/52 weeks = 14.8 years of dieting over an adult woman’s lifetime on average. 

**YouGov 2023. This study consisted of an online survey conducted between 2 June – 4 June 2023. Commissioned by Juniper and undertaken by YouGov. The sample comprised a nationally representative sample of 1,014 women aged 18 plus. The survey results were weighted by age and location using the latest population estimates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to ensure they are representative of the population of Australian women 18+ years.

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1. Overweight and obesity, summary (2023) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/overweight-obesity/overweight-and-obesity/contents/summary  
2. Based on an average life expectancy of 85 years
3. Juniper patient data. Accessed 2/08/23. Reference study: Pi-Sunyer, X., Astrup, A., Fujioka, K., et al. (2015) A randomised, controlled trial of 3.0mg of Liraglutide in weight management. N Engl J Med, 373:11-12