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ATLANTA You've heard that men are from Mars and women are from Venus when it comes to relationships. Well, the same is true with dieting. A new national survey, conducted for the Calorie Control Council, found that there are many differences between women and men in terms of why they diet, why they use low-calorie and reduced-fat foods and why they can't lose those unwanted pounds. The Council takes a biannual look at Americans' eating and weight control habits and has tracked dieting trends for over 20 years.

The survey revealed that women blame themselves for not being able to lose weight while men are more likely to give external excuses. Forty-one percent of women attributed their weight loss failures to a lack of self-discipline, compared with only 28 percent of men. Women (36 percent) also are twice as likely to say they "often eat for emotional reasons such as boredom, stress or lack of family support" as opposed to men (16 percent). Men are more likely to indicate they don't eat properly at restaurants or often overeat at mealtimes.

Physical appearance was a top contender for women as a reason for using low-calorie and reduced-fat (or "light") products but men ranked this reason much lower. Over 45 percent of women listed "maintaining physical appearance" as a reason to use these products, while only one-third of men gave this reason. More women than men also cited "feeling better about the way I look" as a reason for using "light" products.

Dr. John Foreyt, director of the Nutrition Research Clinic and professor, Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, noted, "Using appearance and dress size as a long term motivation for weight loss is not a good idea, and may lead to feelings of guilt and frustration. Instead, to increase the likelihood of weight loss success, the emphasis should be on improving health and focusing on factors you can control such as physical activity and the foods you eat."

However, there are some things men and women do agree on that affect their eating habits and weight control efforts. The number one reason for being overweight is they don't exercise enough. Most check the nutrition label to determine the amount of calories, fat and type of ingredients they are consuming and feel that nutritional content is important. Overall, men and women feel that they are eating a healthier diet than they were just three years ago. And, because of the many low-calorie, reduced-sugar and reduced-fat foods available, both men and women feel that they are able to better control and balance their overall caloric intake. Nine out of ten use "light" versions of their favorite foods and beverages and both men and women listed "to stay in better overall health" as the number one reason for using these foods.

Men and women alike seem to be getting the message -- they're simply too big --with 66 percent of women and 51 percent of men stating they need to lose weight. With approximately 114 million Americans overweight (according to government statistics), 24 percent (or almost 50 million Americans over the age of 18) of Americans are "dieting." Another 36 percent are making a conscious effort to control their weight, recognizing that on-again off-again dieting is doomed to failure and that making gradual, more healthy lifestyle changes leads to long-term weight loss.

The good news is that both men and women are consuming a healthier diet and seem to be aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. However, the bad news is that the survey reveals women tend to focus on physical appearance as a motivator for losing weight. Dr. Foreyt, a nationally recognized weight loss expert, advises that rather than fantasizing about an ideal -- and possibly unrealistic -- weight or dress size, women need to look for factors such as better health and decreased risk of chronic disease. Men on the other hand, are not taking personal responsibility for being overweight and should modify their lifestyles.

The survey findings are based on a nationally projectable sample of 1,200 individuals age 18 and older. The sample reliability is +/- 2.8 percent. The survey was completed in July 2000 by Booth Research Services, Inc. for the Calorie Control Council, a non-profit association of manufacturers of low-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages.

Copyright © 2007 Calorie Control Council

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