The fight for weight loss

New research shows there is a way to win!

The cost of obesity in Ireland is expected to soar from €6.6bn in 2019 to €11.1bn in 2030, with 60% of adults living with overweight or obesity. Currently, one in five children in the Republic of Ireland are overweight or living with obesity – putting them at greater risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many cancers in adulthood. This is the first generation where children will pre-decease their parents because of weight-related problems. The nation is in a fight for weight loss.

Yet, there is a much bigger battle – for self. People who want to lose weight are increasingly feeling lost, desperate and hopeless – their self-confidence and self-belief that anything can help them, worn away.

A new survey (1) of 500 adults in Ireland commissioned by the UK and Ireland’s largest group-based weight-loss organisation Slimming World reveals 72% of adults in Ireland say they’ve put off even trying to lose weight, with those aged between 28 and 43 (Millennials) the most likely to delay (79%). More than one in three people (34%) say they’ve delayed losing weight for three years or more, with many saying that has impacted their health and caused them to gain even more weight.

The survey, carried out independently by Censuswide reveals more than half (59%) have thought about losing weight at least once a week without taking action, despite 57% being unhappy with their size, 65% saying they know they eat unhealthy food and the vast majority wanting to improve their health (87%).

For many, this lack of hope and desperation for a quick solution could make the allure of the new ‘magic bullet’ weight loss injections even stronger. The costs are high. Painful and expensive weekly injections, with side-effects of diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, vomiting and more. Growing evidence suggests that weight regain is very likely once people stop injecting (3). For many, lack of appetite removes the pleasure from eating and socialising. And the long-term safety of the regulated drugs is still unknown.

Within the already deafening weight loss arena, weight loss injections add even more confusion, contradiction and uncertainty. The personal conviction and self-determination of people living with overweight and obesity depletes further.

Renowned Psychologist, Dr Linda Papadopoulos, says: “Delaying weight loss stems from fear of failure and feeling comfortable with what’s familiar. Each time we put off change, we chip away at our confidence, creating a cycle where taking action seems harder and harder. Procrastination isn’t just about weight – it reveals our deeper

doubts about our ability to transform our lives. One way to make our goals feel more tangible and achievable is by seeking support from people who understand and share the same challenges and aspirations. In pulling on the strength that comes from that kind of togetherness we create something powerful – a supportive accountability

network that transforms our personal intentions into collective motivation”.

There is good news. There is a way people can win the battle for self, rebuild their hope and optimism, and achieve a healthy, lasting weight loss.

In new research (2), which surveyed more than 7,000 new Slimming World members last January, more than two thirds said that before going to a Slimming World group, they didn’t dare dream they could lose weight and stay slim (69%). More than half of the members surveyed said that they’d had feelings of doubt, uncertainty and a lack

of motivation and control for more than a year, and for some people 10 years or more.

However, in just one session, almost every new member left filled with self-belief, self-confidence and self-determination. This switch came from learning more about Slimming World’s health-giving eating plan, seeing the success of other members, and experiencing the empowering support to help them overcome their personal

barriers. They left feeling:

? Committed to their weight loss (98%)

? That they could lose weight and keep it off (96%)

? Motivated to make changes to their lifestyle in order to lose weight (97%)

? More confident to manage the things that had previously got in the way of them losing weight (89%)

Niamh Walsh, 30, from Dublin, who lost 3st with Slimming World says before joining her local group her self-esteem was very low. She felt lost and overwhelmed by conflicting weight loss advice. Believing she would never get to her dream weight and keep it off. Niamh decided to join her local Slimming World group in Ayrfield and says she had a really good feeling that she was going to do it this time. She felt supported and educated on on building healthy habits and building a better relationship with food.

She says: “The night I joined Slimming World I left feeling ready to throw myself into the plan. With my new found determination, I went to a dance class that evening, I had an accident and shattered my knee cartilage and was off my feet for 5 weeks. Nevertheless, I knew from that first night in group that with Food Optimising – I could do it and I was determined to give it my best shot”.

Niamh went on to lose 3st and says, “I now make better choices with food, focus on all the foods I can eat in abundance and am never hungry. I’ve found the balance I needed to live a healthier life and keep the weight off. I’ve even started back running and to my own disbelief I completed a half marathon in November. I was always the girls whospoke negatively to herself – I can’t do this, I can’t run, I hate exercise, I’ll never be able to do this – and I had accepted the false reality that I couldn’t change. I’m so happy that I proved myself wrong and I’m so grateful for the support of the members in my group and of course our amazing Consultant Mandy”.

With over a decade of expertise in neurogastroenterology and cardiovascular pharmacology from leading institutions including the University of Sheffield and the University of Nottingham, Dr. Jemma Donovan PhD, Slimming World’s Research Manager, says: “This January, those feelings of doubt, fear and hopelessness could

easily lead people to look to weight loss drugs as a silver bullet, however unless they get effective support to make lasting changes to their eating and activity habits, they’re very likely to regain the weight once they stop the medication, and they’re far less likely to experience the sense of personal achievement and the increased self-

worth that comes with knowing you’re in control in the long term.

“Our research confirms what so many of our members tell us. After many years of feeling hopeless, out of control and desperate about their weight, new members quickly experience a powerful shift in self-belief, self-determination and self-confidence, restoring their hope about what they can achieve – without resorting to weight loss drugs or surgery. And that shift happens in less time than it takes to watch a movie!”

For more information or to find your local group please visit www.slimmingworld.ie

1 The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 500 Nat Rep Respondents (aged 18+) in Ireland between 22.11.2024 – 26.11.2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society

which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

2 Between 2nd and 31 st January 2024, 7,106 Slimming World members who joined their local group that week completed an online survey asking for their feedback about their experience