The truth ABOUT DIETING

Tired of cutting back and getting nowhere? It's not you! Your body isn't broken and you're not lacking willpower. Here's what's really going on

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From cutting out carbs and avoiding sugar, to subsisting on shakes and skipping meals, chances are you've tried countless diets over the years with varying success, often ending up heavier than when you started. While you can stick to it for a while, most of us eventually fall off the bandwagon, unable to maintain the strict rules and berating ourselves for a lack of willpower before finding ourselves in front of the fridge.

That is until we're lured in by the latest plan promising quick results, only to wind up in the same place soon after. Sound familiar?

The merry-go-round of weight loss is undoubtedly exhausting, with each failed attempt more demoralising than the last.

Weight loss & our wallets

It pays to keep us stuck in the dieting cycle. In 2023, people in this part of the world spent $483 million on weight-loss services, low-calorie foods and dietary supplements, with a myriad of apps, programmes, books and meal replacements claiming to be the solution we've long searched for.

Despite the billions spent chasing quick fixes, the reality is that obesity isn't just about the number on the scales. Carrying excess weight increases the risk of serious health issues, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea and fertility problems. The World Health Organization has called obesity a global epidemic - and New Zealand is no exception. We now have the third-highest adult obesity rate in the OECD, with one in three adults and one in 10 children classified as obese.

Where are we going wrong?