One in five Irish women over 30 is currently on a diet according to a new survey which was carried out by chewing gum company, Wrigley.
The research into Irish women’s dieting habits reveals that 20 per cent of the female population are currently on a diet while 50 per cent admit to having dieted in the past. Younger women are more likely to watch their weight than their older counterparts with almost half (48 per cent ) of women aged 30-49 currently on a diet as opposed to 19 per cent of women aged 50-59. This trend continues as the years progress; with only a meagre eight per cent of women in their 60s claiming they currently watch their waistline.
The average Irish woman starts dieting in her 20s (33 per cent ) while almost a quarter say they only bothered about diets when they reached their 30s. Sticking to a diet proves to be a problem for many Irish women with one fifth questioned saying they diet for less than a week. One third admits to lasting between one week and one month while two per cent say they give in within 48 hours.
Almost half (45 per cent ) of women polled blame lack of willpower for falling off the diet wagon while stress and boredom are also cited as key reasons with 22 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Women who tend to diet for more than a month say boredom is the key reason for giving up, while younger women state stress as the reason they stop dieting.
Irish nutritionist Nuala Collins has the following tips to help you lead a healthier lifestyle:
Stay positive — if you set out with a negative mindset it’s likely you will not achieve your goal. Believe you can do it!
Know your limits — identify when you are most susceptible to losing control of your craving and take action. If you know you are going to be reaching for the biscuit tin at 3pm, a simple thing like chewing sugar-free gum can help distract you from the cravings.
Change your routine — if you’re most likely to snack in the evening while watching TV, change your habits. Get up every so often and stretch, drink water, make a phone call or read the newspaper. More often than not you will find that the craving subsides when you take your mind off it.
Take control — a minor slip-up does not have to be the end of all your good intentions. If you have a bad day, start afresh the next day.
