Daneisha R. Hawkins, M.P.H., from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the trend in weight loss efforts among adolescents with overweight and obesity aged 16 to 19 years. The study showed an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among US adolescents from 22.09% in 1988-1994 to 34.03% in 2009-2014, while the percentage of those who tried to lose weight dropped from 33.68% to 27.24% during the same period.
Researchers studied 5,491 adolescents ages 16 to 19 over three time periods and found a reduction in the percentage of adolescents with overweight who were trying to lose weight from 80.24% to 54.19% among girls and from 36.36% to 23.41% among boys.
Source: jamanetwork.com
Lightbulb Moment: Not only are teens not trying to lose weight but the pattern is seen with other generations too. Other research has shown that compared to 10 years ago, consumer’s weight has gone up 10 pounds. So, the concept of “weight wellness” is another way to say “I am heavier than I used to be … but I’m ok with that”. Not a wonder obesity research is not showing a reversal in pattern. So, how do sell products for health and weight loss, when it is a shrinking goal of consumers?