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Being too polite hinders dieters

By Lucy Halfhead on Wednesday 20 May 2009

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Marie Claire health news: bulimia

Dieters fail to reach their target weights because politeness leads them to break their regime when they are with friends and family, according to a new study.

Those watching their weight feel pressured to break low-fat regimes because they do not want to be rude when out with friends at restaurants and social gatherings.

The research found that while all the patients believed following the diet was important, most found it difficult and the majority did not reach the challenging targets. Special occasions such as weddings or holidays often made it difficult to avoid fatty foods.

It also found that ‘poor and confusing’ food labelling, a lack of options and the apparent tastelessness of low fat foods were the biggest concerns for those on the regimes.

The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

Researchers did highlight some benefits of following a low fat diet, including that those on them developed awareness and confidence about appropriate food choices, felt better and had improved blood fat measurements.

In the study dietician Dr Louisa Whitfield-Brown and her colleagues invited patients attending the Lipid Clinic at the Manchester Royal Infirmary to share their progress on the very low fat diets.

Dr Whitfield-Brown said: ‘The results highlighted the difficulties faced when trying to achieve a low fat diet with many patients finding it difficult to access information on the fat content of foods, especially when eating out or when on holiday.’

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