Weightloss poll reveals Australia's secret diet shame

EXCLUSIVE: ONE in four Australians are on a diet, but half are ashamed to admit it. Where do you fit in?

diet

ONE in four Australians are on a diet, but half are ashamed to admit it. Where do you fit in?

The annual Tony Ferguson Weightloss Poll to be released on Friday has found that 54 per cent of dieters are too embarrassed to share their struggles with others because they're afraid that they'll fail.

"People often feel quite concerned about telling people in their lives they have a weight loss goal" says Dr Samantha Fearns, a practising clinical psychologist, told news.com.au

"This can be because they've tried to lose weight before and they're afraid of failing at another attempt. It can be about embarrassment or shame; it can be a fear of letting other people down, or disappointing themselves."

The survey found that 25 per cent of the 1,269 respondents keep their dieting secret because of fear of failure; 17 percent are worried about being judged, and another 17 per cent don't want to have to admit to someone else that they're overweight.

An additional 17 per cent keep their dieting secret because they're frustrated about having to diet again. For people in this situation, "having a real problem-solving approach can help when looking at why weight loss hasn't worked before" Dr Fearns advises.

"If a person has made previous attempts to eat more healthily or get an exercise plan off the ground, different factors may have served as barriers to their success. It helps to think about what were you lacking before, what was getting in the way and what could be different now?"

Dr Fearns suggests harnessing social media in the fight against negative stigma surrounding weightloss through websites and apps that allow you to share the burden.

The governments' "Swap It Don't Stop It" initiative educates you on how to make healthier food choices, offers exercise advice, and even suggests which gym you should join. There is a forum which allows you to share your weightloss tips and ideas, a facebook page which allows you to do the same thing, and an app to keep you on track.

Website ShareTheWeight.com.au takes it one step further by asking Australians to pledge to lose 10, 000 tonnes of excess weight in 2013.

Alex Ressi founded "Tweet What You Eat" as a way of keeping dieters accountable, and personal trainers such as Michelle Bridges and Amelia have massive followings on their Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"An alarming number of dieters try to go it alone without any support. By bringing weight loss out into the open as a group challenge, people can feel they are making an active and positive change in their life. The stigma disappears when people get the help they need to achieve their goals" said Dr Fearns.