Gelesis survey reveals pandemic’s dampers on US consumers’ weight loss goals

28 Jan 2021 --- Gelesis has released new survey findings on shifting reasons for difficulties in losing weight before and since the pandemic began. 

Pre-pandemic, US survey respondents cited faltering willpower (42 percent), lack of time (37 percent), other priorities (33 percent) and their social lives (32 percent) as the biggest barriers to living a healthy lifestyle.

During the pandemic, willpower was still a major issue (44 percent), but lack of money (35 percent) and lack of support (30 percent) became more pressing obstacles.

“Health has taken on even greater importance since the pandemic began. While the majority of Americans gained weight during this challenging time, 2020 has also made many of us re-examine our habits,” says Elaine Chiquette, PharmD, Gelesis’ chief scientific officer. 

“More than ever, we see people saying they need more support in their weight loss journey and focusing on how to live a healthier lifestyle.” 

Gender differences
According to Gelesis’ survey results, women have felt the pandemic barriers to weight loss even more acutely. 

Women are more likely than men to say faltering willpower (48 percent versus 38 percent), lack of money (40 percent versus 30 percent), and lack of support (34 percent versus 26 percent) are barriers amid the pandemic.

Women are also more likely than men to state being hungry (43 percent versus 35 percent) and feeling deprived of foods they love (34 percent versus 26 percent) as weight loss barriers. 

No matter the reasons, 67 percent of women and 53 percent of men agreed that losing weight had become more difficult over the past six months (approximately May-October 2020).

Willpower remained a central issue to pursuing weight loss both before and during the pandemic.Chiquette also recently shared some preliminary survey findings with NutritionInsight. 

She pointed out one in four women reported their weight gain during the pandemic affected their wellness by making them feel anxious more often, contrasted to just over a quarter of men.

Sixty percent of women versus 44 percent of men also reported feeling down about the way they look. 

Factoring in mental health
The lines between physical and mental health continue to overlap. Innova Market Insights determined “Mood: The Next Occasion” as one of its top ten F&B trends for 2021. 

NPD is seeing staggering growth and claims on-pack that relate to specific mood patterns, such as sleep, stress and anxiety.

Low self-esteem is affecting US consumers’ journey to better weight management. Gelesis’ survey finds that 40 percent would “just like to feel more confident in their own skin.” 

Just under a third stated they “long for the chance to feel good about their body when sitting on the beach in their bathing suit.” 

The “miserable” weight loss journey
The Gelesis survey initially revealed that 71 million US consumers have gained weight throughout the pandemic.

Of this group, more than three in five have felt pressure in some way to get healthier and improve their lifestyle habits.

Among those who have made at least one attempt to lose weight in the past, three in five also agree that the weight loss journey itself is “almost as miserable as being overweight.”

“The pandemic has impacted all of us in so many ways, but we specifically commissioned the survey to understand the role it played in weight and its corresponding impact on mental health,” Chiquette shared with NutritionInsight. 

“This survey is not just about weight gain but about the real mental and emotional struggle Americans face as a result. Our survey shows that people of all generations need more support.”

Hopes for 2021 
Gelesis maintains that hopes for worry-free activities accompany a desire for health and wellness. 

With a longing 2021 might return to normalcy, a quarter of respondents would like to fit into skinny jeans, and 22 percent would like to run a mile without stopping.

Nearly two-thirds have been more motivated to develop healthy eating habits (64 percent) and healthy lifestyle habits (63 percent) as well.

The Gelesis survey was conducted in partnership with an independent third-party research firm. It surveyed 1,012 US adults online from October 26 to November 3, 2020.

By Anni Schleicher