Canadians Financially Burdened by Weight Loss Struggles
by Allan Dizon in Fitness on Jun 23, 2011
A new survey from Canada suggests that the struggle with obesity can have a significant financial burden for some of the Canadians.
The Canadian Obesity Network reported that among those individuals who spend their money on weight loss programs over the past year, $900 was spent on commercial weight loss programs on the average, $766 on gym memberships, $600 spent on prescription diet pills, and $400 on special diets.
According to the survey, nearly three-quarters of the respondents answered that they have been battling with their weight for more than 11 years, and about one-quarter said that they have lost count on the number of attempts they have done in order to lose weight. Almost half of the gloomy obese Canadians said that they have noticed a significant impact on their relationships with their family and friends. One out of six said that they have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety.
Dr. Arya Sharma, the scientific director of the obesity network said, “There’s a misperception that obesity arises out of laziness or poor choices, but the survey results show that the patients with severe obesity want to lose weight.”
Sharma emphasized that the survey results highlighted the frustration that obese individuals feel as they struggle to lose weight with minimal success.
Furthermore, Sharma added, “Surgery wait times can be very long, the commercial weight loss industry is not regulated, so many of those products and services can be a waste of time and money, and employers are just coming around to the idea that obesity management has to move beyond simply telling people to eat less and move more.”
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