70 Dieting Statistics You Should Know

Humans have been striving to eat a nutritious diet because the days of Ancient Greece and Rome. According to a 2016 paper within the ​Journal of Food Research​, the phrase “weight-reduction plan” could even originate from the Greek phrase ​diaita​, that means psychological and bodily well being.

But it wasn’t till the Victorian period that fad diets — aka weight-loss plans that promise fast (however not essentially long-lasting) outcomes — actually took off, per the paper. Starting within the 1800s, individuals started adopting diets to enhance their appearances. In reality, one of many earliest and most well-known dieters could have been Lord Byron, who popularized a Vinegar and Water Diet in 1820.

More than a century later, we’re nonetheless following particular consuming plans within the hopes of adjusting our well being or look. Here’s a better have a look at right now’s weight-reduction plan information and statistics:

Many modern-day diets have been developed a long time in the past, solely to expertise a resurgence in reputation, in response to the ​Journal of Food Research​ paper. Here’s an abbreviated timeline of a number of the hottest diets over the past 200 years.

• 2011: The HCG
  Diet
• 2009: Whole30
• 2003: The South
  Beach Diet
• 2000: The Dukan
  Diet
• 1995: The Zone
  Diet
• 1992: The
  Atkins Diet
• 1985: Fit for
  Life
• 1983: Jenny Craig
• 1979: The
  Pritikin Diet
• 1977: Slim Fast
• 1975: The
  Paleolithic Diet (this is able to grow to be well-liked once more within the 2000s, because the paleo diet)
• 1972: The
  Nutri/System Diet
• 1970: The
  Sleeping Beauty Diet
• 1961: Weight Watchers
• 1950: Cabbage
  Soup Diet
• Nineteen Forties: The
  Master Cleanse
• 1930: Hollywood
  Diet
• 1925: The
  Cigarette Diet
• 1921: The
  Ketogenic Diet (this is able to grow to be well-liked once more within the 2000s, because the keto diet)
• 1820: The
  Vinegar and Water Diet

It’s not simply Americans who’re following diets. Dieting is a worldwide phenomenon, with many individuals revamping their consuming patterns in hopes of dropping pounds or altering their look or well being.

Worldwide, about 42 % of adults are attempting to shed weight, and 23 % are attempting to keep up their weight, in response to a January 2017 examine in ​Obesity Reviews​.

Of the people who find themselves attempting to lose or preserve their weight:

• 20.4% depend energy
• 15.9% eat weight-reduction plan meals or use weight-reduction plan merchandise
• 12.4% monitor their meals consumption and bodily exercise ranges
• 11.9% comply with a particular weight-reduction plan or a fad weight-reduction plan
• 9.7% use meal replacements

From 2015 to 2018, almost 1 in 5 adults within the U.S. — about 17 % of Americans — who have been over the age of 20 tried a particular weight-reduction plan, in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Here’s a better have a look at the demographics:

A better proportion of individuals assigned feminine at beginning (AFAB) reported being on a particular weight-reduction plan than individuals assigned male at beginning (AMAB).

• 19% of individuals
  AFAB
• 15.1% of individuals
  AMAB

Non-Hispanic white adults have been extra more likely to strive a particular weight-reduction plan than individuals of different races within the U.S.

• 17.8% of non-Hispanic
  white adults
• 16.4% of
  Hispanic adults
• 14.7% of
  non-Hispanic black adults
• 14.9% of
  non-Hispanic Asian adults

Younger adults have been much less more likely to be on a weight-reduction plan than older adults within the U.S.

• 13.3% of individuals ages 20 to 39
• 19.2% of individuals
  ages 40 to 59
• 19.3% of individuals
  ages 60 and older

People with obesity have been extra more likely to strive a particular weight-reduction plan than individuals of different weight statuses.

• 23.1% of individuals with weight problems tried a particular weight-reduction plan
• 17.1% of individuals with obese tried a particular weight-reduction plan
• 8.3% of people that had underweight or a wholesome weight tried a particular
  weight-reduction plan

Most individuals within the U.S. report being on a low-calorie weight-reduction plan or different weight-reduction plan that may assist them shed weight. Here are 4 of the most well-liked sorts of diets:

• 9.3% of individuals are on a weight-loss or low-calorie weight-reduction plan
• 2.3% of individuals are on a weight-reduction plan for diabetes
• 2% of individuals are on a low-carb diet
• 1.8% of individuals are on a low-fat or low-cholesterol weight-reduction plan

Much of the analysis about weight-reduction plan focuses on weight reduction — which (not less than within the literature) exhibits a variety of success and failure. While statistics range, one oft-cited July 2005 examine in ​The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition​ concluded that:

• About 20% of individuals are profitable at sustaining their weight reduction over the long-term (not less than one 12 months).
• About 80% of individuals are not profitable at holding their weight
  off over the long-term.

On common, individuals with total more healthy diets are much less more likely to attempt to shed weight than those that have unhealthier diets, in response to a 2005 Gallup poll. Here’s the breakdown:

• Americans who describe their diets as “very wholesome” have
  tried to shed weight about 5 instances of their lives.
• Americans who describe their diets as “considerably wholesome” have
  tried to shed weight about eight instances of their lives.
• Americans who describe their diets as “not wholesome” have
  tried to shed weight about 9 instances of their lives.

People who keep on with their diets all through the week are 1.5 instances extra more likely to preserve their weight than people who find themselves a little bit extra versatile, in response to the July 2005 examine in ​The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition​.

Many individuals who weight-reduction plan keep on with their consuming plan all through the week, although enable themselves a little bit flexibility on holidays and the weekends.

• 59% of dieters say they eat the identical on the weekends and
  weekdays
• 52% of dieters are stricter throughout non-holiday instances in contrast with the vacations
• 45% of dieters say they eat the identical on holidays and
  holidays as they do throughout the remainder of the 12 months
• 39% of dieters are stricter on weekdays than on the weekends
• 3% of dieters eat extra strictly in the course of the holidays than throughout non-holidays
• 2% of dieters eat extra strictly on the weekends than throughout
  the week

The COVID-19 pandemic has modified many elements of life within the U.S. — together with, in response to an April 2020 Gallup Poll, a few of our diets.

• 59% of Americans say their diets have not modified throughout
  the pandemic
• 28% of Americans say their diets have gotten worse throughout
  the pandemic
• 13% of Americans say their diets have gotten higher throughout
  the pandemic

A poor weight-reduction plan — one which’s both missing in wholesome meals or accommodates too many unhealthy meals — can improve the danger of dying at an earlier age (particularly from coronary heart illness).

Here’s a better have a look at how weight-reduction plan impacts our lifespan:

• Worldwide, about 11 million individuals died from the
  results of a poor weight-reduction plan in 2017, in response to a examine in ​The Lancet​, largely by contributing to the event of cardiovascular
  illness. More particularly:
  • About 3 million
    deaths have been attributed to a excessive consumption of sodium
  • About 3 million
    deaths have been attributed to a low consumption of entire grains
  • About 2 million
    deaths have been attributed to a low intake of fruits and vegetables

Globally, our diets embody too little of sure beneficial vitamins and an excessive amount of of meals we needs to be limiting. Here’s a better have a look at the place we’re falling brief, and the place we’re exceeding the mark, per ​The Lancet​ examine.

Worldwide, we’re consuming solely:

• 12% of the beneficial quantity of nuts and seeds
• 16% of the beneficial quantity of milk
• 23% of the beneficial quantity of entire grains

• 90% extra processed meat than is beneficial
• 86% extra sodium than is beneficial
• 18% extra pink meat than is beneficial