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The word is out - young women want personally tailored nutrition advice and information when it comes to weight loss.
Over 80% of young women are trying to lose weight but are confused about the best way to achieve this a study published by Wiley-Blackwell in the June 2007 issue of Nutrition & Dietetics – the official Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, including the Journal of the New Zealand Dietetic Association – has found.
The study is the first in Australia to examine women’s views on different approaches to weight loss, their preferences on how the program are delivered (e.g. individual versus group sessions), and likelihood of participation.
Lead author Dr. David Crawford, Associate Head at the School of Exercise and Nutrition Services at Deakin University, said, “Our study suggests young women are moving away from weight loss groups and classes, with 58% preferring to receive individual face-to-face advice on weight loss from a health professional. They want information on a range of topics including meal planning, cooking, low-fat recipes and how to better manage stress.”
Co-author Dr. Kylie Ball, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University added, “This request for information also suggests they don’t currently have access to good quality information about healthy eating and being physically active, or that the abundance of information that is currently available simple serves to confuse them. They would also be more likely to participate in a weight loss program if it was tailored to their needs”.
Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, Tara Diversi, sees many women in her practice who want to lose weight and says the study findings confirm what many dietitians already know. “Many of the women who come to me for weight loss advice are on the dieting merry-go-round and have tried lots of different weight loss programs that haven’t worked. The key to success is giving people the information they want and the confidence to eat in a way that is right for them. APDs work out an eating plan that meets each person’s specific needs and fits with their lifestyle so they can stick with it for life” Ms Diversi said.
This paper is published in the June 2007 issue of Nutrition & Dietetics (64:99-104). Media wishing to receive a PDF or schedule media interviews with the authors should contact Alina Boey, PR & Communications Manager Asia.
About Nutrition & Dietetics
Nutrition & Dietetics is Australia’s leading peer-reviewed journal in its field. Covering all aspects of food, nutrition and dietetics, the Journal provides a forum for the reporting, discussion and development of scientifically credible knowledge related to human nutrition and dietetics. Widely respected in Australia and the rest of the world, Nutrition & Dietetics publishes original research, methodology analyses, commentaries and viewpoints, research reviews, book reviews and much more. Nutrition & Dietetics is the scientific journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia including the Journal of the New Zealand Dietetic Association.
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alina.boey[.]asia.blackwellpublishing.com 
