Weight-loss strategies used by the general population: how are they perceived?
BACKGROUND
The rising prevalence of obesity and the social pressure for thinness increase the prevalence of dieting. However, little is known about the overall perception of dieting strategies actually used by the general population.


OBJECTIVE
Our main objective was to investigate perceptions of weight-loss practices in an observational study in order to identify the most favourable strategy.


METHODS
Adults from the ongoing Nutrinet-Santé cohort study who had reported engaging in dieting in the three previous years were included in the study. For each diet, detailed information was collected on types of diets, circumstances and perception of the diet, and outcomes. Perceptions were compared across diets using sex-specific mixed effects models.


RESULTS
Among the 48 435 subjects who had completed the respective questionnaire, 12 673 (26.7%, 87.8% of women) had followed at least one weight-loss diet in the previous three years. Diet plans prescribed by health professionals and diets conforming to official dietary recommendations were the most favourably perceived among all assessed weight-loss strategies. Alternatively, commercial diet plans and self-imposed dietary restrictions were more negatively perceived (Odds ratios (OR) for adherence difficulty 1.30 (95% confidence interval (0.99;1.7)) in men and OR 1.92 (1.76;2.10) in women compared to official nutritional guidelines; OR 1.06 (0.82;1.38) in men and OR 1.39 (1.26;1.54) in women respectively) compared to official nutritional guidelines.


CONCLUSIONS
Official dietary recommendations could be useful tools for maintaining a dietary balance while following a weight-loss diet.
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team, Epidemiology and biostatistics Center, Cnam, Paris 5 University, Paris 7 University, Bobigny, France; Department of Public Health, Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, France.
Chantal
C
Julia
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team, Epidemiology and biostatistics Center, Cnam, Paris 5 University, Paris 7 University, Bobigny, France.
Sandrine
S
Péneau
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team, Epidemiology and biostatistics Center, Cnam, Paris 5 University, Paris 7 University, Bobigny, France.
Valentina A
VA
Andreeva
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team, Epidemiology and biostatistics Center, Cnam, Paris 5 University, Paris 7 University, Bobigny, France.
Caroline
C
Méjean
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team, Epidemiology and biostatistics Center, Cnam, Paris 5 University, Paris 7 University, Bobigny, France.
Léopold
L
Fezeu
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team, Epidemiology and biostatistics Center, Cnam, Paris 5 University, Paris 7 University, Bobigny, France.
Pilar
P
Galan
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team, Epidemiology and biostatistics Center, Cnam, Paris 5 University, Paris 7 University, Bobigny, France; Department of Public Health, Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, France.
Serge
S
Hercberg
D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss