Many Spaniards unhappy with their weight

MORE than half of Spaniards are unhappy with their weight.

According to the latest survey conducted by the Consumers and Users Union (OCU), 94 per cent of women and 88 per cent of men in Spain have tried to lose weight at some point in their lives. The study looked at 2,000 people aged between 18 and 64 to determine their level of satisfaction with their own health and weight.

As much as 73 per cent of women and 54 per cent of men said they are unhappy with their weight and official figures show that 54 per cent of adults and 28 per cent of children in Spain are overweight or obese. OCU representatives said the situation is “extremely worrisome” because excessive weight increase is commonly associated with heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer and degenerative bone diseases. It can also result in worse psychological and emotional health, they said.

Nevertheless, not all respondents mentioned health concerns as the main reason behind dieting. In fact, while 90 per cent said they have tried to lose weight to “feel good about themselves,” only 30 per cent have gone on diets for health reasons.

It seems, however, that unhappiness was not enough to prompt Spaniards to do something about their weight. Data show that only 31 per cent increased their physical activity and as little as 14 per cent worked out and went on a diet.

Dieting is not as easy as it sounds though and most respondents reported hunger, sadness, weakness and bad mood while trying to lose weight, and while 30 per cent did manage to shake off a few pounds, most were affected by a not so unexpected rebound weight gain.