世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1] [part 2]

With almost three-quarters of Japanese reckoning that they themselves need to lose a few kilos, and with Billy’s Boot Camp flying off the shelves, not least because for men metabolic syndrome is the in cause of concern, and for women the summer and the associated revealing fashions are fast approaching. This recent survey by DIMSDRIVE Research on weight-loss dieting offered me so many possible headline opportunities, and I succumbed to the temptation to stuff in as many sweet keywords as I could.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 31st of May 2007 DIMSDRIVE Research interviewed 8,408 members of its online monitor panel by means of a private internet-based questionnaire. 43.1% of the sample was male, 0.8% in their teens, 15.0% in their twenties, 35.9% in their thirties, 28.8% in their forties, 13.9% in their fifties, and 5.6% aged sixty or older.

Note that Billy and Norika don’t make an appearance in this survey until tomorrow’s part 2 post, so you’ll just have to wait!

I too, despite being underweight for my height, could do with losing (or moving elsewhere) a couple of kilos of spare tyre. Actually taking more exercise in addition to just walking between stations would help, but just cutting down on snacks is my lazy way out, I suppose.

Research results

Q1: Have you ever done a weight-loss diet? (Sample size=8,408)

	All	Male N=3,627	Female N=4,781
Currently dieting	27.9%	23.7%	31.1%
Have dieted in the past, but not now	41.3%	31.7%	48.6%
Never dieted	30.3%	44.0%	19.9%
Don’t want to answer	0.5%	0.6%	0.4%

Almost a quarter (24.2%) of the small group of teenagers were currently dieting, and another quarter or more (28.8%) had previously dieted. Women in their twenties and thirties had similar rates for those with diet experience, but this percentage dropped with age; nearly three in four of young women had diet experience, but under half of those in their sixties had.

Q2: Regarding your body as it is now, do you feel you need to do a weight-loss diet? (Sample size=8,408)

Definitely needed (to SQ)	34.1%
Perhaps needed (to SQ)	39.2%
Not needed	24.2%
Don’t know	2.2%
Don’t want to answer	0.3%

As one might guess, those who thought they needed to lose weight were much, much more likely to be dieting and have had previous diet experience.

Q2SQ: Are you currently dieting? (Sample size=6,169)

Currently dieting	37.0%
Not currently dieting	63.0%

Q3: What were the reasons for starting dieting? (Sample size=2,347, those currently dieting from Q1, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=859	Female N=1,488
Because I was fat	72.2%	69.2%	74.0%
Because I was concerned about my body shape or body weight	69.6%	61.2%	74.5%
Because I wanted to fit into (or can’t now fit into) my clothes	48.1%	26.9%	60.3%
Preparation for light summer wear	27.3%	10.5%	37.0%
Because of the results of a health check, on doctor’s advice	24.8%	41.2%	15.4%
Family or friends said so	18.2%	13.4%	21.0%
Wanted to wear a swimsuit	12.6%	2.7%	18.3%
Saw diet information on TV or in a magazine, etc	10.7%	6.3%	13.2%
Friends started dieting	3.1%	1.2%	4.2%
Found a lover	2.8%	1.5%	3.5%
Other	4.1%	3.8%	4.3%
No particular reason	0.5%	0.3%	0.6%

Q4: What dieting methods are you using? (Sample size=2,347, those currently dieting from Q1, multiple answer)

Watching what I eat	58.2%
Decreasing snack size or frequency	42.0%
Decreasing meal size or frequency	40.9%
Walking, jogging	36.2%
Stretching, muscle training	29.0%
Using medicines or supplements	17.6%
Half body bathing	10.0%
Other sports	9.1%
Yoga, pilates	8.0%
Diet tea, diet drinks	7.9%
Diet equipment, exercise equipment	7.0%
Sauna, germanium bath, etc	6.8%
Swimming	6.4%
Diet foods (MicroDiet, etc)	5.8%
Other food or drink (kanten, etc)	4.0%
Pelvic correction	3.9%
Fasting	2.6%
Other diet goods	2.3%
Esthetic treatment, cosmetic surgery	2.2%
Eat just one kind of food	0.7%
Get treatment at hospital	0.7%
Other	3.1%

Q5: From where do you want to lose weight? (Sample size=2,347, those currently dieting from Q1, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=859	Female N=1,488
Stomach, flanks	84.3%	85.1%	83.8%
Waist, lower back	67.7%	55.5%	74.7%
Thighs	51.9%	18.6%	71.0%
Bottom	40.3%	13.6%	55.6%
Face, chin	36.7%	28.6%	41.4%
Upper arm	36.2%	5.0%	54.2%
Calves	31.9%	6.1%	46.8%
Back	30.7%	10.2%	42.5%
Chest	7.7%	6.9%	8.2%
All over	36.2%	22.7%	44.0%
Other	0.4%	0.3%	0.5%
No particular place	1.1%	2.4%	0.3%

[part 1] [part 2]