Research by Weight Watchers unearths confronting insights about New Zealanders' body confidence

Research by Weight Watchers unearths confronting insights about New Zealanders’ body confidence.
 

• Generation Y is significantly more body conscious than earlier generations according to new statistics released by Weight Watchers NZ.
• 82 percent (of Gen Y) want to change something about their appearance.
• Gen Y is 22 percent more likely to be body conscious than baby boomers.

Gen Y’s body confidence has been hit the hardest with 52 percent admitting that comparing themselves to friends in social circles and in social media has a negative influence on how they feel about themselves. 51 percent had even gone so far as ‘untagging’ images of themselves on social channels because they didn’t like the way they looked.

Weight Watchers finds that as people learn how to live a healthier life they become more confident about making better choices which in turn affects the way they see themselves. To celebrate the courage it takes to make lasting lifestyle changes and feel confident in your own skin, Weight Watchers has recognised two courageous people as the winners of The Healthies, formerly known as The Healthy Life Awards.

Tina Dorn from Dinsdale has won The Healthies for Biggest Transformation, losing over 24kgs while starting a new career, going through a divorce and being mum to three young boys. In her words she’s “swapped her sweatpants for Lycra”, becoming the confident and capable cyclist she has always dreamed of being.



“With the help of Weight Watchers, I managed to go from avoiding exercise in baggy workout clothing to being an avid cyclist; wearing skin tight Lycra. It's a bit of a change, but one that makes me really proud!”

It’s important to celebrate the journey and the steps it takes to reach your goal. The Weight Watchers team has awarded The Healthie for Inspirational Story to Islay Mcleod from Horahora.

Struggling with both Crohn’s disease and Coeliac, Islay has managed to regain control of her life, losing 25kg while continuing towards her goal weight. Thanks to her support team at Weight Watchers she’s been able to adapt the program to her required gluten free diet. She now has an active lifestyle enjoying snorkeling and hikes and on the cards very soon is fulfilling a lifelong dream to skydive!

"The support and encouragement I've had from both my group coaching meetings and the online Weight Watchers community 'Connect' has been invaluable to my success this far. Knowing you’re in it together really spurs you on."

Martha Lourey-Bird, Weight Watchers Director of Program and Content, says: “Body confidence is an issue influencing everything from achieving personal life goals to the way we interact with others in person and online. Weight Watcher’s holistic lifestyle approach encourages people to not only eat healthier and move more, but also feel good about themselves, because research shows happier people make healthier choices.”

Winners of the both NZ and Australian The Healthies awards won a makeover in Sydney with Stylist-to-the-Stars Donny Galella and will all become Weight Watchers ambassadors for 2016. For more information visit,https://www.weightwatchers.com/au/healthies-winners.

Negative self-image; how it’s affecting New Zealanders:
 

• Lack of confidence - 43 percent of Gen-Y New Zealanders say they’d be more likely to socialise if they had better body confidence.
• Effect of lifestyle - 7 in 10 Kiwi women say they suffer from a negative self-image, which is impacting the way they look after their health, personal relationships or their exercise regimes.
• Impacting relationships - 27 percent of Gen-Y New Zealanders admit to being more likely to date if they were more body confident.