When it comes to losing weight, staying motivated matters.
But regardless of how motivated you are, it won’t overcome serious limitations, say researchers–such as having limited access to healthy food.
“Changing the environment alone cannot produce results,” says Wenjun Li, Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine and director of the Health Statistics and Geography Lab at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. “However, efforts to try to change a person will be very limited without improving the environment.”
Li recently led a study looking at how certain factors, such as not having close access to healthy food, impacted a person’s ability to stay on a diet–even if they reported having “high” motivation levels. Unfortunately, the research, now published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, reveals that even motivated dieters don’t stick to their diet if they have to travel more than a short distance to access healthy food choices.
Li’s study is one of the first to explore this issue.
“Our study is different,” says Li. “It looks at whether neighborhood environment becomes a limiting factor when a person wants to improve their diet. To our knowledge, this is the first study to look at that.”
The Research
For the study, Li recruited 240 obese adults previously diagnosed with metabolic syndrome–a health condition that can make people prone to diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Li specifically recruited them based on their “high motivation levels,” but wanted to see if certain factors could affect their motivation. Investigating a clinical trial they previously completed, which focused on improving their eating habits, he looked at how many traveled either short or longer distances to purchase healthy food items at a local grocery store.
Could traveling longer distances cause them to fall off the wagon? Comparing the data, Li had his answer–it did.
“The strong informatics support from the UMMS Information Technology Department made it possible for us to cost-effectively process community food environment data,” says Li. “The results reflect a fresh look at the environmental impact on healthy eating by a multidisciplinary team comprising statisticians, a geographer, nutrition scientists, a psychologist, a cardiologist and a public health officer.”
What These Results Mean For You
The news is depressing, but true: The longer you travel to buy healthy food items, the higher the likelihood you’ll fail your diet.
So what should you do?
While Li doesn’t have an answer, other experts say this study emphasizes the need to make healthy food easier to access. For instance, some experts suggest always having healthy food prepared and in stock in your refrigerator as a way to avoid failing your diet. Being aware of other healthy options around your home, such as where to get healthy food at fast food restaurants or convenience stores, can also keep you on track.
Bottom line? Make it easy to stay on your diet–it matters regardless of your motivation level.
Readers: What do you do to make your diet easier?
Sources:
Even Motivated Dieters Need Close Access to Healthy Food – ScienceDaily.com
Motivated Dieters Don’t Stick to Their Diets if They Have a Harder Time Accessing Healthy Food – UMassMed.edu
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