What is behind the difficulties in losing weight of many men who deal with a high Body Mass Index (BMI)? The answer, which creates a real gender difference, would also pass through the lack of a male “target”, with traditional dietary programs that are often perceived as too restrictive and aimed mainly at women.
This and other interesting hypotheses are indicated by research published in the journal PLOS One and conducted by Anglia Ruskin University in England. This is the first academic evaluation to investigate the motivations that drive men to lose weight, their personal experiences and the approaches they find most effective.
What emerges
The research involved 24 UK men, aged 30 and over, who had experienced being overweight. The participants had previously taken part in a weight loss program or were planning to lose weight in the near future.
What emerged? The study found that men often associated dieting with deprivation of foods they enjoyed and were reluctant to adopt approaches they perceived as overly strenuous. Above all, a recurring theme throughout the focus groups was the perception that dieting is a predominantly female activity. Participants described conversations about diets as most commonly associated with women, often through social media and magazines, and most expressed fear of feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed about engaging in them.
The study also found that men were more likely to reject a diet program if it was perceived as female-focused or too restrictive. However, participants reacted more positively when dieting was presented as a competitive challenge or an activity to share with their partner.
Two is better
Spouse support emerged as a key factor in helping participants maintain long-term commitment to their weight loss journey, as one participant stated, “For me, it was key to have my wife’s support. Without it, I couldn’t have done it.” In fact, many participants stated that the changes in their diet were largely orchestrated by their partner, who they considered more experienced and competent when it came to diets.
The researchers suggest that programs designed for men could be more effective if they focused on visible progress and elements of challenge or competition, rather than traditional diet messages, and could also include sports or other forms of physical activity.
Pay attention to goals and words
The study also found that for weight loss programs to be attractive to men, they should include quick results, immediate rewards and a certain degree of social competition focused on aesthetic improvements, rather than specific health requirements. Not only that: the terminology should avoid ‘diets’ and ‘going on a diet’ and instead frame weight loss as a positive personal challenge. The study also suggests that initiatives aimed at couples could be particularly effective.
The situation in Italy
Almost one in two Italian adults lives with a weight higher than what is considered healthy and the picture does not show substantial signs of improvement. In the two-year period 2024-2025, 43% of Italian adults are overweight: approximately 32% are overweight and over 10% have obesity. The phenomenon increases with age, is more frequent among men and affects more people with less education or greater economic difficulties. The Southern Regions continue to present the highest values and in Campania excess weight affects more than half of the adult population.
This is the photograph traced by the new data from the PASSI surveillance of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, presented by Valentina Minardi on the occasion of the National Congress of the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO) WiP 2026, underway in Palermo. A framework in which obesity remains substantially stable over time, while important social and territorial inequalities persist. But a second element emerges from the surveillance: less than half of the interviewees report having received advice on weight control from health professionals, despite the health advice significantly increasing the adoption of healthy behaviors.
“The data confirm a phenomenon that is essentially stable over time, but shows the persistence of important inequalities. Excess weight increases with age, is more frequent among men and affects more people with a lower level of education or with greater economic difficulties, as well as being more widespread in the Southern regions. Another element to which it is important to draw attention concerns the role of healthcare professionals: less than half of the interviewees report having received advice on weight control, despite the fact that we know that the advice of a healthcare professional increases significantly the probability of adopting healthier behaviors”
explains Valentina Minardi, researcher at the National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CNAPPS) of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
“It is precisely from this photograph that we must start. We have finally recognized obesity as a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease, but we still have to learn to intercept it and take care of it as such. Social and territorial inequalities tell us that we cannot leave the responsibility of finding an answer to the individual citizen alone. The recognition of the disease must translate into prevention, early diagnosis and concretely accessible treatment paths”
continues Silvio Buscemi, President of the Italian Obesity Society and professor of Clinical Nutrition at the University of Palermo.
