Men view dieting as feminine — but supportive spouses could be the solution, according to new study

Men struggle to lose weight due to viewing dieting as feminine, according to a new study, which highlights how gender perceptions can affect healthcare goals. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, also found that elements of competitiveness and social interaction were more likely to lead to successful weight loss strategies among men. Led by a research team at Anglia Ruskin University in England, the researchers conducted a small focus group of men aged 30 and over, most of whom were white, married and educated. When asked about their previous experiences with weight loss, the majority responded negatively to the restrictive and supposed quick-fix nature of dieting. “I think diets are often a short-term crash programme and it’s very difficult to sustain those,” said one participant. “I think diet is a very negative word because as soon as you mention the word diet everybody automatically thinks restriction, restriction, restriction,” said another. The participants also discussed viewing diet culture as a more feminine space, citing the aesthetics-focused imagery and discourse attached to it. “When you look at articles if you go online and they used to have slimming stuff on TV would always have women so there was always an ad there that women need to look slim,” one man told the researchers. However, the study also found that when men were supported by their female partners, their perceptions of dieting became less of an issue — and they felt more motivated to bypass any early weight loss hurdles. “For some of the men on the study, the only reason they had lost weight in the past is because their spouses were almost overseeing the nature of the programme,” Justin Roberts, a professor of Nutritional Physiology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and co-author of the study, told Euronews Health. “Then we had some men that talked about a mentor, someone they could either look up to with experience or expertise, or someone who's gone through the programme that could show them the way.” Obesity continues to be one of the biggest global health issues of our time, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that 43% of adults aged 18 and over were overweight and 16% were living with obesity in 2022. The prevalence of obesity also appears to be higher in males, with 70% more men overweight compared to 62% of women in 2024, according to the National Health Service (NHS). While this latest research contains bias in its selection of participants, as the study authors note, it also points to larger issues around how we structure and talk about weight loss programmes — and how those can lead to continued cycles of failure. Ultimately, Roberts believes men are more likely to succeed if better support initiatives, including regular check-ins and personalised coping strategies, are implemented. “If you can get in and quickly assess those points earlier on so they don't have these kinds of pitfalls, then you're more likely going to get sustained benefits,” he said.