Most Women Lie About Their Weight And Eat In Secret, Study Finds

In a survey of 2,000 British women, about three-quarters of them say that they often feel guilty about how much they eat.

The biggest triggers for overeating? Boredom, stress and depression.

A secret problem

What’s more troubling than overeating in and of itself is that many women–about 44 percent of those in the study–admitted to eating in secret, and six out of 10 women told researchers that they had lied about how much they had eaten.

Women, the study found, think about food about 12 times a day, and those who are under 25 think about it almost twice as much as women over 55.

Linda O’Byrne, study organizer, said that the findings support other research that asserts just how shameful and guilt-ridden eating is for women.

“These are very worrying figures that reveal many women are ill at ease with food. Whether it is binging, lying about how much you weigh or eating in secret, you must do your best to stamp it out. On a diet or not, food should never be the enemy. It should be a positive and not a negative influence in your life.”

The study also found that about a quarter of women had binge eaten, with the number rising to about 37 percent in women under 25.

A matter of location?

Southhampton was found to be the city with the most binge eating–38 percent–compared to any other city in the UK.

About 63 percent of females in Sheffield and 55 percent in Portsmouth said that they were secret eaters. Glasgow was found to be the place where the most women–51 percent–lied about their weight.

Source: Guardian UK