According to nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot, 48% of Americans will pledge to lose weight for their New Year’s resolution and only a small percent of those actually stick to it!
So here we are, straight off the heels of the notorious and sometime ill-fated New Year’s resolution, and many are again on the weight loss bandwagon; or already falling off of it. Two Boise locals recently were given the boot off the widely popular show The Biggest Loser, have sparked a so-to-speak weight loss fat-fighting frenzy in rural Idaho. Some towns like Grangeville are sponsoring The Biggest Loser weigh-downs, where contestants can sign-up and step-up to the scales, and lose weight with other soon-to-be losers.
There is something to be said with losing weight in groups. To lose weight you have to exercise and according to University of Oxford's Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, exercising in groups can increase your chances of keeping that New Year’s resolution. Exercise alone releases endorphins; you know, that natural “feel good” chemical that makes the brain happy, and exercising in a group increases this endorphin effect. Exercising in a group can also stir up the spirit of competition and keep your motivation high and your good mood even higher.
Anthropologically speaking, we as humans generally seek out companionship; for comfort, for camaraderie and for consultation. Being in a group of people who are all attempting the same goal to lean on and talk to, especially you’re reaching for that second helping of ice cream, can be just your weight loss ticket.
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