According to an online US survey, 1 in 4 football fans claim to have gained an average of 10 pounds during football season.
The survey, conducted on behalf of Nutrisystem by Harris Interactive, found that out of 1,283 American football fans polled in early January 2024, 25 percent reported that they gained weight during the football season. For those that reported weight gain, the average was 10 pounds, while 16 percent admitted they gained 20 pounds or more.
Here’s another shocker: According to the USDA, the Super Bowl is the second largest food consumption day behind Thanksgiving. Americans will eat 30 million pounds of snacks, with the average football fan consuming 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat, reports The Calorie Control Council. And that’s just from snacking- it doesn’t even take into to account all the alcohol and calorie-laden beverages that are also consumed.
This weight gain can be made even worse if you’re a fan of the losing team. According to a recent study published in Psychological Science, fans of the losing team tend to load up on saturated fats and sugars the Monday after the big game, whereas fans of the winning team opt for healthier foods.
The “cult of celebrity,” social media, and antiquated machismo ideals have men across the pond embarrassed to admit they are dieting. In a study conducted by the UK’s Canadean Custom Solutions (CCS), researchers found that one third of British males were on a diet—nearly 10 million. Out of that large swath, CCS found only 21 percent of the dieting men felt confident buying weight loss products at grocery and health stores. The feeling of shame was bloody-well present in the 18-24 demographic, where 67 percent of young men felt emasculated while dieting.
Young Brits have good reason to diet—17 percent of them are obese. But the manner in which weight loss products are being branded doesn’t speak to young men. Michael Hughes, Research Manager at CCS, said, “The dieting market is predominantly associated with females because of the way in which products are positioned and the celebrities used to endorse products, brands and dieting regimes.” He claims that if pro athletes were used to market diet products, males would be more likely to purchase them, as that strategy has worked to encourage guys in the UK to get regular health screenings.
Guest blogger Tony Posnanski is the author of The Anti-Jared. Tony struggled with weight loss his whole life until he realized he was not going to be fooled anymore. He has lost more than 200 pounds and maintained it for more than a year. Tony works out six days a week, eats better than before, and has a new outlook on things!
After losing a considerable amount of weight, I get a lot of questions about weight loss.
What should I eat?
How often should I work out?
What vitamins work the best?
Most people who have success with weight loss get asked these questions. People want to know: Is it easier than what they are doing now?
I never know the right answer. So many people lose weight so many ways. There are a bazillion diets and workout plans. Because I am a life-long dieter I know that the only perfect diet is the one you are successful at.
In fact, weight loss is like a snowflake – no two people lost weight the exact same way.
Sometimes that is not fair of me to not answer those questions. After losing over 200 pounds, I should have some sort of advice.
It was for Edward Ugel anyway. His new book I’m with Fatty: Losing Fifty Pounds in Fifty Miserable Weeks releases tomorrow, Tuesday, August 24. It’s the comical, self-deprecating look at his need to lose 50 pounds, after getting a CPAP for his sleep apnea, in order to literally save his life, and as he says, “so his wife could see his face when she refused to have sex with him.”
He weighed 263 pounds when he got started, or rather, Ugel likes the lighter way 119 kilograms sounds. Instead of looking at the daunting task of losing 50 pounds in 50 weeks (just inside of a year), he decided to focus on losing 2.28 ounces each day. It’s a good lesson for others seeking weight loss – don’t look at the mountain in front of you, look at the small part that you can actually obtain in this moment.
Watch our video interview with Edward as he discusses the task of educating his young daughters about a healthy body image, the polarizing nature of weight in the U.S., a man’s perspective on weight loss, and how he was petrified to write the book.
Ugel says the turning point wasn’t an unsightly photo from a family vacation, something that typically prompts a person’s recognition of their weight, but instead it was his wife recording him while he slept, and hearing the “deafeningly horrible” sound of his snoring, which prompted him to have to start sleeping with the CPAP machine. He’s not preoccupied with his appearance, but rather more importantly his life, and being around for his roles of father, husband and even a foodie. (more…)
Joining the ranks of such celebrities as Kirstie Alley, Queen Latifah and Valerie Bertinelli, Jason Alexander has signed on to become the newest spokesperson for the Jenny Craig diet plan. Arguably best known for his role as George Costanza on the long running sitcom Seinfeld, Alexander was disturbed when he saw himself on screen recently. While taping a “Seinfeld” reunion to be shown on the hit show Curb Your Enthusiasm, he realized that he put on more weight than he wanted. His goal is to lose 30-40 pounds.
“It’s always been the same old story,” Alexander said in a statement about his previous attempts at dieting. “The first 10 lbs were gone in a jiff, but then Bamm!. Back again, and this time, they’re back with a vengeance — they even brought friends.”
Of his decision to try Jenny Craig, the former Kentucky Fried Chicken spokesman went on to say “It was a deadly combination of I’m fat and they work.” (more…)
Rex Ryan on left with Jets' Kerry Rhodes. Photo via Flickr user bkrieger02.
It used to be that celebrity women were known for the diets they followed. However, with the recent likes of Rush Limbaugh and his success with Quick Weight Loss Centers, NFL’s Mike Golic on NutriSystem, and now New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan on a quest to lose some of the 340 pounds he has been carrying around, diets for men are becoming more interesting.
Since the NFL is known for its large players – the average NFL player weighs 245 pounds, 25 pounds heavier than their average weight in 1970 – it is no wonder that their coaches’ size is no different. (more…)
Valerie Bertinelli and Jenny Craig, Jenny McCarthy and Weight Watchers, when famous folks find success with a diet program, Americans listen. So when Rush Limbaugh announced that his drastic weight loss of over 80 pounds since March of this year is due to the Quick Weight Loss Centers, fans finally learned how the 58-year-old conservative radio talk show host had managed to lose so much weight so quickly.
Here’s the skinny: Quick Weight Loss Centers have been in business for over 25 years, helping people lose weight through their professionally-supervised programs. While each diet is customized to meet the weight loss goals of each individual, most diets hover around the 1,500 calorie mark and are comprised of real food that you purchase at the grocery store. (more…)
My name is Tony Posnanski, and odds are you have never heard of me. I have a wife and newborn and have been a restaurant manager for over 10 years. Just like any other guy I love sports, spending time with my wife and I love to read.
I also have lost more weight than any Biggest Loser contestant, 221.4 pounds to be exact. I did it all in a year without surgery or pills, and have maintained it for four months. (more…)
The week of June 15 is Men’s Health Week, dedicated to helping the special men in our lives take control of their health so that they’re with us for a long time. In the U.S. there are more than 73 million overweight or obese males, according to the American Heart Association. Obesity related diseases mean a diminished quality of life for these men, and often lead to death. This news should be sobering, as we prepare to celebrate the fathers in our lives this weekend.
This week we invited several fathers and men from around the blogosphere to share with you their personal stories of weight loss struggle and success. Weight loss can take on a very different tone for men than it does for women, but the end result is happier, healthier people.
We hope you’ll take to heart the message that these men are sharing, and make this Father’s Day the first of many more healthy holidays. (more…)
Donny Claxton joins us as a contributor for Men’s Health Week. Donny is a public relations executive who has embarked on a new adventure for the benefit of himself, his wife, and their seven children. He recently completed the EA SPORTS Active 30-day challenge and continues to use it along with other healthy habits to regain his health. Donny regularly blogs at DadsCenter.org.
On April 3, 2024, I began a journey to change my life. In California to meet with EA SPORTS officials about the then soon-to-be released EA SPORTS Active, I made a commitment to my wife, Kari, and our kids, and the world, that I was going to change my lifestyle.
At the time, I weighed a staggering 369.78 lbs. That was too much. Way too much.
It’s now June 19, 2024, and I weighed in this morning at 340.65 pounds. I’m almost down 30 pounds in two and a half months and I’m still dropping. I’ve done one EA SPORTS Active 30-day challenge and I’m now doing a second. (more…)
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