Better together. People power. Community spirit. There’s a reason for these phrases: doing anything with someone else is more fun and productive – yep, even a weight-loss journey. Want proof? Women who participated in a small study conducted by the University of Illinois revealed that social support was invaluable in helping them to lose weight and sustain the loss. During 18 weeks following a healthy eating plan, those who dropped kilos and kept them off reported that social support was one of the main reasons for their success. Why? The accountability factor, for one thing. Telling others about your goals is linked to achieving them. In a study led by Professor Matthews of the Department of Psychology at the Dominican University of California, 267 people wrote down a goal. The study found that more than 70 per cent of participants who shared that goal with a friend and sent them weekly progress updates either reached their goal or were more than halfway there, while only 35 per cent of people who didn’t share their goals achieved similar weight loss results.

WW member Michelle Goff would agree with all this. “Support is key,” she says. “The game changer for my weight loss (16.5kg in 12 months) was Group Coaching. No matter how I was feeling – good or bad – I went to my meeting,” says Michelle. “With the support of my Coaches (Alison Jones and Marie Elliott) and fellow members I reached my goal.” Michelle’s advice to others is if you can’t attend a meeting, find a support network, such as social media pages. “Being able to share your struggles and triumphs will encourage you to strive!” she says. And with 80,000 members in Australia and New Zealand alone, WW offers a strong support circle. Having like-minded people around you helps too. According to a study in the journal Obesity, when overweight people had friends trying to get healthy, they got on board too. “Fortunately for those attempting to lose weight, possessing more social contacts also attempting weight loss has been associated with greater intention to lose weight,” the researchers say.

THE RIGHT SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL
While it’s great that people can spur on others to get started, it’s the quality of support that matters when it comes to sticking with weight-loss goals and successfully reaching them. “An authoritative approach is likely to get the response of a toddler or rebellious teenager,” says organisational, health and wellbeing psychologist Dr Rachel Abramson. “People don’t need to be told – being encouraged and rewarded is far more effective.

“When working together, the language needs to be positive and empowering,” she adds. “Many people have well-meaning friends and family who might say, ‘Aren’t you on a diet?’, but the conversation needs to be encouraging with statements such as, ‘You look awesome, I can see you’ve been losing weight.’” In a study of primarily middle-aged Caucasian men who had already lost weight, one of the keys to maintaining their weight loss was supportive phone calls post-loss. While some men had regained weight after the yearly follow-up, the ones who had the phone chats put on less weight than those who were left to their own devices. The right kind of encouraging support is just what WW offers. Coaches are all members of the program who have ‘been there, done that’, offering first-hand advice to their members. In fact, the most recent research, published in medical journal The Lancet, found that participants who were referred to Weight Watchers lost twice as much weight – and maintained it – after one year compared to those who followed a self-help approach with brief intervention.

IT’S OKAY TO STAY IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE
If the idea of going to group meetings fills you with dread and feels too daunting, you’re not alone. Many WW members recall being nervous on their first trip to a meeting, which is one reason why WW offers several online support networks you can be a part of in the comfort of your own home. There’s access to Coaches 24/7, Facebook groups, and the members-only Instagram-like Connect feature on the WW app, which one US member nicknamed ‘the happiest place on the internet’. An Online membership also has convenience benefits if you’re not able to commit to meetings due to a hectic schedule. “It wasn’t embarrassment that kept me from going to meetings, it was time,” says member and Coach Amy O’Dowd. But she was still part of the WW community. “I use the Connect app a lot because it’s a safe spot and you can talk about anything,” she says. “The Connect community is great because you feel like you’re a part of a cool secret group,” adds WW member and Coach Carolyn Eltakchi.

SUPPORT HAS HEALTH BENEFITS BEYOND WEIGHT LOSS
Sure, there’s plenty of research showing that quality social support and being part of a like-minded community helps lead to weight-loss success but, beyond that, having a strong, supportive circle of friends is linked to better physical and emotional health overall. When discussing the determinants of health, the World Health Organization says, “Support from family, friends and community is linked to better health.” Time to get together and live the healthy life!