ASICS Challenges Society’s Obsession with Exercising Purely for Weight Loss with an Alternative Weight Loss Message

• Online searches for “weight loss exercises” have increased by 552% in the last year, with searches for “quick weight loss” increasing by 581% year-on-year.
• The number of videos solely focused on “exercise + weight loss” has increased by 204%, 33% more than videos focused on exercise and mental health.
• The rise in rapid weight loss content is impacting people’s mental health, with 42% saying the volume of “quick weight loss” content has made them feel worse about themselves and less motivated to exercise.
• Over half of people also agree that celebrity and weight loss content is the worst thing on social media for people’s mental health (59%). 
• 72% of people believe society’s obsession with the perfect body image is bad for people’s mental health.

[11 June 2024 – London]: Despite the rise in body positivity¹, 2024 appears to be the year we return to an era of weight loss fixation. Searches for “weight loss exercises” have skyrocketed, up by 552% in the last year, with “quick weight loss” searches even higher at 581% year-on-year.  

This pervasive weight loss messaging is also echoed through a rise in videos on social media and traditional media outlets, with content about “fat-burning” and “quick weight loss” methods up by 296% a year². To date, there are over eight million posts relating to weight loss workouts on TikTok in 2024³.

Meanwhile, conversations about exercise for mental health remain significantly less frequent. The number of videos focused on “exercise + weight loss” has increased by 204% this year, 33% more than videos focusing on exercise and mental health⁴. 

This current fixation with exercise purely as a tool for physical weight loss is perpetuating unrealistic body standards and impacting our mental health. New research from ASICS shows that 42% of UK adults say ‘quick weight loss’ content makes them feel insecure and negatively impacts their mental health. Nearly two-thirds (59%) of people believe that celebrity weight loss content is the worst thing on social media for people’s mental health (59%). And 70% say that seeing weight loss content on social media doesn’t motivate them to exercise.

More broadly, the research highlights that 80% of UK adults believe that the media’s focus on celebrity bodies negatively impacts self-esteem. A further 72% believe society’s obsession with the perfect body is bad for people’s mental health.

​In response, ASICS is highlighting a different kind of weight loss. ASICS has partnered with fitness and body positivity influencers, including Em Clarkson, to disrupt social media with an alternative weight loss message, highlighting the power of exercise to take the weight off our minds.

​The “15 Minute Weight Loss” campaign features a series of videos that appear to be yet more “instant result” weight loss exercise videos, before revealing that just 15 minutes of exercise can take the weight off our minds.

ASICS research, conducted with Professor Brendon Stubbs from King’s College London shows that just 15 minutes and nine seconds of physical activity is enough to start to experience the positive mental benefits.⁵

Gary Raucher, EVP, of ASICS EMEA, said: “The increasing focus on exercise purely as a tool for weight loss is worrying. Research shows that society’s obsession with exercising for the “perfect” body is adding pressure and putting people off exercise. Today’s campaign is a crucial reminder for people to move for their minds, and not just for how it changes their bodies.

“At ASICS, we’ve always believed in the positive impact of movement, not just on the body, but also on the mind. It’s why we’re called ASICS, an acronym for the Latin ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ or ‘a Sound Mind in a Sound Body’. We remain committed to supporting more people to move and experience the positive mental benefits of movement.”

Professor Brendon Stubbs, a leading researcher in exercise and mental health from King’s College London, said: “By becoming too focused on the short-term and often narrow possibility of losing weight, we are neglecting the profound and multifaceted benefits movement can have on our minds. 

“The fact is that weight loss is hard and it takes time. Many people stop exercising before this happens because they become despondent when quick weight loss is not visible, or in some cases not possible.  Instead, if people focus on doing exercise for enjoyment and the mental health benefits, people are not only protecting their minds but are also much more likely to remain engaged in exercise in the long term.”

Psychologist Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo adds: “Evidence suggests that quick-fix weight loss, through diet and exercise fads, often leads to only short-term gains and negative long-term consequences. The desire to lose weight quickly, perpetuated by societal norms and pervasive digital weight loss content, can be damaging to self-esteem and self-worth, as people strive for an ideal that society has cultivated.  

“The result can cause people to obsess over using exercise only as a way to change appearances. What often gets overlooked is the power of movement to support better overall health. 

“Therefore, reframing our relationship with exercise is crucial. Moving our bodies releases dopamine which boosts mood, reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline and has long-term benefits for anxiety reduction. And we don’t always need to engage in ‘formal’ exercise for these benefits. Activities such as running, playing games in a park or even going up and down the stairs are all movements that can contribute to overall improved wellbeing.”

To find out more about ASICS’ alternative weight loss message, please visit: www.asics.com/15minuteweightloss

–ENDS–

NOTES

Independent research was conducted amongst 2,000 adults aged 18+ in the UK by OnePoll in May 2024.

For further information, please contact [email protected]

Professor Brendon Stubbs is an award-winning scientist, physiotherapist and acclaimed mental health researcher focused on the impact of physical activity on mental health.

Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo is a Chartered and Registered Psychologist, author, podcast host, and Director of The Conversation Starter Project.

_{¹Source: UK YouTube – March 2024} 

_{²Source: UK YouTube – March 2024} 

_{³Source: Global TikTok – March 2024}

_{⁴Source: UK YouTube – March 2023 to March 2024}

_{⁵ASICS Global State of Mind Study: www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/mk/smsb-state-of-mind-index}