For many countries around the world, summer is in full force. This means lighter clothing and perhaps a holiday involving swimwear of some sort. Along with an eagerly awaited summer comes a raft of body issues and a flurry of wardrobe quandaries: Do last year's shorts still fit? How do I look in a swimsuit? Is this t-shirt too small? Weight and body image questions inevitably arise as people prepare to expose the seasonally unexposed.

Synovate recently surveyed 13,155 people across 19 markets - Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Korea, Netherlands, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, UK and US - for its third Healthy Living survey to understand fitness, weight control and attitudes to food and health.

So, who is body conscious and who is not? Who are the fitness fanatics? Who battles the bulge through eating plans and supplements? Which nations are concerned about childhood obesity? And finally, who are this year's biggest fast food fans?

Tipping the scales, or not?
Do you judge your size by how snug or loose your clothes are, or do you get down to the nitty-gritty of pounds and kilos? Across all markets surveyed, only 5% of respondents said they weigh themselves daily (5% male, 6% female), and 15% do this once a week. Thirty-six percent said they weigh themselves whenever they remember (Turkey 48%, Indonesia 45%, Argentina and China 43%) and, perhaps surprisingly in today's more health conscious societies, 22% claim not to weigh themselves at all, which makes one wonder whether people are really as conscious of their weight as we may think! >>MORE

A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips
A lapse in concentration and look what happens: your clothes feel snug, the arrow on the scales has moved rather pointedly to the right, and people start telling you that you look "well" instead of trim, fit, fabulous, or any other description that doesn't mean that your face is a little rounder than before. The battle of the bulge is not something new. So what do people around the world do to get themselves back on track? >>MORE

Piling on the pounds: Quick fixes, fad diets or a lifetime of calorie counting?
Low fat food products, weight loss promising supplements, meal replacements, metabolism-increasing medication... the list goes on and our supermarket shelves and advertising boards are full of answers to shed those unwanted pounds. But do any of us really buy into it? For 40% of respondents, the answer is no (topped by respondents in Indonesia 66%, Singapore 55%, and India 54%). But for the others, the top three strategies that have been used or are being used across all markets to maintain or reduce weight are: >>MORE

Feeling good
It is common knowledge that food is not simply a functional transaction to keep ourselves going. It tastes good, we enjoy it, and it has cultural and social meaning. Eating the 'wrong' things can be comforting - 26% of respondents tend to eat junk food when feeling down, led by the US (47%), Canada (41%) and the UK (40%). >>MORE

A matter of taste
What about fast food? It turns out that attitudes towards fast food haven't changed much since Synovate conducted this same survey in February 2009. Almost a third of respondents (29%) surveyed across the 19 markets this year admitted to liking the taste of fast food too much to give it up. This year's fast food fanatics are Saudi Arabians, with 58% of respondents agreeing that they like the taste of fast food too much to give it up, followed by the US (49%), Brazil (44%) and the UK (42%). >>MORE

A weighty issue: Who to blame?
Unhealthy habits, stress, busy schedules, or the influence of advertising and the media and lack of involvement from the government - what is the real cause? Is it an individual's lack of discipline or simply a reflection of the lifestyles we lead today? Or are some of us simply genetically disposed to carry more weight? >>MORE

Obesity: Child's play
Childhood obesity is not a new topic. Technological advancements and the increased accessibility of computer-based entertainment for children means the digital age is often cited as a major factor in the prevalence of childhood obesity in certain markets. So, how worried are we? >>MORE

About the Survey

This Synovate survey was conducted with 13,155 people across 19 countries - Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Korea, Netherlands, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, UK and US. For more details on the survey, including the questionnaire, methodologies used and sample sizes for each market please click here.

Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates insights to help clients drive competitive brand, product and customer experience strategies. A truly borderless company with offices in over 60 countries, our 'biggest small company' approach combines best in class global research capabilities with personalised service, local knowledge and the flexibility to create teams and processes that meet clients' specific requirements. At Synovate, our clients sit at the top of our organisational chart, driving us to continually develop more innovative research solutions that predict actual business outcomes.

AR 300

BR 1500

CA 1000

CL 500

CN 1002

CO 480

DK 478

EG 322

IN 500

ID 500

KR 500

NL 1125

RU 1200

RO 1500

SA 538

SG 500

TR 500

UK 500

US 500