The White Rock IF team recently concluded a hugely successful nutrition challenge. The majority of participants (40 individuals I believe) did extremely well in that they were consistent and sent in food logs, participated in events and most importantly saw tangible results. Of course it is imperative to celebrate the success of those who had success but we should be more interested in the following:
1. Examining why there were some participants who could not persevere and complete a task as simple as filling out food logs…especially with so much guidance and encouragement
1. Examining why there were some participants who could not persevere and complete a task as simple as filling out food logs…especially with so much guidance and encouragement
2. Ensuring that the participants who did extremely well do not fall off the deep end and go back to their old ways. Many who had success would be classified as the ‘all or nothing’ type and this puts them at risk of dropping all of the healthy habits that they’ve acquired.
Adherence is the extent to which a person’s behaviour corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider. It is a worldwide issue that will grow as populations age and chronic diseases increase and it is something that we deal with as training coaches on a daily basis. Studies reveal that over 50% of people who begin an exercise program drop-out within the first 6 months (Dishman, 1994). This is a testament to the fact that our systems, culture and teams are tremendous because I know for a fact that the retention at all IF facilities is much higher than that. Furthermore, over 50% of people fail to meet their exercise plans on a weekly basis and almost no one exceeds their exercise plans (Rhodes and Plotnifkoff, 2006). Keep this in mind following the upcoming profile week when customers complain that we haven’t helped them reach their goals.
Why on earth would some customers due so poorly? They pay for the service and tell us exactly what they want from us, yet when it’s time for them to hold up their end of the bargain they drop the ball. Causes of Nonadherence include:
Socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, education and socio-demographic status all play a role. Think of the 5 realities – athlete, rehab, business person, home maker, elderly. Consider the tendencies of each and how the 5 spheres of health impact each.
Adherence is the extent to which a person’s behaviour corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider. It is a worldwide issue that will grow as populations age and chronic diseases increase and it is something that we deal with as training coaches on a daily basis. Studies reveal that over 50% of people who begin an exercise program drop-out within the first 6 months (Dishman, 1994). This is a testament to the fact that our systems, culture and teams are tremendous because I know for a fact that the retention at all IF facilities is much higher than that. Furthermore, over 50% of people fail to meet their exercise plans on a weekly basis and almost no one exceeds their exercise plans (Rhodes and Plotnifkoff, 2006). Keep this in mind following the upcoming profile week when customers complain that we haven’t helped them reach their goals.
Why on earth would some customers due so poorly? They pay for the service and tell us exactly what they want from us, yet when it’s time for them to hold up their end of the bargain they drop the ball. Causes of Nonadherence include:
Socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, education and socio-demographic status all play a role. Think of the 5 realities – athlete, rehab, business person, home maker, elderly. Consider the tendencies of each and how the 5 spheres of health impact each.
Susceptibility is an individual’s sense of how likely it is that they will have a health problem. If someone is 50 lbs overweight but they embrace the ‘larger than life’ mentality and have not received a scare from the doctor (ie. high cholesterol, high blood pressure, onset type II diabetes) they may not share the same sense of urgency that we do.
Severity (if applicable) is an individual’s estimation of the severity of the health problem. Someone who has been told that they have a 95% blockage of two arteries will have a different perception than someone who has been told that their blood pressure is a bit high.
Efficacy is an individual’s estimation of how useful the lifestyle change is. If someone has attempted dozens of diets and workout plans over the years with little success it’s possible that they’ve already given up.
Subjective Norms refers to the individual’s support from health care professionals (ie. IF training coaches) and others (ie. friends and family) to adhere to lifestyle change.
So what is our role now following the nutrition challenge? It is crucial that we follow up with all participants regardless of the amount of success that they achieved. Keep in mind that the odds are unfortunately against those who had success because their social network will very likely pressure them to go back to their old ways. After all who is the most fun of two friends: one who exercises every day after work, eats extremely well and goes to bed or the one who socializes at the local restaurant or lounge having drinks? Of course we understand that it's not all or nothing but some struggle to realize this. On the other hand, we cannot give up on those who didn’t fair well. Their lack of success simply means that we need to dig deeper and address the underlying issues that are preventing them from achieving change. Get ready to peel back the layers.
So what is our role now following the nutrition challenge? It is crucial that we follow up with all participants regardless of the amount of success that they achieved. Keep in mind that the odds are unfortunately against those who had success because their social network will very likely pressure them to go back to their old ways. After all who is the most fun of two friends: one who exercises every day after work, eats extremely well and goes to bed or the one who socializes at the local restaurant or lounge having drinks? Of course we understand that it's not all or nothing but some struggle to realize this. On the other hand, we cannot give up on those who didn’t fair well. Their lack of success simply means that we need to dig deeper and address the underlying issues that are preventing them from achieving change. Get ready to peel back the layers.
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