Nearly half of Americans believe it is possible to love your body and still want to lose weight

Almost four in five (78%) Americans say it is possible to love your body and still want to lose weight.

That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 Americans who are looking to lose weight, where about half (51%) also report they have felt or experienced body shame from someone due to their weight.

Most commonly, that shame came from a friend (51%), partner or spouse (46%), a family member (45%), or doctor (40%).

After experiencing body shame, respondents shared they have felt like they have no willpower (60%), like it’s their fault (55%) and lazy (52%).

Thus, it’s not surprising that the majority (65%) stated they are willing to try anything to lose weight, no matter how restrictive or unreasonable the approach sounds.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of WeightWatchers (WW), the survey looked at Americans’ mindset when looking to lose weight, including how culture, society and one’s environment might impact their frame of mind.

While 77% of respondents reported having a community of like-minded people is important to them, along with accountability (73%), some also reported being hesitant to share their weight loss journey with others.

In fact, more than half (56%) said their journey is a personal experience they want to keep private, and 45% said they don’t want to share because they do not want to be shamed for wanting to lose weight.