According to the American Psychological Association, 31% of women and 19% of men are comfort eaters. This means we like to eat when we’re down as well as when we’re feeling great – food is both a medicine and a celebration. To make matters worse, a recent study suggests that women are prone to opt for sugary foods, like chocolate, candy and cookies, while men tend to crave pizza, pasta, steak, or casseroles. 74% of women said their comfort food of choice is ice cream, 69% choose chocolate, and 66% go for cookies. For men, 77% want ice cream, 73% prefer soup, and 72% reach for pizza or pasta. Given these statistics, it’s easy to understand why gym memberships, personal fitness equipment and fitness video purchases, and diet supplements are at the very top of the spending chart year after year. But what is it that motivates us to keep trying every new machine or trend that makes an appearance? Is it the quest for good health or good fashion?

The quickest response, when folks claim to be honest about it, is that they really want to look good. That’s what gets them into the gym in the first place. They can’t fit into their favorite jeans and refuse to go up a size, they are not as muscular as that picture from senior year in college or stress, family and career have all taken their toll and now they have an expanding waistline. All these factors get them started on a workout routine, but what keeps them there seems to be a different story.

In one study, a group of women took a single workout class. With half the participants, the instructor wore tight workout clothes and encouraged the class with comments like, “Stand tall, you’ll look five pounds lighter” or “Let’s get your legs toned so they look good” and “Burn calories!” The other half of the women took the same class with the same instructor. The differences were that this time the instructor wore shorts and a T-shirt and motivated the class with comments such as “Shoulders back for good posture” or “Let’s get fit and healthy.” All the participants said they took the class to look better, but the half that had the health focus class reported feeling more energized and revitalized after their workout. They also were more highly motivated to join another class.

Men and women report that it’s much easier to slack off once they achieve a weight loss goal or even as soon as they fit into their clothes a little better. “It’s much easier to have dessert or skip a day at the gym once you see even minimal results,” said one workout junkie. “When you switch your mindset to working out for a longer, better life, for better looking hair and skin and for overall health, you can’t just stop when your jeans fit again.”

While fashion seems to be the initial push to getting fit, health usually reigns as the best motivator.

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