With swimsuit season looming, about 41 percent of Americans are trying to lose weight--and not just a few pounds--according to a Consumer Reports telephone survey of 2,058 adults conducted in late April. The survey results indicate that dieters are surprisingly confident that they will slim down, even when they set high weight-loss goals or have failed at weight-loss attempts in the past.

The average weight-loss goal of the dieters surveyed is a hefty 37 pounds. Women were more likely to aim for extreme weight loss, with 23 percent of female and 15 percent of male dieters saying they hoped to lose 50 pounds or more. Forty-four percent of dieters said they were trying to lose weight for health reasons, although only a small percent said they'd been told to do so by their doctor.

Most of those dieters fight the battle of the bulge without the help of traditional diets, but they spent $37 billion, or an average of $178 each, on diet programs, health clubs, books, and other aids in the last 12 months. Sixteen percent have enrolled in a free diet program and 8 percent enrolled in a paid diet program.

Using pills or supplements to lose weight is a tactic chosen by just 10 percent of dieters, predominately those under 35 years old. Weight-loss pills, from supplements to prescription drugs, have a discouraging track record of minimal effectiveness and potentially serious side effects. That method is dubbed a "diet doubtful" in our ratings of popular weight-loss programs. See our report New Diet Winners.


SIZING UP DIET PROGRAMS

Most of the respondents attempting to lose weight chose not to seek professional help and go it alone. Among those taking part in an organized plan, 22 percent used the Weight Watchers diet vs. 8 percent who joined Atkins, and 4 percent who joined the South Beach Diet. Nine percent reported that they participated in their program online.

People who took part in a formal plan were more likely to have a balanced weight-loss approach, combining restraint at the table with increased physical activity. People enrolled in plans also scored bigger victories on the scale more often--25 percent of people on a formal program said they lost at least 20 pounds to date vs. 19 percent who used their own diet. But plan or no plan, the main diet strategies used were portion control, employed by 42 percent of dieters, and "eating healthier," used by 32 percent of dieters.


OPTIMISM REIGNS

"Challenging" is the word respondents chose most often to describe their weight-loss efforts--but most were optimistic that they'd succeed. Seventy-five percent of respondents believed they'd hit their weight-loss goals while 19 percent said they were unsure. Just 6 percent were pessimistic. But that optimism might go against history. Nearly three-quarters of those currently trying to lose weight have also tried in the past. Only 28 percent of those attempting to lose weight said they were doing so for the first time.

Still, consumers are seeing some progress, with an average reported loss of 12.9 pounds.