The Obesity Epidemic in America is Getting Worse
Tuesday March 5, 2002
Press Release SOURCE: Harris Interactive The Obesity Epidemic in America is Getting Worse Americans Continue to Get Fatter, With 80% Over Recommended Weight And 33% Who Are Now 20% or More Overweight NEW YORK, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest results of The Harris PollŪ on smoking, seatbelt usage and obesity revealed that though Americans are remembering to strap in and not light up, when it comes to the buffet table they can't seem to back off. * (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020305/NYTU057-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020305/NYTU057-b ) Since 1983 Harris Interactive(SM) has surveyed the public to determine how many are overweight and underweight, as well as to track their seatbelt use and smoking behavior. This year The Harris PollŪ, conducted between January 16 and 21 via telephone with a nationwide cross-section of 1,011 adults (18+), proved once again that the biggest obstacle Americans face when managing their health is managing their weight. More specifically, the poll found: Code:
Success and failure in attempts to lose weight Obesity continues to increase even though many people are trying to lose weight and a surprisingly large number claim to have been successful. This survey found that: -- Most people (60%) say they would like to lose weight, including 72% of those who are overweight (as well as some of those who are not). -- A similar proportion of all adults (58%) say they have made a serious effort to lose weight, including 65% of those who are overweight now (and substantial numbers who are not overweight). -- More than half (57%) of those who say they successfully lost weight say they have managed to stay at more or less the same weight. This represents 28% of all adults. So what? The health impact of obesity A recent issue of Issue Focus published by Grantmakers in Health reports that: "According to U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, overweight and obesity may soon cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette smoking. The conditions are already responsible for as many as 300,000 premature deaths each year and cost the nation $117 billion in 2000 alone. Excess Pounds, Extra Problems Obesity is associated with an increased risk for: -- Type 2 diabetes -- Hypertension -- High blood cholesterol -- Heart disease -- Stroke -- Cancer -- Gallbladder diseases -- Asthma -- Osteoarthritis -- Depression -- Complications in pregnancy -- Sleep apnea While individual body weight has a complex set of causes, most researchers attribute the recent increase in obesity among both adults and children to two simple facts: We are eating more and exercising less. In the 1990s, Americans consumed more food and several hundred more calories per day than they did in the 1970s. Why? Fewer meals were eaten at home, average portion sizes grew, and the availability of convenience foods -- foods that are high in fat and sugar - exploded." Dr. Louis Aronne, clinical associate professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College at Cornell University in New York City and one of the nation's leading obesity experts, believes that if Americans were to focus on lowering their Body Mass Index just a few points the associated health benefits would be enormous. Body mass index, or BMI, is determined by a measurement based on height and weight. It is the most frequent tool doctors use to determine a person's degree of obesity and how it correlates with other health risks. ``We're not talking about unrealistic goals,'' says Dr. Aronne. ``If Americans were to make the effort to manage their weight using a variety of options, including better nutrition, more exercise, approved medications or even surgical approaches, we would be rewarded with significantly better health.'' Code:
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online, and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit www.harrispollonline.com. Methodology The Harris PollŪ was conducted by telephone within the United States between January 16-21, 2002 among a nationwide cross section of 1,011 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. About Harris Interactive(SM) Harris Interactive (Nasdaq: HPOL - news) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm, best known for The Harris Poll (R) and its pioneering use of the Internet to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Strengthened by its recent merger with Total Research Corporation, the Company now combines the power of technology with international expertise in predictive, custom, and strategic research. Headquartered in the United States, with offices in the United Kingdom, Japan and a global network of local market and opinion research firms, the Company conducts international research with fluency in multiple languages. For more information about Harris Interactive, visit www.harrisinteractive.com. EOE M/F/D/V How To Calculate BMI For an easy way to determine BMI, visit www.yourbmi.com. SOURCE: Harris Interactive http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020305/nytu057_1.html |
interesting! of course, those insurance tables may not actually measure health, they are a fair rough estimate of good weights.
thanks as always for these research posts, wa'il! |
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