Site Search :
Weight Denial
Category: Diet and Nutrition
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that seven out of ten U.S. adults are overweight, and about a third of those people are fully obese. Obesity is defined as being 20 to 30 pounds above the average weight for a person's age, sex and height, and having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Overweight is described as having a BMI of at least 25 but less than 30. Obesity is a major risk factor for a long list of chronic and potentially deadly diseases. Now a survey from the Pew Research Center reports that most Americans consider obesity a national health issue but deny their own weight problem.
The telephone survey polled 2,250 randomly chosen U.S. adults in February and March, 2006. The survey found that 90% of poll takers said most Americans are overweight, 70% said most people are aware they are overweight, and 39% say they themselves are overweight. Since only 39% - or four out of ten - participants considered themselves overweight, this shows a disparity in people's perception of their weight and reality.
The survey also found that 25% of poll takers said they were currently dieting, 52% reported dieting in the past and 59% said it is "very hard" for very overweight people to lose weight. "Nearly everyone -- dieters and nondieters alike -- say that is difficult to lose weight," states the poll.
Most participants agreed that weight affects attractiveness and the chances of having a healthy life. The survey also listed the top four reasons poll takers believed most people in the U.S. are overweight:
1. 75% of participants say it's due to failure to get enough exercise.
2. 59% of participants say it's due to lack of willpower about what to eat.
3. 50% of participants say it's due to the kinds of foods marketed in restaurants and grocery stores.
4. 32% of participants say it's due to genetic and hereditary factors.
REFERENCES:
1. Americans See Weight Problems Everywhere but in the Mirror, Pew Research Center, News Release, April 11, 2006: http://pewresearch.org/social/pack.php?PackID=8
2. Americans See Weight Problems Everywhere but in the Mirror, Pew Research Center, Complete Report, April 11, 2006: http://pewresearch.org/assets/social/pdf/Obesity.pdf
3. Hitti M. Extra Weight Someone Else's Problem. WebMD, April 12, 2006:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/121/114065.htm
4. Ogden CL. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 2006 Apr 5;295(13):1549-55.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on December 19, 2013 10:00 AM
