Americans See Weight Problems Everywhere But In the Mirror
We tend to weigh ourselves on a different scale
Americans believe their fellow Americans have gotten fat. They consider this a serious national problem. But when they think about weight, they appear to use different scales for different people.
Nine-in-ten American adults say most of their fellow Americans are overweight. But just seven-in-ten say this about "the people they know." And just under four-in-ten (39%) say they themselves are overweight.
These sliding assessments are drawn from a Pew Research Center telephone survey conducted from February 8 through March 7 among a randomly selected, representative national sample of 2,250 adults.
The survey finds that most Americans, including those who say they are overweight, agree that personal behavior - rather than genetic disposition or marketing by food companies - is the main reason people are overweight. In particular, the public says that a failure to get enough exercise is the most important reason, followed by a lack of willpower about what to eat. About half the public also says that the kinds of foods marketed at restaurants and grocery stores are a very important cause, and roughly a third say the same about the effect of genetics and heredity.
See Related Reports
Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between Poor and Middle Class - 13 Nov 07
Americans See Less Progress on Their Ladder of Life - 14 Sep 06
Once Again, The Future Ain't What It Used to Be - 2 May 06
In the Battle of the Bulge, More Soldiers Than Successes - 26 Apr 06
Eating More; Enjoying Less - 19 Apr 06
Are We Happy Yet? - 13 Feb 06