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WASHINGTON, D.C.— According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults
are overweight (33 percent) or obese (33 percent) but, according
to a new National Consumers League study conducted by Harris
Interactive®,
only 12 percent of U.S. adults say they have ever been told by a
doctor, nurse, or other health care professional that they are
obese. Following the recent announcement by RAND Corporation,
which notes
that the prevalence of American adults who are classified with
severe or morbid obesity is increasing at a much faster rate
than the prevalence of moderate obesity,
the National Consumers
League today is releasing troubling new survey data about
consumers’ misconceptions about their weight and knowledge of
weight-loss options. NCL is also announcing new Web resources
for consumers who may need to lose weight but don’t know where
to begin the daunting process.
The survey of 1,978 adult
Americans, was conducted online by Harris Interactive from March
6th to 12th, 2007. NCL has launched a new
consumer education campaign, “Choose to Lose”. The new materials
available at
www.nclnet.org/obesity aim to help consumers overcome the
overwhelming task of honestly evaluating their individual weight
and work with their doctor to do something about it.
‘Obesity’: Not Admitted by Most
NCL’s new survey found a
startling disconnect between the way people perceive their
weight, and their actual weight category based on the body mass
index (BMI), the most common measurement for obesity. U.S.
adults were much more likely to refer to themselves as
“overweight” rather than “obese”, and consistently identified
themselves as being in less severely overweight groups. In
fact, 52 percent of respondents referred to themselves as
overweight, and only 12 percent as obese, severely obese, or
morbidly obese. But, based on actual BMI calculations using
self-reported height and weight information, among the 96
percent of respondents who reported height and weight, 35
percent are actually “overweight,” whereas 34 percent are
actually obese, severely obese, or morbidly obese. Among
respondents who are obese according to BMI, 82 percent consider
themselves to be simply “overweight.” Alarmingly, only a
minority of all respondents (20 percent) claimed to know their
BMI number.
“This discrepancy between
perceived and actual weight categories suggests that the stigma
associated with being obese is a powerful one; many consumers
would benefit from a more realistic picture of their own
weight,” said NCL President Linda Golodner. “We wanted to find
out how consumers feel about their weight, their health, their
need to lose pounds, and the stigma surrounding treatment
options. We found that while many consumers view obesity as a
legitimate disease, they don’t want to identify themselves as
‘obese.’ Weight is a highly personalized, complicated issue, and
many overweight and obese consumers are in need of help.”
Perceptions about Obesity: Real Disease, Real Treatment, Real
Stigma
Despite the commonly held
view that obesity is a serious disease, significant levels of
cultural bias persist. Most respondents (78 percent) say that
obesity is a serious, chronic disease and that it requires
medical treatment (54 percent). Most U.S. adults (61 percent)
report, however, that obesity is considered taboo in society
today, and half (50 percent) attribute the condition to a “lack
of will power.” More than a third of U.S. adults (37 percent)
agree that obese people should pay more for health insurance,
and more than a quarter (27 percent) say that it is still
acceptable to make fun of obesity. And, although many U.S.
adults were accepting of many different types of treatment (more
below), ranging from diet and exercise to acupuncture, there are
still some negatives associated with certain options. For
example, although
79 percent of respondents say weight-loss surgery can be
a life-saving treatment, half (49 percent) agree that there is a
stigma associated with using surgery as a weight-loss option.
Moreover, forty-seven percent held a very negative or somewhat
negative view of weight-loss surgery.
“There is a serious
disconnect between an individual’s perception of both what it
means to be overweight and the health risks of carrying extra
pounds. While many consumers know that weight loss can improve
the illnesses associated with excess weight, they do not have
the information to separate unsubstantiated weight-loss claims
from evidence-based strategies to support their weight-loss
efforts,” said
Madelyn H. Fernstrom, PhD, CNS, Associate Professor and founding
Director of the Weight Management Center at the University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Consumers need accurate
information about the lifestyle changes they need to make to not
only lose weight, but keep it off. Lifestyle change is the
foundation of successful weight loss, but other treatment
options, including prescription medications and surgery, can be
added to help support—not replace—the lifestyle effort. When it
comes to losing weight, one size does not fit all, and obesity
treatment should be individually tailored, with careful
consideration to both biological and behavioral factors.”
Personal Reflections on Weight & Weight Loss
According to findings, 64
percent of respondents are not happy with their current weight,
and many say that more time to exercise (59 percent), better
access to healthful foods (31 percent, and more time to cook and
eat at home (31 percent) would help them achieve and maintain a
healthier weight. More than three quarters (77 percent) of
respondents have tried to lose weight at some point, and among
these, 60 percent agree that it is one of the hardest things
they have ever tried to do. Despite the attempts, many are
unsuccessful at either losing weight or keeping it off. Less
than a third (29 percent) of those who have ever tried to lose
weight report being successful, and about a third (34 percent)
have only been able to keep off the weight they lost for less
than one year.
“I was fortunate to have
a doctor tell me that I seriously needed to lose weight. But not
all consumers who need that push from their healthcare
professional get it,” said Peggy Kindler, a 51-year-old
Pittsburgh, PA resident who has battled weight issues all her
life. In the year since gastric banding surgery, Kindler has
lost 53 pounds but continues to struggle with the challenges of
weight-loss. “As someone who has experienced the very real
benefits of losing a significant amount of weight, and being
able to keep it off, I truly hope that these new materials for
consumers at
www.nclnet.org will help people recognize their weight
problem, understand the weight-loss options available and
motivate them to get help.”
Getting on Track for Weight Loss
About half (52 percent)
of people say that they have talked about losing weight with
their doctor, although respondents who are obese are more likely
to have done so. Among those who have discussed weight loss with
their doctor, nearly three in five (59 percent) report that
their doctors recommended a diet change (47 percent) and/or
exercise regimen (35 percent). However, only one third discussed
the health risks associated with their weight, and only ten
percent said their doctor helped them develop a plan to lose
weight.
Of
the weight-loss options other than regular diet and exercise
discussed in the survey, respondents reported being most
familiar with: organized weight loss programs (56 percent);
over-the-counter medications (42 percent); weight-loss surgery
(41 percent); and prescription medications (39 percent).
Organized weight-loss plans also were perceived very or somewhat
positively by most (69 percent) respondents, followed by
counseling/psychiatry (55 percent), and intensive weight loss
“camp” (45 percent). More than a third (38 percent) held a very
positive or somewhat positive view of weight-loss surgery, while
a third thought positively of prescription weight-loss
medications (35 percent), acupuncture (34 percent), and hypnosis
(33 percent). |
