Most Americans Fail to Control Weight, Poll Finds

Sixty-one percent of American adults are overweight, and only one in three gets regular strenuous exercise, a national survey released Monday said.

The levels are about where they were in 1983, when Louis Harris and Associates began the annual survey for Prevention magazine.

“As a nation, we do not seem to be hearing the message about the long-term risks of being overweight, or we do not care, or we are woefully unsuccessful in being able to control our weight,” the magazine said in its latest report card on the nation’s health.

The random telephone survey, conducted Nov. 6 through Dec. 13, 1989, also found some bright spots, including a continued reduction in the number of people eating fatty and high-cholesterol foods.

The survey showed that 50% of those polled said they “try a lot” to avoid eating high-cholesterol foods such as eggs, dairy products and fatty meats. That’s up from 42% in 1983.

Fifty-eight percent said they avoid eating too much fat, up from 55% in 1983 and 54% in 1988.

Among those who are overweight, more than half are at least 10% over the recommended weight range for their height and build.

A quarter of the survey respondents were within their recommended range, and 15% were underweight.

About 35% said they exercise strenuously at least three times a week, including 42% of the men and 29% of the women.

Although men were more likely to exercise strenuously and frequently, women were found to be more nutrition-conscious.