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Study finds Americans starting to lose weight
Chicago, Oct 14: Americans plagued by obesity and other unhealthy trends have actually lost weight for the first time in six years, according to a new study.
Chicago, Oct 14: Americans plagued by obesity and other unhealthy trends have actually lost weight for the first time in six years, according to a new study.
Fifty-five percent of the U.S. population was overweight for the 52 weeks ended in February, down slightly from 56 percent the prior year, the study, conducted by market research group NPD Group, found.
"Looks like we're focusing on health again, a return to the 80s," NPD Vice President Harry Balzer said in a statement. "People are interested in a balanced diet; they ate more fruits and vegetables last year than the year before and snacked less in the evening."
The study, Annual Eating Patterns in America, tracked the Body Mass Index (BMI) of 5,000 adults, among the other trends, including what foods people are eating and where they purchase them. BMI is a measure used by the federal government to track obesity.
A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, while one greater than 30 is obese. An acceptable range is 20 to 25.
The study found that 35 percent of the U.S. population said they carefully plan their meals to be nutritious, up from 32 percent in 2001. Americans also report they are exercising more, the study found, with 66 percent indicating they were strenuously exercising at least once a week. That's up from 63 percent in 2002. Bureau Report
"Looks like we're focusing on health again, a return to the 80s," NPD Vice President Harry Balzer said in a statement. "People are interested in a balanced diet; they ate more fruits and vegetables last year than the year before and snacked less in the evening."
The study, Annual Eating Patterns in America, tracked the Body Mass Index (BMI) of 5,000 adults, among the other trends, including what foods people are eating and where they purchase them. BMI is a measure used by the federal government to track obesity.
A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, while one greater than 30 is obese. An acceptable range is 20 to 25.
The study found that 35 percent of the U.S. population said they carefully plan their meals to be nutritious, up from 32 percent in 2001. Americans also report they are exercising more, the study found, with 66 percent indicating they were strenuously exercising at least once a week. That's up from 63 percent in 2002. Bureau Report