Americans Challenge the Problem of Obesity

Today more people are becoming aware that not maintaining a healthy weight can greatly increase the risk of developing many diseases. This was highlighted in the course of a poll, conducted by Meetville.com (dating app to find the right person) between 3/22/14 and 8/22/14.

People were asked the following question: “Is weight control important to you?” The figures indicate that it matters to the majority: “Yes” - 62%, “No” - 38%.

Dr Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, is sure we can all improve our weight by paying attention to diet and getting regular physical activity. “Given the genetic package we are born with, some people will need to work harder than others to maintain a healthy weight. Only a very small percentage of people have such a strong genetic predisposition that they will be obese no matter how hard they try. However, even people who are genetically predisposed to obesity can reduce their risk of chronic disease by eating a healthful diet and staying active,” states Willett.

The total number of respondents was 168,117. From the USA - 75%, from Canada - 2%, from Britain - 6%, from Australia - 14% and from other countries - 13%.

Gender-specific statistics revealed surprising results. Among those who claimed they are not concerned with their weight, 58% were female votes and 42% - male.

Alex Cusper, Meetville service analyst, thinks female participants may not have been completely honest, because they are afraid to confess to having a body obsession. Society has played a great role in setting the standards and developing that unhealthy obsession. Being female nowadays automatically subjects you to be thin and beautiful, thin and fit, or thin and successful.

Meetville, a leading mobile dating service, regularly conducts research among its users. Millions of people from the U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia answer hundreds of questions every month. You can find the results of the poll here. If you are interested in research on a particular topic, please contact us. Any reprint of the material should be followed by clickable links to the survey.