December 2003

Best remedy for overweight: exercise

According to a new Harris Poll www.harrisinteractive.com, the reason why America is experiencing an overweight epidemic is because our favorite pastimes are sedentary ones that require little or no physical exercise. And the trend toward these activities is increasing.

Every year since 1995, Harris Interactive has asked a nationwide cross-section of adults to name their two or three favorite leisure time activities. Eight years ago, 38 percent of all the replies involved activities that required exercise including fishing, gardening, playing sports, swimming, walking, hunting, bicycling, hiking, running or dancing. Now only 29 percent of the replies involve exercise. A higher proportion of our favorite activities can now be accomplished by sitting.

These are the results of a nationwide survey of 1,017 adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive(R) between October 14 and 19, 2003.

Reading (24 percent), watching television (17 percent) and spending time with family (17 percent) still top the list. Only 6 percent of respondents say they play team sports or exercise.

Source: PRNewswire

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