One-third of Minnesotans understate their weight problems

May 25 2010

When it comes to self-perceptions about their own healthy weight, many Minnesotans appear to be adapting Garrison Keillor's famous quip: "I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it."

According to the first-ever Shape of Minnesota polling research, released today, just 30 percent of Minnesotans admit to being overweight -- 6 percent said "significantly" overweight, 12 percent said "somewhat" overweight, and 12 percent said "slightly" overweight.  

Reality holds that one-third of the respondents dramatically understated their weight problems.

All poll respondents were asked to provide their current height and weight measurements, which pollsters used to calculate each adult's Body Mass Index (BMI) estimate. The results put 61 percent into the overweight (31 percent) or obese (30 percent) categories.

And, though 66 percent of adults believe they are within a few pounds of their ideal weight, just 37 percent register a BMI reading that would put them in a healthy weight range.

The Shape of Minnesota poll interviewed 500 Minnesota adults between April 20-22, 2010. It was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research, nationally-known Washington, D.C.-area polling companies whose joint clients include the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

The poll was commissioned by the Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota, a coalition of major local employers who seek healthier lifestyles for all Minnesotans. The coalition includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Capella University, Cargill, General Mills, HealthPartners, Medtronic, Target, UnitedHealth Group, and the Statewide Health Improvement Program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Results were published in a book, also released today. It is available online at www.mnalliance.org and for purchase through Amazon.com.

In other results:

Income and family equate with perceived physical health and happiness

• 91 percent of parents and 88 percent of married respondents considered themselves to be in excellent or good physical health.
• Satisfaction levels fall to 77 percent among non-parents and 74 percent among non-married respondents.
• While 64 percent of respondents earning an annual $20,000 or less reported being satisfied with their lives, satisfaction climbs with each income bracket, rising to 92 percent among respondents earning more than $100,000 per year.

Minnesotans and healthy activities

• 84 percent of Minnesotans report engaging in exercise at least a few times per week, and 38 percent say they exercise on a daily basis.
• Most Minnesotans (52 percent) often keep track of the fruits and vegetables they eat.
• About one-third (37 percent) of Minnesotans say they step on the scale to weigh themselves at least a few times per week.
• Interestingly, those without insurance are the most active exercisers among the various demographics, as 55 percent of them report exercising on a daily basis. Men are also more likely than women to exercise every day.

Weight loss and dieting

• Nearly half (48 percent) of Minnesotans who say they want to lose weight say they want to lose more than 20 pounds.
• To shed unwanted weight, a quarter of Minnesotans say they have gone on a diet in the last couple of years.
• Dieters tend to be women, including 42 percent of moms and 40 percent of women ages 35-54.
• Dieting is not a typically successful tactic for Minnesotans. Overall, more than four out of five dieters say they have come up short, either in failing to reach their weight goal, or reaching their weight goal only to gain some or all of the weight back.

Obesity is a nationwide epidemic, according to Minnesotans

• Most Minnesotans (86 percent) believe that obesity is an important problem facing the United States.
• Sixty-one percent of Minnesotans say they think the media has accurately portrayed obesity, and 15 percent say they believe the topic has been understated in American media sources.
• Most overweight adults (60 percent) also find the media's attention on obesity to be portrayed accurately.
• 93 percent of Minnesotans also believe that obesity is mostly something that can be controlled with diet and exercise.

Minnesota's children

• Minnesotans say that the top three reasons for childhood obesity are: easy access to junk food (58 percent), a lack of physical activity (54 percent), and too much television and video games (53 percent).
• Of parents with one or more children under the age of 18, 84 percent expressed no concern regarding the weight(s) of their child or children.
• Overall, 84 percent of Minnesotans expressed opposition to the decision to drop the physical education requirement for students. Among parents, opposition rose slightly to 86 percent.
• However, 60 percent of parents say they have not discussed exercising more with their children. An even greater majority (85 percent) say they have not discussed wanting to lose weight with their children.

Workplace wellness

• A majority (58 percent) of workers say their employer provides information about exercise and healthy eating.
• 79 percent of workers agree that company wellness programs help workers develop better lifestyles, and 74 percent agree that they increase productivity and lower healthcare costs
• Nearly half (49 percent) of those who say they are significantly or slightly overweight express interest in workplace or social organization weight loss competitions.
• Weight loss for a worthy cause: Nearly six out of ten Minnesotans (58 percent) say they would be interested in a workplace weight loss competition if it promised to donate one dollar's worth of food to each contestant's local food shelf for every pound they lose.

Stress

• Minnesotans are stressed out. Fully 76 percent say they experience stress somewhat regularly in their daily life.
• Among parents, stress levels rise even further, as 84 percent of dads and 90 percent of moms report regular encounters with stress.
• Interestingly, those who do not have health insurance are actually less stressed than those with health insurance: where 76 percent of those with health insurance say they experience stress regularly, the number falls to 70 percent among those without it.
• For most Minnesotans (53 percent), the most typical source of stress is their work. Thirty-three percent of Minnesotans blamed finances as the main source of stress, and 24 percent listed family.

In addition to the Shape of Minnesota project, The Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota sponsored "Too Much to Lose, A Minnesota Story," a documentary about obesity in Minnesota. The documentary aired on all local NBC stations in Minnesota on Saturday, May 8 at 8 p.m., and is available online at http://mnalliance.org/our-stories#Documentary

At the end of this month, the Alliance will also be sponsoring The Biggest Loser Summer Challenge. This Summer Challenge is the first in a series of competitive health and wellness competitions designed to promote weight loss, nutrition and physical activity in Minnesota. It will pit the employees of Alliance companies in a friendly battle focused on health. During the Summer Challenge, which runs May 27 through September 2, 2010, employees can earn points for healthy behaviors, like dropping extra pounds, hitting the gym and eating low-fat foods. At the competition's end, a corporate champion will be named, and a charitable donation will be made in their name to Second Harvest Heartland here in Minnesota. To see the current standings of the Biggest Loser Summer Challenge, go to www.competeforhealth.org.

The Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota is run by the i.e. network, a public affairs firm founded by Rick Kupchella and Tom Mason.