Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Are You Trying to Lose Weight?

Aired November 26, 2002 - 06:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: So, are you trying to lose weight? Well, many of us would like to shed a few pounds, but how many of us are really doing something about it?
Frank Newport is with the Gallup poll and he's joining us with some surprising new numbers he's put together for us.

Good morning to you, Frank.

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Good morning, Catherine.

Indeed, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, according to our data. Believe it or not at Gallup, we were asking people about their weight back in 1951. Harry Truman was president at that point. I've done a little comparison for you here.

First of all, "Would you like to lose weight?" Back there, 51 years ago, just 31 percent of Americans said yes. Now that's zoomed all the way up to 58 percent. So clearly Americans have gotten the message. They've either gotten fatter or they've at least gotten the message that they should lose weight.

But look over here. This is what's interesting. "Are you seriously dieting right now?" Way back in 1951 it was 19 percent. Now, drum roll, only 24 percent. So we've seen very little increase over the years in serious dieting, even though more and more Americans think they should be dieting.

Interesting gender difference, this isn't a great shock with all the emphasis, particularly on the female side in terms of our culture on being slim, 66 percent, an amazingly high percent of women say that they would like to lose weight. It's high for men, 45 percent, not nearly as high as for women.

Catherine, here are the facts of the matter. "What would you like to weigh versus what do you weigh right now?" This is always very interesting. We asked people to give us pounds on the phone in our interviewing. For men, we can show you the dream weight would be 181 but the average man in America now weighs 193, so there's a 12 point differential there.

But look at women. The average American woman would like to weigh 134 pounds. When we ask her how much she does weigh right now, 153. So that's about a 19 point spread, so to speak, between the ideal weight and what American women would like to weigh -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: Good grief. Oh, these goals we set.

All right, Frank, thank you very much.

NEWPORT: You bet.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 26, 2002 - 06:51   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: So, are you trying to lose weight? Well, many of us would like to shed a few pounds, but how many of us are really doing something about it?
Frank Newport is with the Gallup poll and he's joining us with some surprising new numbers he's put together for us.

Good morning to you, Frank.

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Good morning, Catherine.

Indeed, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, according to our data. Believe it or not at Gallup, we were asking people about their weight back in 1951. Harry Truman was president at that point. I've done a little comparison for you here.

First of all, "Would you like to lose weight?" Back there, 51 years ago, just 31 percent of Americans said yes. Now that's zoomed all the way up to 58 percent. So clearly Americans have gotten the message. They've either gotten fatter or they've at least gotten the message that they should lose weight.

But look over here. This is what's interesting. "Are you seriously dieting right now?" Way back in 1951 it was 19 percent. Now, drum roll, only 24 percent. So we've seen very little increase over the years in serious dieting, even though more and more Americans think they should be dieting.

Interesting gender difference, this isn't a great shock with all the emphasis, particularly on the female side in terms of our culture on being slim, 66 percent, an amazingly high percent of women say that they would like to lose weight. It's high for men, 45 percent, not nearly as high as for women.

Catherine, here are the facts of the matter. "What would you like to weigh versus what do you weigh right now?" This is always very interesting. We asked people to give us pounds on the phone in our interviewing. For men, we can show you the dream weight would be 181 but the average man in America now weighs 193, so there's a 12 point differential there.

But look at women. The average American woman would like to weigh 134 pounds. When we ask her how much she does weigh right now, 153. So that's about a 19 point spread, so to speak, between the ideal weight and what American women would like to weigh -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: Good grief. Oh, these goals we set.

All right, Frank, thank you very much.

NEWPORT: You bet.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com