Six in 10 Americans are above their ideal weight
November 20, 2009Many more Americans are heavier than their ideal weight (62%) or say they would like to lose weight (55%) than are seriously trying to lose weight at this time (27%).
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November 19, 2009In the midst of the debate over healthcare reform, Americans are about as likely to rank the quality of healthcare in the U.S. as excellent or good (58%) as they were last year (57%). At the same time, they are slightly more likely to rate U.S. health coverage as excellent or good (38%) than they were last year (26%).
Smokers worse off in life evaluation, mood, depression, basic access
November 18, 2009Smoking is strongly related to well-being regardless of income, according to Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data from 2008 and 2009. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers are less likely than non-smokers to be “thriving," report fewer positive emotions, and are more likely to report depression.
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Seventeen percent of parents say at least one of their children has already been vaccinated
November 10, 2009One out of five parents in the U.S. say they have attempted to get H1N1 or swine flu vaccinations for a child but have been unable to do so. Seventeen percent of parents say at least one of their children has already been vaccinated, compared to 5% of adults who have been personally vaccinated.
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Americans also slightly more likely to report colds
November 6, 2009Flu cases in the U.S. continue to tick higher, with an average of 2.7% of adults in October reporting that they were “sick with the flu yesterday,” compared to 1.9% in September and 2.0% in October 2008.
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November 6, 2009In October, an average of 2.7% American adults reported that they were "sick with the flu yesterday," up from 1.9% in September. At the same time, an average of 7.7% adults reported having a cold, up from 5.4% in September.
Those who exercise even 1-2 days a week better off than those who do not exercise
November 3, 2009Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data from 2009 document the extent to which people who exercise more frequently have higher well-being. Exercise relates not only to lower rates of obesity, but also to higher life evaluation and emotional health scores and lower rates of reported depression.
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October 30, 2009Joseph Coughlin, Ph.D., named by The Wall Street Journal as one of America's 12 pioneers inventing the future of retirement and aging, asserts that everyday complexities of life can be the greatest barrier to individual well-being. In this segment of Gallup's special series, "Next Steps: Transforming Americans' Health and Well-Being," Coughlin how employers can engage workers in wellness and integrate emerging technologies.
Obesity and exercise are crucial factors; some states bucking national trend
October 27, 2009The percentage of American adults reporting that they have been diagnosed with diabetes continues to climb, with 11.3% of Americans in the third quarter of 2009 saying so, compared to 10.4% in the first quarter of 2008. Obese adults are three times more likely than non-obese adults to say they have been diagnosed with diabetes.
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Income, marital status, gender all appear to play a role
October 22, 2009Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data from 2009 reveal that 17% of Americans report having been diagnosed with depression. Those making less than $24,000 annually, those who are separated or divorced, and women are the most likely to report having been diagnosed.
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