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Half of Irish population wants to lose weight, but prefers going to the pub |
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Wednesday, 07 March 2007 |
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A survey conducted on behalf of Ireland's largest health insurer shows that half of the population acknowledge being overweight, but few intend doing anything to correct the issue.
The study involved interviews with 660 adults across the country and examined their attitude to weight loss. One of the key findings is that two-thirds of women and a third of Irish men are not happy with their weight, and want to lose an average 22lbs, or a stone and a half. However, given the sedentary nature of their preferred leisure activities, it is not likely that the weight will be coming off soon; "going to the pub" was a favourite leisure activity of 73% of those surveyed.
"The weight debate is one that has been around for a long time however it is surprising that so many of the population want to lose so much weight," said medical director of the VHI, Dr Bernadette Carr.
"It is also surprising that despite all of the healthy eating and activity-promoting initiatives that we hear of, that people are still looking for the 'quick-fix' when it comes to weight loss. As a nation we are going to have to address our sedentary behaviour, not just in a bid to lose weight but to improve our overall health and to help fight against conditions caused by lack of exercise."
Key findings included:
Weight:
- Half of the Irish population would like to lose weight
- 62% of women want to lose weight, vs. 38% of men
Exercise: - A quarter of adults say that they exercise each day, similar to the number that claim to exercise most days.
- One in five exercises just once a week, the same number that takes no exercise at all.
- Women are more likely to take regular exercise than men.
Leisure Activities:
The most popular leisure activities for the Irish population are:
- Watching television (96%)
- Going to the pub (73%)
- Eating out (78%).
The survey also found that a person's dissatisfaction with their weight is matched by dissatisfaction with other aspects of their life. Those who are overweight tended to be unhappy with their social-life, work-life balance and overall health.
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