he new NHANES survey shows that almost 1 in 3 American adults are now obese.

The results of the 1999/2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey are in and we flunked the test. NHANES is the real benchmark by which we gauge the changing shape of the American populace. It began in 1960 as the NHESI survey and has been repeated 5 times.

The current NHANES (1999-2000) is based on actual measurements of a representative sample of over 4000 American adults. This gives NHANES more power and validity than other surveys which often rely on self reporting in telephone interviews. As Dr. Stephen Blair and many other researchers have discovered, people have an enormous capacity for self deception when it comes to reporting their weight, caloric intake and exercise.

« Never believe what people say
About exercise, diet or what they weigh. »
~ M.L. Collis

For example, the self reported Behavioral Risk Faction Surveillance System (BRFSS) showed a prevalence of obesity of 12% - 14% during the 1991 - 1994 period, the NHANES data for a similar period 1988 - 1994 showed an obesity level of 22.5%, more than 50% higher than the BRFSS.

These are what the current NHANES figures show.

Those are huge percentage changes in a relatively short time period and the direction of the graphs is frightening. The average American has added a pound a year for the past 8 years and obesity figures have more than doubled since 1960 with the percentage of obese men going from 11% to 28% and women from 16% to 34%. It's no wonder that seats in theatres, subways and stadiums have gone from an average of 18" to 22", and that Southwest Airlines is charging passengers for 2 seats if they overflow their allotted space.

For further information on the adult and children's surveys, go to the October 9th, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The full text of each article is available on-line.

title painting : Strategy (South Face/ Front Face/ South Face) by Jenny Saville