Average Weight of American Adults Increased 2.5 Pounds Last Year
Average Adult BMI Reaches 29.0
More than One-Third Clinically Obese, But Only One in 10 Recognizes It
PHILADELPHIA, PA – May 23, 2006
– As part of its annual Nutritional DiningStyles™ research into the
away-from-home dining habits and nutritional preferences of Americans,
professional services provider ARAMARK (NYSE: RMK) found that American
adults now report an average weight of 188.3 pounds, up 2.5 pounds over
last year’s level – a national increase in weight of about 550 million
pounds according to recent U.S. Census data.
“The average body
mass index (BMI) of the 5,001 American adults we surveyed this year was
29.0, which is approaching a clinically obese level,” said Chris
Malone, ARAMARK Senior Vice President of Marketing. “That number is up
from 28.5 a year ago. If this trend continues, the average BMI of
American adults could reach clinically obese levels in just two more
years.”
According to ARAMARK research, although 36 percent of
American adults are now clinically obese according to their BMI, only
about 6 percent of men and 14 percent of women (10 percent average)
currently view themselves to be obese.
“Men and women demonstrate
varying perceptions of their body weight, but overweight and obese
Americans of both genders tend to significantly underestimate the
severity of their weight status,” said Malone. “There seems to be a
real disconnect between perception and reality among those who are
clinically obese.”
In addition, when asked, “Which of the
following best describes your weight change during the past year?” 32
percent answered they had gained more than five pounds, 21 percent said
they lost more than five pounds, and 46 percent said they “stayed about
the same.”
About ARAMARK Nutritional DiningStyles™ Research
Each
year ARAMARK conducts comprehensive research into the nutritional
behaviors and eating patterns of American adults to help the company
better understand consumers and develop innovative dining programs to
meet their needs. The 2006 Nutritional DiningStyles™ Research,
collected in March 2006 by Datassential Research and analyzed by
Candice Bennett & Associates, consisted of 5,001 online interviews
with adults aged 18 and over from across the United States. The data
was weighted for age, gender, race and socio-economic status to ensure
the total sample accurately reflected the U.S. adult population.
Margin of error is +/- 1.35 percent at the 95 percent confidence
interval. More information can be found at www.diningstyle.com,
an online guide where consumers may discover their own DiningStyle and
receive customized nutrition education and guidance from ARAMARK
dietitians and the American Dietetic Association.
About ARAMARK
ARAMARK
is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food
services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to
health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums
and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2006
list of "America's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number
one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top
three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and
industry analysts. The company was also ranked first in its industry in
the 2006 FORTUNE 500 survey. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has
approximately 240,000 employees serving clients in 20 countries. Learn
more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com
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Contact:
ARAMARK Media Relations
Doug Warner, 215-238-3316
warner-doug@aramark.com