Weight (Ideal or Otherwise), Risks (Likely or Not), Etc.

Americans' "ideal weight" has risen, but not as much as their actual weight. Asked in a Gallup poll to say what they ought to weigh, women put the figure at 137 pounds, on average, while men put it at 177 pounds. That's up from 129 and 171 pounds, respectively, in a 1990 survey. Over that same period, average real poundage has risen from 142 to 153 for women and from 180 to 189 for men. Just 15 percent of women and 18 percent of men now feel they're at their ideal weight. One intriguing gender gap: Among women, the number who confess to being overweight (69 percent) nearly matches the number who want to slim down (68 percent); among men, there's a disparity between the overweight cohort (58 percent) and the number who want to shed pounds (49 percent). In part, this reflects variation in the severity of the problem. Twenty-nine percent of women and 19 percent of men are 21 pounds or more overweight. Thirty-two percent of women and 17 percent of men are "seriously trying to lose weight" at present. By the way, while anorexia is typically discussed as a women's issue, 20 percent of men termed themselves underweight, versus 5 percent of women.You've likely read that Americans are wolfing down comfort foods since Sept. 11. But which comfort foods do they find most comforting? A Wirthlin Worldwide survey asked people to rank various edibles on a scale of 1-10, with a 10 denoting food that's "extremely comforting." Atop the comfort hierarchy were apple pie, ice cream and hot soup, each scoring a 6.9. Turkey and mashed potatoes were close behind, at 6.7.In the spring, a young man's fancy may turn to thoughts of allergy remedies. A reader poll by Biography magazine found 80 percent of participants have seasonal allergies. A plurality (39 percent) cited spring as their worst allergy season, while 26 percent named fall and 25 percent blamed summer. Fifty-four percent said their allergies have worsened as they've aged, but 18 percent said these seasonal afflictions have eased. On the off chance ad agencies ever start hiring again, they'll want to give special scrutiny to job candidates with MBA degrees. A poll of b-school students by MBA Jungle magazine indicates they aren't overly fastidious about business ethics. Nineteen percent would exaggerate their previous salary in order to get a higher offer from a new employer. Once on the job, 26 percent would let a gift sway a purchasing decision for the company, while 13 percent would pay someone off to help close a deal. In past jobs, 79 percent have taken office supplies home for personal use; 27 percent have included non-business expenses on their expense reports. Apart from that, they're an exemplary bunch! Here's one more entry for the endless catalog of victimhood in modern America. An article last month in USA Weekend recounted the sufferings of people afflicted by "pet envy." It seems a "growing number" of people want a pet but, for one reason or another, cannot have one. "The result? Pet envy is taking hold across America." In fact, this longing "sometimes can be so overwhelming that it turns destructive." No doubt some ingenious marketer will make millions by selling a soft drink or car or detergent that embodies the aura of a household pet.It isn't celebrated in catchy Beach Boys songs, but it has about six times as many youthful adherents as surfing. According to statistics assembled by the Leisure Trends Group, 12.2 million 16-24-year-olds have engaged in inline skating during the past 12 months, while 2 million have surfed. It's not that terra firma is always the venue of choice: Wakeboarding had more participants than skateboarding (6.5 million vs. 6.3 million).Amid all the new worries besetting us, it's oddly reassuring that people see greater likelihood of suffering a nonterroristic mishap. The chart here excerpts a study conducted for the Harvard School of Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It's a tribute to motorists' deplorable driving skills these days that a mere 17 percent of respondents consider it "not at all likely" they or a family member will be injured in an auto accident in the next 12 months.

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Weight (Ideal or Otherwise), Risks (Likely or Not), Etc.

Mark Dolliver

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Mark Dolliver