Pleasingly Plump Data, Uninfluential Kids, Etc.

Expert opinion and popular practice are converging. We've noted telltale signs that Americans are less apt to look askance at moderate paunchiness. Now, hard data indicate that being mildly overweight isn't likely to kill you. As described in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a rigorous analysis has found that people who are overweight but not obese—i.e., with a body-mass index (BMI) of at least 25 but less than 30—had a slightly lower mortality rate than those in the officially approved range of at least 18.5 but less than 25. While obesity correlates with a higher risk of death, its impact "may have decreased over time, perhaps because of improvements in public health and medical care." This dovetails with the fact that "the majority of deaths associated with obesity were associated with BMI 35 and above." In other words, people at the lower end of the obesity scale (BMI of at least 30 but less than 35) seem not to be eating themselves into the grave in large numbers. Folks who are a bit plump will especially relish the finding that people who are underweight have above-average mortality rates. It's probably still true that you can't be too rich, but apparently you can be too thin. It's lucky the onset of motherhood gives women a glow. They may not have the time to apply one artificially. In a survey by American Baby magazine, 59 percent of first-time new mothers age 18-34 agreed with the statement, "I have changed to a quicker or easier beauty routine." The same was true for just 31 percent of "non-moms" in this age bracket. A majority of the first-time mothers (53 percent) said they've changed their hairstyle. But then, so did 47 percent of the poll's non-mom respondents. The beauty of the new food pyramid ? The hours you spend figuring it out are hours you can't spend eating. Coincidentally, the Pittsburgh Pirates have just unveiled their own food pyramid to show the diet of pitches on which slugger Jason Bay thrives. One to three servings of hanging curveballs, three to five servings of fastballs—that sort of thing. It's part of a campaign (via Pittsburgh agency Blattner Brunner) that uses a diner-graphics motif as it urges the fans to "Come hungry." Given the on-field prospects of this low-budget team, it's nice to know that fans can at least enjoy the Pirates' ads.As people begin planning their summer vacations, the run-up in gasoline prices is likely to affect their thinking. In a CBS News poll conducted in the middle of this month, 34 percent said they expect to change their vacation plans due to the high prices at the pump. The figure arises to 48 percent among respondents who said high gas prices have affected them "a lot." If consumers do adjust their travel plans, it seems like bad news for the middle-distance vacation. People will still drive 50 miles to camp by the lake; or they'll fly 3,000 miles to promenade around Paris. But they're less likely to go on a 500-mile road trip. If you own stock in a company that makes items parents buy to keep their kids occupied in the back seat, better sell it short. Parents wouldn't want to take the blame anyway. A poll conducted for The Macerich Co. by August Partners asked kids age 10-14 to identify their foremost source of fashion information. Just 5.5 percent cited their parents, while 36.6 percent picked their friends. Also scoring in double digits were the mall (16.3 percent) and magazines (13.7 percent). Few picked movies (2 percent) or the Internet (1.5 percent). One surprise: tween boys plan to spend more than tween girls for their spring wardrobes ($370 vs. $324).Money doesn't buy happiness, but it might buy you a pass out of some unhappiness. Researchers at the University of Michigan and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System found that people who suffer a disabling health problem are much more likely to take it in stride if they have lots of money. Specifically, "the study finds that people with relatively large financial assets before they became disabled reported substantially better well-being, and less sadness and loneliness, after they were disabled than was reported by people with fewer financial resources who also became disabled." As one researcher put it, money "does seem to buy people out of some of the misery that's associated with a decline in health status." Do you lack confidence in your skill as a gift-giver? Many people do, as well they might. Clever ads for the Minnesota State Lottery play on this anxiety by urging the locals to include some scratch-off tickets when they give a gift—which means they "could be giving up to $200,000." Along with Mr. Hula Hoop, the campaign includes a woman reacting ecstatically as she receives a snow shovel as a present. Colle+McVoy of Minneapolis created the series.Americans' fruit-and-vegetable deficit is worse than ever, now that the government's dietary guidelines place greater emphasis on those food groups. Adults are supposed to consume seven to 11 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Polling by The NPD Group shows how far short of that goal people are: Men eat an average of 5.1 servings per day; women eat 4.1. Notorious for their aversion to healthy foods, kids average 3.6 per day.Are kids as influential as they suppose when it comes to the family's purchases? Not if their parents are to be believed. In polling by Opinion Research Corp., 55 percent of teens said they have a lot of influence on what their family eats. But just 25 percent of the parents said their teens wield such power. There was a similar pattern with pre-teens: 38 percent said they have a lot of influence on the family diet, vs. 22 percent of pre-teens' parents. As for kids' clothes, 77 percent of teens think they have a lot of influence over purchases; 53 percent of teens' parents agree. Among pre-teens, 52 percent believe they're influential in this area, while 25 percent of the parents agree. Kids have a more realistic view of their role in picking a destination for the family vacation: 18 percent of teens think they have a lot of influence, and 18 percent of the parents say that's true; 23 percent of pre-teens think they've very influential here, and 16 percent of pre-teens' parents agree.

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Pleasingly Plump Data, Uninfluential Kids, Etc.

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