News release: National

November 17, 2004

For more information, call:
Dena Durkin
Kaiser Permanente
Phone: (626) 381-5845
E-mail: Dena.M.Durkin@kp.org

New Kaiser Permanente survey shows most Americans gain weight during the holiday season; net-savvy consumers look online for help to keep the pounds off

Online personalized weight/fitness programs address seasonal weight spikes

Oakland, CA – When it comes to the biggest temptation of the holiday season—overeating—seemingly no segment of the U.S. population can resist. According to a new nationwide survey from Kaiser Permanente, battling weight gain cuts with startling uniformity across boundaries of wealth, age, geography and marital status. But how we deal with the stresses of the holiday table varies widely.

The new survey, conducted for Kaiser Permanente by market research firm Synovate, charted responses from 1,000 adults to questions about weight gain and the methods of dealing with that weight gain during the holiday season. Despite acknowledging that they do gain weight during the holidays, few Americans reported monitoring their eating habits during this festive time. While the majority expressed a clear go-it-alone attitude toward weight management, the Internet-savvy 25-54 age group indicated a willingness to take advantage of online programs that can help with weight loss and fitness goals.

True to form, a high percentage of Americans—46 percent—said they tended to gain "a few pounds" during the holiday season, with 43 percent of men and 49 percent of women in that camp. At the same time, a quarter of those surveyed "do not even try" to control their food intake during the season. Young people—those 18-24—are most likely to gain weight during the holidays, with 51 percent of those surveyed saying they put on a few pounds. Of the 1,000 respondents—483 men and 517 women—61 percent of men said they did not have to battle weight gain; that figure fell sharply to 35 percent for women.

According to the survey, nearly 80 percent of Americans said that they prefer to lose weight on their own, rather than using outside support—by gender, 86 percent of men and 76 percent of women. The majority spurned such options as support group meetings, online support programs and tools, hiring a personal coach and giving up on losing weight.

Online support programs did, however, find favor among the younger, net-savvy age groups. Among those 25-34, 15.5 percent said they would use online programs, compared with 18 percent of those 35-44 and 15 percent of those 45-54. Interestingly, more unmarried people (17 percent) than married people (11 percent) said they would prefer to use a personal coach.

"The survey tackles head-on America's biggest health challenge—obesity," said Kate Christensen, MD, Medical Director, Kaiser Permanente Internet Services Group. "Many Americans do not have access to high-quality healthcare, yet we found that an awareness about the dangers of being overweight—and the need to do something about it—is broadly recognized and accepted nationwide.

"These patterns are important in understanding how weight gain affects Americans, especially at a crucial time of the year," Christensen said. "Once we grasp that, it's possible to take the necessary steps to tackle this persistent national problem. Kaiser Permanente has recognized the serious health threat obesity poses, and is now offering a series of online weight loss and fitness programs to our members. In light of the survey results, these programs are an important way for members to become connected with Kaiser Permanente and achieve their health and wellness goals."

Online programs bring weight management within reach

Kaiser Permanente recently introduced a series of in-depth online behavior-change programs, addressing common concerns that affect the health of increasing numbers of Americans. The modules include weight management and fitness, smoking cessation, stress reduction and nutrition.

Known collectively as the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Lifestyle Programs, these offerings are part of a larger effort to empower people to live healthier lives. The tools are based on research acknowledging that Americans are not just seeking health care but total health, which continues Kaiser Permanente's long-standing mission of helping to prevent, not just treat, disease. Kaiser Permanente's online tools can be found at www.kp.org/totalhealth.

As if to underscore the severity of the problem, the Kaiser Permanente survey revealed that almost a third of the population reported "thinking about their weight problem every day of their lives." Another 13 percent felt that their weight "was negatively affecting" their lives while nearly 8 percent even felt that their "choices in life were limited" because they were overweight.

Among other survey findings of note:

As reluctant as people may be to totally curb their appetites, only 8.4 percent said that they tended to put on more than five pounds during the holiday season.
The highest percentage of people who said that they gained more than five pounds—15 percent—came from households with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 per year.
Geographically, the highest percentage of people who put on weight over the holidays come from the West—57 percent, as compared to the national average of 46 percent.
Among people who put on more than five pounds, however, the highest percentage—10 percent—comes from the South. Those with post-graduate degrees and the self-employed are more likely than other categories to put on weight over the holidays.
A high percentage of people in the West—20.5 percent—said they would use an online support program to lose weight, as compared to the national average of 13.6 percent.
Similarly, a higher percentage of people from the Western states—17 percent—said that they would use a personal coach to lose weight, as compared to the national average of 13 percent.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, two out of three American adults are overweight, and one in three is obese. Obesity is already a bigger killer in America than AIDS, all cancers and all accidents put together, based on American Medical Association data.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of some 8.2 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 134,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and more than 12,000 physicians representing all specialties.