
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 25, 1993                   TAG: 9306250127
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

U.S. CAREFUL BUT FAT SURVEY FINDS HABITS IMPROVE, WAISTLINES DON'T

More Americans are buckling their seat belts and exercising strenuously, but most are still overweight.

And "only a limited number pay close attention to overall good eating habits," says a survey released Thursday by Prevention magazine.

American adults got their highest score ever on the magazine's so-called Prevention Index: 67.3 out of a possible 100. That was almost six points higher than in 1984.

"Americans are now much more safety conscious than they were 10 years ago," the magazine said.

Seventy-one percent of adults said they always buckle their seat belt in the front seat of a car, up from 19 percent in 1983.

Seventeen percent said they sometimes drive after drinking, down from 28 percent a decade ago.

Eighty-nine percent said their homes have smoke detectors (up from 67 percent) and 40 percent get at least 20 minutes of strenuous exercise three times a week (up from 34 percent). Seventy-eight percent get some exercise, but 19 percent never work up a sweat.

Even 61 percent of those who regularly exercise strenuously were overweight, though. Two-fifths of all adults were seriously overweight - at least 10 percent over their recommended weight range.

Men had a bigger waistline problem than women. Seventy-five percent of men were overweight versus 57 percent of women.

The telephone poll of 1,250 adults was made by Princeton Survey Research Associates conducted Nov. 16-Dec. 4. The margin of error was three points.

Thirty percent of the people in the poll said they are smokers, up from 25 percent last year. The resurgence of smoking was primarily among those with more than a high school education and household incomes exceeding $35,000.

Five out of six people have their blood pressure checked each year, 64 percent eat fiber and 49 percent try to limit cholesterol in their diet. Three-quarters go to the dentist once a year. But only one in four followed at least eight of the government's 11 recommended dietary guidelines.

Forty percent drink no alcohol, up from 34 percent back in 1984, and 62 percent reported great stress once or twice a week.

by CNB