Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
If you're like the average Floridian, the most you're willing to walk to get anywhere is 18.2 minutes, or 0.9 miles.
Which is about average for most Americans, according to a survey of 2,200 people conducted by Gear Hungry, a tech product review company.
Residents of only a few states exceed the 0.9-mile average, and that not by much. Idahoans, in fact, are the farthest walking, willing to foot it as far as 1.4 miles to get somewhere, followed by Vermonters and New Hampshirites at 1.3 miles, and Utahans, Coloradans, North Dakotans and Marylanders at 1.2 miles.
The handful other states whose residents exceed the 0.9-mile average don't go much beyond a mile or 1.1 miles.
Others of the survey's findings:
• More than one third of Americans would rather take an elevator than walk up one flight of stairs.
• Half of persons under age 35 can't remember when they last ran a mile.
• More than one in 10 Americans would not exercise, even if their lives depended on it.
• Five percent fewer women than men were willing to walk a mile.
• People on health kicks generally last only 7.8 days before succumbing to junk food.
This at a time when Americans continue putting on weight and struggling with obesity.
Case in point: Earlier this year federal health officials released data showing that in 2016 and 2017, more than 40 percent of Americans were obese, a sharp increase from the previous decade. And 7.2 percent of American adults, according to the data, were severely obese.
In 2007 and 2008, 33.7 percent of Americans were obese, and 5.7 were severely obese.
Meanwhile, the sale of fast food, a contributor to obesity, also continued increasing, with the data showing a 22.7-percent increase in the sales of fast food between 2012 and 2017.
Obesity, health experts underscore and studies have documented, heighten the risks of heart diseases, diabetes and various cancers.
The medical community defines overweight and obesity as a Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29, obesity as a BMI of 30 or greater, and severe obesity as a BMI of 40 or more. A normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9.
Public health experts say they are alarmed by the continuing rise in obesity among U.S. adults and the apparent failure of efforts to educate the public about the health risks of a poor diet and lack of exercise, such as walking.
According to the most recent Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, adult obesity rates today exceed 35 percent in seven states and 30 percent in 29 states. West Virginia has the highest adult obesity rate in the country at 38.1 percent; and Colorado has the lowest at 22.6 percent.
Florida, at 28.4 percent, ranks 35 out the 50 states for obesity. And specific to Jefferson County, 62.8 percent of the population of 14,654 was overweight or obese in 2014. Which numbers break down to 56.4-percent overweight and 26.4-percent obese.
The Florida Department of Health Jefferson County on its website identifies unhealthy weight at the number one public health threat to Florida's future.
“Currently, only 36 percent of Floridians are at healthy weight,” the website states. “On our current trend, by 2030, almost 60 percent will be obese. Additionally, six out of 10 children born today will be obese by the time they graduate high school.”
The expectation is that over the next 20 years, obesity in Florida will contribute to millions of cases of preventable chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, costing an estimated $34 billion.
All which argues for people doing more walking.
Visit gearhungry.com now for more information on and many other health topics!
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