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This research summary provides sobering evidence of how widespread personal self-neglect is in millennium America. This site proposes that discounting personal health comes from personalities being controlled by a well-meaning "false-self," developed to survive a low-nurturance childhood. See the commentary following this summary for more perspective and personal options. - Peter Gerlach, MSW
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Only one in seven Americans exercises enough and eats enough fruits and vegetables, and men are worse than women, federal health officials said on Thursday.
"These results underscore the need to promote diets high in fruits and vegetables and regular physical activity among all populations in the United States and among racial and ethnic minority communities in particular," U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers said in a report.
The CDC tracked the percentage of Americans who eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and engage in moderately intense exercise for at least 30 minutes five days per week or vigorous exercise for at least 20 minutes three days per week as recommended by the government.
Overall, 14.6 percent of Americans met both the dietary and exercise benchmarks, including 12.4 percent of men and 16.6 percent of women.
The findings come at a time of rising obesity in the United States and concern among public health experts about sedentary lifestyles and diets loaded with fat and sweets.
The report found that 12.6 percent of white men and 17.4 percent of white women reached both benchmarks, compared to 11.2 percent of black men and 12.6 percent of black women and 11.7 percent of Latino men and 14.8 percent of Latino women.
Among all groups, American Indian and Alaska Native men (17.5 percent) and women (19.6 percent) did the best.
"The population right now really needs to take responsibility for their own health," Mary Kay Solera, head of the CDC's National Fruit and Vegetable Program and one of the report's authors, said in a telephone interview.
'WE'RE NOT DOING IT'
"People know that they need to be eating more fruits and vegetables and they know they need to be doing more physical activity. But we're not doing it," Solera added.
Unlike other reports tracking such issues, this one examines those behaviors in tandem for a more complete view. It did not assess whether things are getting better or worse.
"Poor diet and lack of physical activity cause chronic disease," Solera said. "As our good habits decrease and you've got a lot of bad habits, then chronic disease is going to increase, health care costs will increase. There are consequences to what we're doing."
The CDC noted that being overweight or obese increases one's risk of heart disease, some cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and other ailments.
The report was based on self-reported data from a 2005 telephone survey of 356,112 Americans. The survey asked respondents to report their level of exercise and their diet with questions such as, "How often do you eat potatoes, not including French fries, fried potatoes or potato chips?"
The report said some of the racial differences in exercise levels detected might be due to a lack of exercise facilities in lower-income, nonwhite communities.
Moderately intense exercise was defined as brisk walking, bicycling, vacuuming, gardening or anything else that causes small increases in breathing or heart rate. Vigorous exercise was defined as running, aerobics, heavy yard work or other things that cause large increases in breathing or heart rate.
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Perspective
Note that the data collected by this study probably under-reports the scope of current U.S. self-neglect because the findings are based on subjective self-reports. This research didn't seek to learn why most Americans are harming themselves and their families by eating poorly and exercising too little.
The authors of this government report conclude that the findings "underscore the need to promote (healthy diet and regular exercise) among the U.S. population." Then co-author Solera says "(Americans) already know this, but they're not doing it." This knowledgeable opinion suggest the core question - why don't average Americans (like you) care more about their long-term health?
My professional research since 1979 suggests an unpleasant four-part answer:
So far, the American mental-health profession is ignoring compelling evidence of normal personality subselves resulting from epidemic U.S. childhood deprivation and trauma. Therefore...
Most Americans are unaware of - and/or deny or ignore - being ruled by parts of their personality who steadily prefer short-term comfort to long-term wellbeing and longevity. This promotes epidemic denial (reality distortion) that personal self-neglect will be harmful.
American voters and laws now passively condone unwise (socially-harmful) child-conception and ineffective parenting. This promotes low-nurturance ("dysfunctional") families, which promotes kids developing personalities that prefer short-term comfort, distort reality, and justify adult self-neglect.
Our capitalistic, materialistic American values create ceaseless media and other distractions to the public. These relentlessly hinder average people becoming personally aware of toxic false-self dominance, and what that means personally, parentally, and socially. Main-line religious denominations and churches also passively condone this, so far.
If these premises are true, they pose this question: "Could you be unaware of being controlled by a protective, short-sighted false self?" To answer that, read this with an open mind, and then decide whether to do this for your and your descendents' sakes.
For more perspective, see these related research summaries. For three practical ways you can help to reduce this spreading toxic cycle, see this.Pause and reflect: why did you read this - what did you need? If you got what you needed, what do you need now? If you didn't fill your needs here, what do you need? Is your true Self answering these questions, or "someone else"?
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Uploaded 04-06-07
