Fat Attitudes

NPD study shows how public perception of obesity is changing.

You can love your flabby parts, but will your flabby parts be loved? Yes, they will, according to a survey by the market research firm, NPD. This survey found that from 1985 to 2005, the percentage of Americans who said they found overweight people unattractive fell from 55 percent to 24 percent. A nationwide sample of 600,000 respondents was recruited by NPD to participate in the study.

Anthony D' Aristotile, professor of statistics at Plattsburgh State University College (PSUC) finds the survey to be sound due to its large sample size and its long period of testing. However, more information on the survey is needed.

When three random men and three random women were informed of this survey in the Plattsburgh area, it astounded five. Carisha Swanson, 26, found the study to be very surprising. Swanson almost immediately questioned the integrity of the survey. Swanson explained that it is more difficult to be tolerant when a fat person is present, and perhaps this affected the survey's results.

Swanson inferred that perhaps this survey illustrates more of people's need to be politically correct than a true reading of how the general public feels.

Patricia Miranda, a resident of Plattsburgh, responded to the survey stating, “I didn't think society could see anything, but skinny. Maybe people in general are becoming more psychologically and emotionally accepting of reality.”

“I didn't think society could see anything, but skinny.”

Should this survey be taken lightly? I mean, what would you say if someone got in your face and asked, “Do you think fat people are ugly?” which is in essence what this survey is asking.

Common sense allows us all to admit that body image is still a national obsession. Both Dr. Daniel Vogt, a biology professor at PSUC and Patricia Miranda recalled the 1960s supermodel Twiggy and how she portrayed a body image that just wasn't attainable for most people. Not everyone can be very tall and very thin, and still be healthy. People come in all different sizes. Twiggy even admits to having surgery to alter and maintain her appearance.

You can not turn on a television, surf the internet or listen to the radio without hearing about a miracle pill that will “melt” the fat off your body. You cannot peruse the magazines at a store checkout without noticing the headlines flashing for a “New, and Improved: Better You in Six Weeks.” Do you think you'll be seeing a clinically obese person on the cover of any magazine like that anytime soon?

“Do you think fat people are ugly?”

Vogt relates the survey's results to the high percentage of overweight Americans. According to the Weight Control Information Network, an information service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight, totaling 129.6 million people.

However, when local psychiatrists were asked to comment on how America 's weight gain was affecting body image acceptance, many felt uncomfortable with the subject matter and declined to comment. For example, The Champlain Valley Psychiatric Associates were not interested. Diane Zuniga, MD, a local psychiatrist did not return phone calls. Dr. William Tooke, co-chair of PSUC's Psychology Department even bemusedly questioned, “Why me?” when he was asked if he would be interested in commenting on America's weight problem and how it's affecting body image acceptance.

Dr. Daniel Vogt emphatically stresses that “obesity is a major health problem.” Overweight individuals increase their risks of both heart disease and obesity. According to the American Heart Association, “cardiovascular disease has been the No. 1 killer in the United States every year for more than a century.” Additionally, “cardiovascular disease… [has accounted for] 37.3 percent of all deaths, or one in every 2.7 deaths in the United States in 2003, according to the most recent data.” The Weight Control Information states that nearly one-third of U.S. Adults are obese. Vogt advises that people take the extra weight seriously. Health should be a stronger driving force than perceptions of body image towards a person's desire to lose or not lose weight.

How do you feel about NPD's survey and its reflection of our society?

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Learn more about NPD.

NPD Group gives global consumer and retail information that helps manufacturers and retailers better corner their market. They gain perspective into the market by collecting data “to uncover business opportunities, to identify who is buying; what, where, why they're buying and how much they pay, and to measure consumer attitudes.” NPD Group has more than 1,400 associated businesses, including many Fortune 500 companies.

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