America loosens the belt

With the holiday feeding frenzy already underway, less than half of Americans reported wanting to lose weight for the first time in at least 25 years, according to a Nov. 27 Gallup poll. The results indicate that 49 percent of Americans say they want to lose weight, compared with about 60 percent from 2001 to 2008. The decrease in weight-watchers is accompanied by an increase in those who are content with their current weight, from 32 percent a decade ago to 41 percent today. Related Gallup data indicate the obesity rate continues to rise steadily, from 25.5 percent in 2008 to 27.7 percent in 2014.