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Show How Healthy Are We? IN A NEW NATIONAL SU RVEY, Health—whatdefines it, how to makeitlast and, increasingly, how to pay for it—has become a major concern for Americans. Whatare the leadingkillers? Howclosely do we follow what ourdoctors advise? To learn more about Americans’ thoughts on health, PARADEsurveyed a nationally representative sample of 1752 men and women, ages 18 and older. Hereis what we found: BY MARK CLEMENTS AND DIANNE HALES MERICANS ARE feeling good about their health. Twothirds of our survey respondents,in fact, told us that they’re in “excellent” or “good” physical health. That's the good news. The not-so-good newsis that many of It’s hard to get people to make changes now for the sake of how they’!] feel in the future. Even though Americansfeel fine now,if they don’t take stepsto reducerisk factors like obesity and high blood pressure, one of every two of us will develop heart disease in the future.” Ourtop 10 health problems. Our findings may surprise you. The most commonhealth problem cited by our survey respondentsis arthritis: 25% of. those surveyed say they have it. Women. us could be taking suffer from arthritis more than men better care of ourselves—and we know it: 57% ofour respondentsdescribe themselvesas over- weight, 52% don’t exercise, 26% smoke, and 39% do not get annual checkups. Yet 90% agree with the statement, “My physical well-beingis in my hands.” “Americans are living longer, but they aren’tliving healthier,” says Dr. Claude Lenfant, directorofthe National Heart, LungandBlood Institute in Bethesda, Md. “This is a country offree spirits. (31% vs. 20%), and the likelihood rises with age, to 54% ofthose 65 and older. High blood pressure comesnext, affecting 23%. Both sexesare equally affected, andit also increases with age, from 8% ofthose aged 18-34 to 49% of those 65 and older. Depressionis the third most common. disease reported by our survey respon- dents; 14% say they became depressed in the last year (17% of the women and 10% of the men), Inthis case, the incidence The Top10 Killers PARADE @ TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICANS sexed they are in “excellent” or “good” health, yet one in five is afraid to go to the doctor. e@ THE MAJORITY (66%) say they would prefer to change their diets to treat a health problem, rather to take medication. @ ALMOST TWO-THIRDSof us (64%) currently take medications, with 49% taking pee tion drugs and 30% using over-the-coun ications. @ HALF OF AMERICANSdonot exercise— but 87% of us say that we should. = OF THOSE SURVEYED have medical insurance. For 57%, it’s managed care. e@ STERILIZATION is the most popular form of birth control, chosen by 29%, @ MORE WOMENthan men go to doctors, e ASSISTED SUICIDE is supported by two-thirds of those surveyed. @ 16% HAVE SOUGHT HELP trom mental-health professionals, ‘onal, but 69% of us have nofaith in them. e@WE ARE MOsT wagb about having enough money or insurance to pay for a or operation 149%) or for long.teen care (i for a visit to the doctor. families infour will haveto dealyithcancer, BUMS) oem erie Oss A BSUCUTUU STL LTOn DTU eae Lica rire OCCTO CML SST Se an one TITEICCR LSMTA CONT al [Cag Tay Drei eres BU) Saone amsCh ea Ser TeactT eRE RteereSatererthie crne CO ORES ROTO UOC OUTED RO ORI ENTCDCoH aged SO tos die tromestrokes. us do 8@ COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY KEN FISHER/TONYSTONEIMAGES oss @43% OF US SELF-MEDICATE toavoid paying SiR Are-Your Odds? DISEAST SOF LITE HWR 1 Near! SSUES ESRC Li oh es POT ROT il] eventiatty die of heart diy OU UOR OR USOSOO LE TTS eeOrn NS ASL TISCALI ULLon Ura Ta ened BK us ASKED cut ie Sy pressur Oa LU | High cholesterol PAGE 4+ SEPTEMBER 7, 1997 - PARADE MAGAZINE |
