Americans still overweight but more quit smoking: poll

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Despite health warnings about the dangers of excess weight, many American adults are still overweight and obese but more are giving up cigarettes and wearing seat belts, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

The annual Harris Poll about some of the most important health risks showed that 78 percent of adults over 25 are overweight, compared to 58 percent when the survey began 25 years ago. One third are obese, which is more than double the rate of 15 percent from 1983.

Although the percentage of adults who are overweight has fallen from a high of 83 percent in 2006 to 78 percent this year, the three-year average of 80 percent is still the highest for any multi-year period in the poll.

"Averaging the data over multiple years shows the percentages of obese adults over 25 rising from 15 percent in the early eighties to 36 percent in 2006-2008," Harris said in a statement.

But fewer Americans are smoking and more are buckling up in their cars. The percentage of adults who smoke fell to its lowest level in the past 25 years with 17 percent of the population still lighting up, compared to 30 percent in 1983.

"While it is obviously good news that cigarette smoking has fallen, the rate of decline has not been fast. Because smoking is now banned in offices and public spaces in many states, it is much less visible than it used to be. But the approximately 37 million adult cigarette smokers are still a huge public health problem," Harris said.

Eighty-seven percent of adults wear their seat belts, up from 19 percent in 1983.

Illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, which are linked to obesity and smoking, and motor vehicle accidents are among the top causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While cigarette smoking has declined, about eight percent of U.S. adults smoke cigars or pipes or chew tobacco. The telephone survey of 1,000 showed a slight increase in the numbers of people who smoke cigars and chew tobacco.

(Reporting by Emily Chasan; editing by Daniel Trotta)