Public Agrees on Obesity’s Impact, Not Government’s Role

[Mosby]

Most Americans (69%) see obesity as a very serious public health problem, substantially more than the percentages viewing alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking and AIDS in the same terms. In addition, a broad majority believes that obesity is not just a problem that affects individuals: 63% say obesity has consequences for society beyond the personal impact on individuals. Just 31% say it impacts the individuals who are obese but not society more broadly.

Yet, the public has mixed opinions about what, if anything, the government should do about the issue. A 54% majority does not want the government to play a significant role in reducing obesity, while 42% say the government should play a significant role. And while some proposals for reducing obesity draw broad support, others are decidedly unpopular.

The new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Oct. 30-Nov. 6 among 2,003 adults, finds that two-thirds (67%) favor requiring chain restaurants to list calorie counts on menus. But just 31% support limits on the size of sugary soft drinks in restaurants and convenience stores – 67% oppose this idea. More than half (55%) favor banning TV ads of unhealthy foods during children’s programming, but barely a third (35%) supports raising taxes on sugary soft drinks and unhealthy foods. On each of these policies, Democrats and women are more supportive than Republicans, independents and men.

http://www.people-press.org/2013/11/12/public-agrees-on-obesitys-impact-not-governments-role/

[Mosby]

1. left-right differences

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While majorities of Republicans and Democrats say obesity has broad social consequences, there are sharp partisan differences about whether the government should have a role in reducing obesity. By a margin of 60%-37%, Democrats believe the government should play a significant role in curbing obesity. But just 20% of Republicans say this, while 77% of Republicans do not want the government to play a significant role. Among independents, more say the government should not play a significant role (56%) than say that it should (41%).

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In recent years, New York City and other cities have banned artificial trans fats from restaurants, a policy that slightly more Americans would oppose (52%) than favor (44%). Last Thursday – after the survey was completed – the FDA proposed banning the cholesterol-laden trans fats because they are not “generally recognized as safe.”

All five of the policies have more support from women than men, by about 10 percentage points in each case. And in all five cases, Democrats favor a more restrictive food policy than Republicans and independents.

Among Republicans, only calorie counts in chain restaurants receive majority support (59% favor). (A provision of the Affordable Care Act, requiring restaurants with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts, is currently in the process of being implemented.)