The Global Obesity Crisis - Where do Canadians fall into the mix?

MONTREAL , Jan. 11 /CNW Telbec/ - Check out the results of Reader's Digest magazine's exclusive global diet poll on www.readersdigest.ca/obesity today and via newsstands in Canada later this month.

According to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) more people worldwide now die from being overweight and obese than from being underweight. Intrigued by this global crisis, Reader's Digest embarked upon a poll of 16 countries to gain a greater understanding of this surprising trend and explore possible solutions.

By interviewing approximately 16,000 people, Reader's Digest offers readers a fascinating look into the attitudes and behaviours regarding weight, weight loss and obesity from around the world. Some of the surprising results include:

    
    - The Country Whose Citizens Feel the Most Pressure to be Thin
      = BRAZIL

    - The Country Where Wives Most Want Their Husbands to Lose Weight
      = UNITED STATES

    - The Country Where Husbands Most Want Their Wives to Lose Weight
      = INDIA

    And what did Canadians have to say?

    - 88% of Canadians have tried eating more healthfully and 79% have
      attempted working out, but 56% still resort to various types of diets
    

"The issue of obesity has reached epidemic proportions in recent years and we felt it was time to educate ourselves about this growing threat," shares Reader's Digest VP/Editor-in-Chief, Robert Goyette . "With our strong connections internationally, Reader's Digest was the only media outlet that could have adequately conducted such a global review of opinions. We knew our readers would want to know more about this issue and it was that search for greater insight that inspired the diet poll."

In addition to exploring the global struggle with weight, Reader's Digest also provides readers with ingenious tips from 18 different countries that outline cultural habits and customs that can help keep people slim and healthy-a perfect reference guide for those hoping to stay true to any New Year's resolutions dedicated to healthy living.

Highlights include:

    
    - In Thailand people eat spicy food. In addition to boosting metabolism,
      foods with a little zing encourage slower eating habits.

    - South Africans enjoy naturally sweet rooibos tea. Ditching specialty
      coffee for a cup of tea with no added sugar, helps reduce hidden
      "liquid calories".

    - 75% of Germans recognize the importance of eating breakfast daily
      (unlike 40% of Canadians who, in a recent study, admit to regularly
      skipping this vital meal).

    - Hungarians swear by the slimming benefits of pickles and other brined
      vegetables. The vinegar used in pickling may help reduce blood
      pressure, blood sugar, and the formation of fat.
    

And Canada's contribution to healthy eating? Canada's got far fewer all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants compared to our American neighbours. (Being faced with too wide a variety of tempting food choices has been found to prompt overeating.)

For more information on Reader's Digest's global obesity poll, visit www.readersdigest.ca/obesity today.

PLUS... don't miss the April 2010 issue of Reader's Digest that investigates the obesity crisis further by exploring the social impact of weight on our society and the importance of collective action and responsibility to combat it.

Reader's Digest is a leading Canadian multi-brand media and marketing company that educates, entertains and inspires, connecting audiences throughout Canada . It publishes five magazines, including Reader's Digest and Sélection, Canada's most read magazines with 7.5 million readers a month. It has recently launched Best Health, a healthy lifestyle magazine for Canadian women and More of Our Canada , a companion magazine to the very popular Our Canada magazine. Along with being a premier publisher of books, music and video products, it operates a network of branded websites in Canada , including readersdigest.ca, selection.ca, ourcanada.ca, besthealthmag.ca, allrecipes.ca, allrecipes.qc.ca and tasteofhome.com.

For further information: Annie Péloquin, [phone], [email protected]