Americans Give President Obama Negative Job Rating

President Barack Obama

28 Feb 2011 15:53 Africa/Lagos


Almost Six in Ten Americans Give President Obama Negative Job Rating

Almost nine in ten give Congress negative ratings

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2011

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Looking ahead, President Obama most likely sees many battles forthcoming. There's the current budget showdown which has the potential to lead to a government shutdown. There is the labor issue and all eyes are watching to see how the White House responds to what is happening in Wisconsin. And then there is his own electoral battle, albeit 20 months from now, but still on the horizon.

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Going into these battles, almost three in five Americans (58%) have a negative opinion of the job the President is doing while 42% have a positive opinion of it. This is slightly down from last month when 44% of U.S. adults gave the job the President was doing positive marks and 56% gave it negative ratings.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 3,171 adults surveyed online between February 14 and 21, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

Partisanship definitely exists in looking at President Obama's job approval ratings. Nine in ten Republicans (90%) give the President poor ratings while almost three-quarters (73%) of Democrats give him positive marks and Independents are more negative than positive with 60% giving the President negative marks and 40% positive. What is interesting is the depth of support among Republicans and Democrats. Almost six in ten Republicans (57%) give President Obama a rating of poor, the worst on the scale. Among Democrats, just one in five (22%) give the President a rating of excellent, while half (50%) say he is doing a pretty good job.

There is also a large regional divide. Just three in ten Southerners (31%) give President Obama positive ratings as do 42% of Midwesterners. Westerners are very split as 49% give the President positive ratings while 51% give him negative marks. The President's strongest ratings come from the East where over half (54%) give him positive ratings on the job he is doing.

It is almost two months into the new Congress and yet they are not faring much better than the previous Congress did in terms of their ratings. Over four in five Americans (86%) rate the overall job Congress is doing negatively while just 14% give Congress positive ratings. Last month, 84% of U.S. adults gave them negative marks while 16% positive ratings.

It's not just Congress and the President who are mired in negative ratings, the direction of the country is as well. Almost two-thirds of Americans (64%) say things in the country are going off on the wrong track, almost the same as last month (63%). Over one-third of U.S. adults (36%) say things are going in the right direction; 37% said this last month.

So What?

Americans may be hearing that things are getting better and they can see the stock market has had a nice run, but this hasn't translated into better job ratings for President Obama or for Congress. And, if turmoil in the Middle East continues and impacts gas prices for the summer driving season, expect these numbers to move down, not up. That's something the White House definitely does not want to see one year before the presidential election.

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Americans Divided on U.S. Involvement in Egypt

Phot Credit: Overoll.com

7 Feb 2011 18:21 Africa/Lagos


Americans Divided on U.S. Involvement in Egypt

Almost half of Republicans and Democrats think U.S. should be involved while almost half of Independents think the U.S. should not be involved

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the political unrest in Egypt continues, there is a question of how involved the United States should be in helping to solve the problems. Should the U.S. sit on the sidelines or is it more appropriate for U.S. diplomats to be front and center on this issue? Americans are clearly divided on how involved the United States should be. Just over two in five U.S. adults (43%) believe the U.S. should be involved, with 12% saying very involved and 31% saying somewhat involved. Almost the same number (42%) believe the United States should not be involved with 21% each saying not very involved and not at all involved, while 15% of Americans are not at all sure how involved the U.S. should be.

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These are some of the results of The Harris Poll ® of 2,060 adults surveyed online between February 2 and 4, 2011 by Harris Interactive®.

Ideas on involvement vary by age

When it comes to how involved the U.S. should be in the political unrest in Egypt right now, there are some differences that emerge by age. Almost half (48%) of those 55 and older as well as 45% of those 18-34 believe that the United States should be involved. Those 35-44 and 45-54 are of a different mind. Almost half (47%) of both of these age groups say the United States should not be involved in Egypt. In fact, over one-quarter of those 45-54 (26%) say the U.S. should not be involved at all.

Partisan agreement

There are not many things Democrats and Republicans agree on right now, but involvement in Egypt's current political unrest is one of them. Almost half of Democrats (48%) and Republicans (48%) say the U.S. should be involved while 40% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats say the U.S. should not be involved. Independents, however, think differently. Almost half of them (47%) say the United States should not be involved in the current unrest while two in five Independents (40%) believe the U.S. should be involved.

So what?

The political unrest in Egypt is not likely to disappear any time in the near future. Things may calm, but the tension will still be simmering. And, even when President Mubarak is no longer in power, there is no guarantee that the unrest will be over. Americans are all watching events unfold but, at the moment, seem to be unclear as to the level of involvement the United States should have. As things evolve there, likely so will attitudes in the U.S.

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Americans Like People Who Speak Like They Do

26 Jan 2011 12:08 Africa/Lagos


Americans Like People Who Speak Like They Do

Half of adults think speakers with Southern accents are nice, British accents are sophisticated and New York City accents are rude

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2011

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Accents are a funny thing. Certain ones prompt stereotypical thought, which might be why people often deny having an accent. Yet, when asked about various attributes, Americans living in the East, Midwest and South all give more flattering responses about the accents from their areas than do adults from elsewhere.

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These are some of the results of The Harris Poll ® of 2,331 adults surveyed online between December 6 and 13, 2010 by Harris Interactive®.

When asked to think about hearing various accents half of adults say they think speakers with a Southern accent are nice (49%), two in five say the same for speakers with a Midwest accent (40%), one in five say those with a British accent or New England accent are nice (19% and 18%, respectively) while less than one in ten say so for speakers with a New York City accent (7%).

Half of adults also think those with a British accent are sophisticated (47%)—far more than adults say so for any other accent (between 20% for New England accents, down to 6% for Southern accents). And, while half of adults think that speakers with New York City accents are rude (51%), very few adults say the same for any other accent listed (between 14% and 4%).

Regional Differences

Despite speakers sometimes denying their regional accent, adults award accents from their own area more positive descriptions and fewer negative ones, than adults from other areas do. For example:

* Southerners think that speakers with Southern accents are nice (59%) and honest (45%) more often than those from the West (42% and 28%), East (44% and 29%) and Midwest (45% and 31%) do;
* While just over one in ten adults think that speakers with a New York City accent are intelligent (12%), a higher percentage—18%—of those in the East say this, compared to fewer in the Midwest (12%), West (11%) and South (10%) who say the same;
* Similarly, one in six Easterners say those with a New York City accent are honest (16%), compared to very few in other regions who agree (between 4% and 6%); and,
* On the opposite end of the spectrum, although most adults think speakers with New York City accents are rude (51%), only 46% of Easterners agree, compared to more Midwesterners (54%), Southerners (54%) and Westerners (48%) who say this.


This pattern continues as Midwesterners say that speakers with a Midwest accent are well-educated, intelligent, nice and honest more frequently than adults from other regions say the same. In fact, over half of Midwesterners (55%) say someone with a Midwestern accent is nice compared to 42% of Westerners, 36% of Easterners and just 31% of Southerners who say this.

Does this matter?

Americans cheerleading for their own regional accents is not limited to complimentary adjectives—U.S. adults think that their accents would actually beat out the others in a competitive job market. When asked if four equally qualified applicants for a certain job were only differentiated by their accent, two in five adults (39%) say that the applicant with the Midwestern accent would get the job. However, 63% of Midwesterners say this compared to between 41% and 21% of adults from the other regions who do.

With regard to other regions, a quarter of Easterners say the job would go to the person with the New England accent (26%) compared to fewer adults from elsewhere who agree (between 17% and 9%). One in five Easterners (19%) also say it would go to the New Yorker (compared to between 14% and 7% of those from other areas), and one in five Southerners (18%) say it would go to their applicant, compared to very few adults from elsewhere who agree (between 7% and 3%). Easterners are also more likely than other regions to say the job would go to the person with the British accent (27%).

So What?

Although TV news and other media personalities often work to overcome distinctive regional accents, it doesn't seem that local inflections are bothersome, at least not to an audience from that area. However, it might be interesting if speakers are skilled enough to play up their accent, or not, depending on their situation – it appears there may be circumstances where a different style of pronunciation could work well to one's advantage.

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Americans Still Owe Billions to Credit Cards

24 Jan 2011 16:48 Africa/Lagos


Americans Still Owe Billions to Credit Cards
From the Southeast to the Northwest, All Regions Impacted

PR Newswire

ATLANTA, Jan. 24, 2011

ATLANTA, Jan. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- While Americans continue to pay off debts and reduce spending, Equifax (NYSE: EFX), one of the leading nationwide credit reporting agencies, finds many households still carry a heavy debt burden – in some cases owing up to 17 percent of their income to credit card companies alone*.

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No one region of the country is shouldering the credit card debt burden – Equifax found the top 50 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) hardest hit by credit card debt, as a percentage of income owed in 2010, are clustered in six states across the country: Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Washington and California.

These states also have some of the highest total credit card balances for the country:

* FL: $47,568,265,541
* NC: $22,386,064,118
* OH: $28,985,502,668
* TX: $48,833,824,544
* WA: $18,288,819,367
* CA: $90,566,978,302


Equifax reports that while total consumer debt (mortgage, auto, credit card, etc.) has declined 8.2 percent from its peak of $11.5 trillion in October of 2008, 54 million American households still owe more than $800 billion in debt to credit card companies alone – irrespective of other debts such as mortgages or students loans**.

"The good news is we're seeing Americans paying off their debts and becoming more fiscally fit," says Dianne Bernez, Equifax's senior vice president for corporate communications. "However, the numbers show that while people's intentions are good, Americans still have a lot of debt to tackle and often don't know where to start."

To help Americans get started, Equifax, along with financial expert and New York Times bestselling author David Bach, have launched the Debt Free Challenge – encouraging 1 million Americans to pay off $1 billion in debt.

"I would encourage people to look at these numbers and then take a good look at what their share is – a lot of people don't actually know how much debt they're in," says Bach, author of Debt Free for Life: The Finish Rich Plan for Financial Freedom. "Only then can you make a plan of action to pay down your debt."

Bach has been teaching a method known as done on last payment (DOLP), also known as debt stacking, for more than a decade, whereby consumers prioritize their debts to maximize their savings in interest and accelerate their payments in a methodical manner to get out of debt faster. For those looking to automate this process, Debt Wise™ powered by Equifax is an online tool that uses the information already on your credit report to prioritize debts and help you set a plan of action to reach your Debt Freedom Day—a day when all of your debts have been paid off.

"Pledging to get out of debt can really help people get started on their journey toward financial freedom – setting a goal helps you stick to your plan," says Bach. "And remember that you're not alone – taking the pledge are your neighbors, co-workers and friends – this is doable and there are tools out there to help you."

For more information about David Bach, visit www.finishrich.com. To learn more about the Debt Free Challenge, visit www.debtfreechallenge.com.

About David Bach and FinishRich Media (www.finishrich.com)

The Founder and Chairman of FinishRich Media, a company dedicated to revolutionizing the way people learn about money, Bach is the author of 11 consecutive national bestselling books, including two # 1 New York Times business bestsellers, Start Late, Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire. In all, his FinishRich books have been published in more than 15 languages, with more than 7 million copies in print. A renowned motivational and financial speaker, Bach regularly speaks at the world's leading financial service firms, Fortune 500 companies, universities, and national conferences. Prior to founding FinishRich Media, he was a senior vice president of Morgan Stanley and a partner of The Bach Group, which during his tenure (1993 to 2001) managed more than half a billion dollars for individual investors. Bach is also the creator of the FinishRich® seminar series, which highlights his quick and easy-to-follow financial strategies, and which has been taught to more than 750,000 people nationwide. Among multiple other media appearances, he has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and is a regular guest on NBC's Today's Money 911 segment.

About Equifax (www.equifax.com)

Equifax is a global leader in information solutions, leveraging one of the largest sources of consumer and commercial data, along with advanced analytics and proprietary technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers. Customers have trusted Equifax for more than 100 years to deliver innovative solutions with the highest integrity and reliability. Businesses - large and small - rely on them for consumer and business credit intelligence, portfolio management, fraud detection, decision technology, marketing tools, and much more. Equifax empowers individual consumers to manage their personal credit information, protect their identity, and maximize their financial well-being.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax Inc. operates in the U.S. and 14 other countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. Equifax is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500(R) Index. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EFX.

+Insurance underwritten by member companies of American International Group, Inc. The description herein is a summary only. It does not include all terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for complete details of coverage and exclusions.

Debt Wise™ does not provide debt management advice, credit counseling, financial planning or counseling, and will not act as an intermediary between subscribers and their lenders/creditors. Subscribers must continue to pay their lenders/creditors directly in accordance with their terms. Debt Wise™ will not improve or repair subscribers' credit history or score, or debt-to-income ratio. Debt Wise™ is not available in NV, UT, or DC. See www.debtwise.com for important additional information.

* The Equifax Consumer Credit Trends Report is the source of the research highlighted above. Distributed to customers, this monthly report provides credit trend data (in aggregate) for bankcard, consumer finance/retail, auto finance, auto bank, home equity revolving and first mortgage loans, among other metrics.

For this research, Equifax analyzed quarterly data on consumers with more than one tradeline (installment loan or revolving account) on their credit file. The information is sourced from a sample of the Equifax credit database and applied to predict trends across the overall population.

For more than a decade, Equifax Analytical Services has provided analytic solutions to businesses. Using a wide range of statistical techniques, our consultants design, develop and implement custom analysis and credit scores and generic analytical models for target marketing and portfolio management programs. With Equifax Analytical Services, customers can gain access to economic, demographic and general credit trend data through creditforecast.com, a forecasting tool built by Equifax and Moody's Economy.com.

**Statistical reference based on consumer credit data from the Federal Reserve Board's G.19 release which can be found at http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/Current/ .

SOURCE Equifax

CONTACT: Megan Jentz, +1-404-214-3578, mjentz@jacksonspalding.com; Demitra Wilson, +1-678-795-7885, demitra.wilson@equifax.com

Web Site: http://www.equifax.com

Growing Number of Americans Who Say Barack Obama is a Muslim

9 Aug 2010 05:01 Africa/Lagos



New Pew Research Center Survey Reveals Growing Number of Americans Who Say Barack Obama is a Muslim

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that a substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.

According to the survey, nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim -- an increase from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, a sharp decrease from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama's religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama's recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.

The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009).

The new poll, conducted between July 21 and Aug. 5 among 3,003 respondents, also examines the link between Americans' perception of Obama's religion and their opinion of his job performance, and covers views on the President's approach to religion, including the influence of his religious beliefs on policy decisions. In addition, the survey explores Americans' attitudes toward churches' involvement in politics and religion's influence on American life and government, and looks at religion's impact on voting preferences for the upcoming 2010 congressional races.

The report, including a summary and topline questionnaire, will be accessible on the Forum's new Web feature, "Religion & Politics 2010," which provides a variety of election resources, including:
-- Poll analyses and survey reports on topics related to the midterm
elections
-- Links to news stories about religion-related issues impacting 2010
congressional and gubernatorial races around the country
-- "Election news briefs" highlighting interesting articles and common
themes making news headlines

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life conducts surveys, demographic analyses and other social science research on important aspects of religion and public life in the U.S. and around the world. As part of the Washington-based Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy organization, the Pew Forum does not take positions on any of the issues it covers or on policy debates.
Source: Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life

CONTACT: Liga Plaveniece of Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion &
Public Life, Communications Coordinator, +1-202-419-4586
Web Site: http://www.pewforum.org/

7 of 10 LGBT Americans Say U.S. Remains Far from Gender Equality

7 Aug 2010 12:07 Africa/Lagos


7 of 10 LGBT Americans Say U.S. Remains Far from Gender Equality

90 Years After Enacting Women's Suffrage, LGBT Americans See Greater Evidence of Inequalities Still Facing 21st Century Women

NEW YORK, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1920, 144 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, women in the United States achieved the right to vote. Ninety years later, the issues of gender equality remain debated and unresolved.
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Among all American adults, 63% agree that the U.S. still has a long way to go to reach complete gender quality. While three-quarters of women (74%) agree with this, so do just over half of men (52%). By comparison, when this question is posed to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults, 73% say the U.S. still has a long way to go, including 95% of lesbians (an especially notable finding when compared with 74% of heterosexual females.)
When querying whether things are fine between men and women, the nation is split - just over half of Americans (52%) disagree that things are fine between the genders while 43% say things are fine. But men and women have a different take on the situation with over half of men (55%) believing things are fine compared to just one-third (32%) of women who say the same.


However, when these overall findings are contrasted with the attitudes of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender adults, the differences become even sharper. Only 22% of lesbians (and 32% of gay men) suggest that things are fine between genders, as well as only one-third or 34% of all LGBT adults sampled.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,412 adults surveyed online between June 14 and 21, 2010 by Harris Interactive including 341 adults who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender by Harris Interactive, a global market research and consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the LGBT market. [Please note that this survey was designed to measure the general attitudes and beliefs of American adults about the changing roles of men and women in society - and not specifically about issues surrounding gender identity and expression nor about continued discrimination towards transgender Americans.]
Whether the issue of gender equality should be addressed is another question in these times with so many other pressing concerns. Three-quarters of U.S. adults (74%) agree that they do not think gender equality is perfect, but there are more pressing issues to fix first. And men and women are in agreement on this (74% of men agree as do 75% of women). A smaller majority (59%) of LGBT adults agrees that while gender equality is not perfect, there are other priorities requiring attention.


Women and Work
Some of the discrepancies the still unratified Equal Rights Amendment was intended to correct were chronic inequities in the workplace among men and women. Seven in ten Americans (69%) say that women often do not receive the same pay as men for doing exactly the same job; which rises to nearly eight in ten (79%) LGBT Americans.
Three in five of all U.S. adults (62%) and 72% of LGBT adults agree that women are often discriminated against in being promoted for supervisory and executive jobs. Women are much more likely than men to agree with this but almost half of men also agree with both sentiments. Four in five women (80%) and 96% of lesbians agree that women often do not receive the same pay for the same job compared to 58% of men (71% of gay men). Three out of four women (yet 93% of lesbians) agree women are discriminated against in their promotions compared to 48% of all men (and 69% of gay men).


For LGBT Americans, do these findings sound familiar?
In ninety years many things have changed for women in this country simply beginning with the right to vote. And some may argue things are better, but there is still the undercurrent that there are issues, especially when it comes to pay and employment, where things have not yet approached an equal footing with men.
Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, which specializes in LGBT marketing and trends, notes that, "LGBT Americans, who most likely recognize the consequences of their own workplace and social inequities are especially sensitive to perceived discrimination in all forms. For gay Americans, these may be life lessons that mirror their own experiences - and demonstrate that the divide today between men and women remains as real as the evidence of unfair and unequal treatment still shown to women in public life."
TABLE 1
GENDER EQUALITY TODAY
"On another subject, August of this year will mark the 90th
anniversary of women receiving the right to vote in the United
States.
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about
gender equality in the United States


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Americans Are Getting Fatter and Fatter in 28 States in the US

29 Jun 2010 16:07 Africa/Lagos


New Report: Adult Obesity Increases in 28 States

Striking Disparities Persist; Obesity Rates Highest Among Blacks and Southerners

WASHINGTON, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Adult obesity rates increased in 28 states in the past year, and declined only in the District of Columbia (D.C.), according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010, a report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). More than two-thirds of states (38) have adult obesity rates above 25 percent. In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.


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The report highlights troubling racial, ethnic, regional and income disparities in the nation's obesity epidemic. For instance, adult obesity rates for Blacks and Latinos were higher than for Whites in at least 40 states and the District of Columbia; 10 out of the 11 states with the highest rates of obesity were in the South - with Mississippi weighing in with highest rates for all adults (33.8 percent) for the sixth year in a row; and 35.3 percent of adults earning less than $15,000 per year were obese compared with 24.5 percent of adults earning $50,000 or more per year.


"Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges the country has ever faced, and troubling disparities exist based on race, ethnicity, region, and income," said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. "This report shows that the country has taken bold steps to address the obesity crisis in recent years, but the nation's response has yet to fully match the magnitude of the problem. Millions of Americans still face barriers - like the high cost of healthy foods and lack of access to safe places to be physically active - that make healthy choices challenging."


The report also includes obesity rates among youths ages 10-17, and the results of a new poll on childhood obesity conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and American Viewpoint. The poll shows that 80 percent of Americans recognize that childhood obesity is a significant and growing challenge for the country, and 50 percent of Americans believe childhood obesity is such an important issue that we need to invest more to prevent it immediately. The survey also found that 84 percent of parents believe their children are at a healthy weight, but research shows nearly one-third of children and teens are obese or overweight. Obesity rates among youths ages 10-17 from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) also were included in the 2009 F as in Fat report. Data collection for the next NSCH will begin in 2011. Currently, more than 12 million children and adolescents are considered obese.


"Obesity rates among the current generation of young people are unacceptably high and a very serious problem," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., RWJF president and CEO. "To reverse this national epidemic, we have to make every community a healthy community. Americans are increasingly ready and willing to make that investment."


Additional key findings include:
-- Adult obesity rates for Blacks topped 40 percent in nine states, 35
percent in 34 states, and 30 percent in 43 states and D.C.
-- Rates of adult obesity for Latinos were above 35 percent in two states
(North Dakota and Tennessee) and at 30 percent and above in 19 states.
-- Ten of the 11 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the
South, as are the 10 states with the highest rates of hypertension.
-- No state had rates of adult obesity above 35 percent for Whites. Only
one state--West Virginia--had an adult obesity rate for Whites greater
than 30 percent.
-- The number of states where adult obesity rates exceed 30 percent
doubled in the past year, from four to eight--Alabama, Arkansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West
Virginia.
-- Northeastern and Western states had the lowest adult obesity rates;
Colorado remained the lowest at 19.1 percent.


The report found that the federal government and many states are undertaking a wide range of policy initiatives to address the obesity crisis. Some key findings include that:


At the federal level:
-- The new health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act of 2010, has the potential to address the obesity epidemic through
a number of prevention and wellness provisions, expand coverage to
millions of uninsured Americans, and create a reliable funding stream
through the creation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund;
-- Community Transformation grants have the potential to help leverage
the success of existing evidence-based disease prevention programs;
-- President Barack Obama created a White House Task Force on Childhood
Obesity, which issued a new national obesity strategy that contained
concrete measures and roles for every agency in the federal
government; and
-- First Lady Michelle Obama launched the "Let's Move" initiative to
solve childhood obesity within a generation.

And at the state level:
-- Twenty states and D.C. set nutritional standards for school lunches,
breakfasts and snacks that are stricter than current United States
Department of Agriculture requirements. Five years ago, only four
states had legislation requiring stricter standards.
-- Twenty-eight states and D.C. have nutritional standards for
competitive foods sold in schools on a la carte lines, in vending
machines, in school stores, or through school bake sales. Five years
ago, only six states had nutritional standards for competitive foods.
-- Every state has some form of physical education requirement for
schools, but these requirements are often limited, not enforced or do
not meet adequate quality standards.
-- Twenty states have passed requirements for body mass index screenings
of children and adolescents or have passed legislation requiring other
forms of weight and/or fitness related assessments in schools. Five
years ago, only four states had passed screening requirements.


To enhance the prevention of obesity and related diseases, TFAH and RWJF provide a list of recommended actions in the report. Some key policy recommendations include:


-- Support obesity- and disease-prevention programs through the new
health reform law's Prevention and Public Health Fund, which provides
$15 billion in mandatory appropriations for public health and
prevention programs over the next 10 years.
-- Align federal policies and legislation with the goals of the
forthcoming National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy.
Opportunities to do this can be found through key pieces of federal
legislation that are up for reauthorization in the next few years,
including the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act; the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act; and the Surface Transportation
Authorization Act.
-- Expand the commitment to community-based prevention programs initiated
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through new
provisions in the health reform law, such as Community Transformation
grants and the National Diabetes Prevention Program.
-- Continue to invest in research and evaluation on nutrition, physical
activity, obesity and obesity-related health outcomes and associated
interventions.


The full report with state rankings in all categories is available on TFAH's Web site at www.healthyamericans.org and RWJF's Web site at www.rwjf.org. The report was supported by a grant from RWJF.


STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RANKINGS


Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity. Rankings are based on combining three years of data (2007-2009) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to "stabilize" data for comparison purposes. This methodology, recommended by the CDC, compensates for any potential anomalies or usual changes due to the specific sample in any given year in any given state. States with statistically significant (p<0.05) increases for one year are noted with an asterisk (*), states with statistically significant increases for two years in a row are noted with two asterisks (**), states with statistically significant increases for three years in a row are noted with three asterisks (***). Additional information about methodologies and confidence intervals is available in the report. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) (a calculation based on weight and height ratios) of 30 or higher are considered obese.


1. Mississippi*** (33.8%); 2. (tie) Alabama (31.6%); and Tennessee*** (31.6%); 4. West Virginia (31.3%); 5. Louisiana* (31.2%); 6. Oklahoma*** (30.6%); 7. Kentucky* (30.5%); 8. Arkansas* (30.1%); 9. South Carolina (29.9%); 10. (tie) Michigan (29.4%); and North Carolina*** (29.4%); 12. Missouri* (29.3%); 13. (tie) Ohio (29.0%); and Texas* (29.0%); 15. South Dakota*** (28.5%); 16. Kansas*** (28.2%); 17. (tie) Georgia (28.1%); Indiana* (28.1%); and Pennsylvania*** (28.1%); 20. Delaware (27.9%); 21. North Dakota** (27.7%); 22. Iowa* (27.6%); 23. Nebraska (27.3%); 24. (tie) Alaska (26.9%); and Wisconsin (26.9%); 26. (tie) Illinois* (26.6%); and Maryland (26.6%); 28. Washington*** (26.3%); 29. (tie) Arizona (25.8%); and Maine** (25.8%); 31. Nevada (25.6%); 32. (tie) Minnesota (25.5%); New Mexico*** (25.5%); and Virginia (25.5%); 35. New Hampshire* (25.4%); 36. (tie) Florida** (25.1%); Idaho (25.1%); and New York (25.1%); 39. (tie) Oregon (25.0%); and Wyoming (25.0%); 41. California* (24.4%); 42. New Jersey (23.9%); 43. Montana*** (23.5%); 44. Utah* (23.2%); 45. Rhode Island* (22.9%); 46. Vermont*** (22.8%); 47. Hawaii** (22.6%); 48. Massachusetts* (21.7%); 49. District of Columbia. (21.5%); 50. Connecticut (21.4%); 51. Colorado (19.1%).


STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RANKINGS FOR BLACKS


Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity. Rankings are based on combining three years of data (2007-2009) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to "stabilize" data for comparison purposes. This methodology, recommended by the CDC, compensates for any potential anomalies or usual changes due to the specific sample in any given year in any given state.


1. Wisconsin (44.0%); 2. Mississippi (42.9%); 3. Kentucky (42.6%); 4. Kansas (41.9%); 5. Alabama (41.7%); 6. (tie) Tennessee (41.1%); and North Carolina (41.1%); 8. Ohio (40.9%); 9. Delaware (40.6%); 10. Arkansas (39.8%); 11. South Carolina (39.4%); 12. Louisiana (38.7%); 13. (tie) Missouri (38.4%); Pennsylvania (38.4%); and Oregon (38.4%); 16. Michigan (38.2%); 17. Wyoming (37.9%); 18. Texas (37.6%); 19. Idaho (37.3%); 20. (tie) West Virginia (37.2%); and Maine (37.2%); 22. (tie) California (37.1%); and Oklahoma (37.1%); 24. Nebraska (37.0%); 25. Georgia (36.5%); 26. New Mexico (36.4%); 27. (tie) Florida (36.3%); and Maryland (36.3%); 29. New Jersey (36.1%); 30. Indiana (35.9%); 31. Alaska (35.7%); 32. Illinois (35.5%); 33. (tie) Connecticut (35.4%); and Virginia (35.4%); 35. Utah (34.5%); 36. District of Columbia (34.4%); 37. Iowa (34.1%); 38. Arizona (32.5%); 39. Washington (32.2%); 40. North Dakota (31.3%); 41. Rhode Island (30.8%); 42. New York (30.6%); 43. Hawaii (30.4%); 44. Vermont (30.1%); 45. Massachusetts (29.0%); 46. Minnesota (28.6%); 47. Colorado (28.1%); 48. South Dakota (27.5%); 49. New Hampshire (27.2%); 50. Montana (26.2%); 51. Nevada (25.8%).


STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RANKINGS FOR LATINOS


Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity. Rankings are based on combining three years of data (2007-2009) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to "stabilize" data for comparison purposes. This methodology, recommended by the CDC, compensates for any potential anomalies or usual changes due to the specific sample in any given year in any given state.


1. Tennessee (39.5%); 2. North Dakota (37.4%); 3. (tie) Missouri (34.0%); and Texas (34.0%); 5. (tie) Michigan (33.4%); and Arizona (33.4%); 7. Pennsylvania (33.3%); 8. Alabama (33.2%); 9. Kansas (32.8%); 10. (tie) Ohio (32.5%); and Alaska (32.5%); 12. Louisiana (30.8%); 13. New Mexico (30.7%); 14. Illinois (30.6%); 15. Oklahoma (30.4%); 16. Nebraska (30.3%); 17. (tie) Georgia (30.2%); and California (30.2%); 19. Wyoming (30.0%); 20. Washington (29.9%); 21. Arkansas (29.6%); 22. Iowa (29.4%); 23. Virginia (29.2%); 24. Idaho (29.1%); 25. West Virginia (28.5%); 26. (tie) South Carolina (28.4%); and Nevada (28.4%); 28. New York (28.0%); 29. Kentucky (27.9%); 30. Florida (27.8%); 31. Hawaii (27.7%); 32. Massachusetts (27.1%); 33. Rhode Island (27.0%); 34. (tie) Delaware (26.8%); and Indiana (26.8%); 36. (tie) Minnesota (26.4%); New Hampshire (26.4%); and Connecticut (26.4%); 39. South Dakota (26.2%); 40. North Carolina (25.7%); 41. Mississippi (25.6%); 42. New Jersey (25.4%); 43. Wisconsin (24.9%); 44. Colorado (24.5%); 45. Maryland (24.4%); 46. Oregon (23.7%); 47. Utah (23.6%); 48. Montana (23.2%); 49. Maine (21.0%); 50. Vermont (20.8%); 51. District of Columbia (20.6%).


Trust for America's Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org


The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need--the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100204/TFAHLOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100204/TFAHLOGO
Source: Trust for America's Health

CONTACT: Elle Hogan, +1-202-223-9870 x 21, ehogan@tfah.org, Laura Segal,
+1-202-223-9870 x 27, lsegal@tfah.org, both of Trust for America's Health; or
Susan Levine, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, +1-609-627-6343,
slevine@rwjf.org


Web Site: http://healthyamericans.org/

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Most Americans Willing to Sacrifice Some Privacy to Enhance Safe Air Travel

13 Apr 2010 13:00 Africa/Lagos


Most Americans Willing to Sacrifice Some Privacy to Enhance Safe Air Travel, According to Latest Unisys Security Index

With economic and H1N1 worries receding, concerns over airport security and terrorism trump other U.S. public fears U.S. concerns about safety of online transactions at highest level since start of Unisys Security Index three years ago

BLUE BELL, Pa., April 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ninety-three percent of Americans said they are willing to sacrifice some level of privacy to increase safety when traveling by air, according to research conducted in January and February by Unisys Corporation (NYSE:UIS) . Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) said they are willing to cooperate with full electronic body scans at the airport, and more than half (57%) would be willing to submit to identity checks using biometric data such as iris scans or fingerprints.


Nearly three quarters of Americans (72%) said they are willing to provide personal data in advance of air travel to increase security.


The findings, part of the latest bi-annual Unisys Security Index, illustrate that recent events such as the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing may have made security a priority for air travelers. A clear majority of citizens in nearly every country surveyed said they would be willing to forgo privacy to increase air travel security. For example, 90% of citizens in the United Kingdom and 70% of Australians said they would submit to electronic body scans.


"An overwhelming majority of the global population is willing to cooperate with enhanced travel security mandates, suggesting that the public is willing to give up some privacy in return for safer air travel," said Mark Cohn, vice president of enterprise security, Unisys. "This suggests that the public supports technologies, communications and personnel to enhance security at our nation's airports, borders and ports."


Recognizing the need to address air travel security concerns, Unisys today also announced the launch of its Next Generation Airport Passenger Security Solution (http://www.unisys.com/unisys/news/detail.jsp?id=1120000970002010069). This new solution integrates advanced technologies with existing IT and communication systems to provide passengers with a streamlined travel experience while enhancing security and reducing costs.


The latest results of the Unisys Security Index also confirmed that national security and identity theft rank as America's top concerns, with nearly two-thirds (65%) "extremely" or "very" concerned about U.S. national security and 64% seriously concerned about identity theft.


Nearly two-thirds of Americans (62%) are also seriously concerned about credit and debit card fraud. The percentage of Americans who are seriously concerned about the security of online transactions is at the highest level now (43%) since the Unisys Security Index began three years ago. The percentage of Americans who are "extremely concerned" about the security of their online transactions rose to 20% (up from 16% in September 2009).


These findings reflect recent trends reported by the U.S. government and other organizations. Last month, the FBI reported that losses due to internet fraud more than doubled in 2009 to nearly $560 million. In 2009, identity theft jumped 12 percent, hitting 11.1 million U.S. consumers, according to an annual survey released last month by Javelin Strategy & Research.


Overall Results of Latest Wave of Security Index


The Unisys Security Index surveys consumer opinion on four areas of security: financial, national, Internet and personal safety. More than 1,000 Americans responded to the latest survey. The results are tallied on a scale of 0-300, with 300 representing the highest level of perceived concern.


The overall score for the current Unisys Security Index for the United States was 147, indicating a moderate level of overall security concern. The overall score came in unchanged from the last survey taken in September 2009.


National security emerged again in the latest results as the U.S. public's greatest area of concern, with 65% of those surveyed saying they were concerned about this area. The number of Americans "extremely" concerned about identity theft rose to 31%, up from 26% in September 2009.


Americans' fear surrounding their ability to meet their essential financial obligations--which was the leading concern one year ago --continues to be on the decline. The most dramatic decline was reported in those "very concerned" about financial security-- from 25% in September 2009 to 20% in February 2010.


The research reveals another significant drop in the proportion of American adults who are "very concerned" about a national health epidemic like H1N1 (30% in September 2009 to 23% presently), while there has been an uptick in Americans "not at all concerned" about a national health epidemic-- 18% in September 2009 to 21% currently.


"The finding that an overwhelming number of Americans are willing to submit private information to enjoy safe air travel provides strong evidence that the public's privacy fears may be in decline," said Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute, an independent research and consulting firm. "I find the results of the Unisys Security Index as compelling evidence that people throughout the world care deeply about their personal safety, especially when traveling on a commercial airline."


Additional key global findings from the latest Unisys Security Index include:


-- Citizens of the UK were the most accepting of electronic body scans at
airports, with 90% of citizens approving the procedure. A large
majority of the Dutch public (81%) were also in favor, followed by
Australians (70%).
-- Mexico and Hong Kong were the only countries surveyed in which a
majority did not indicate willingness to submit to electronic body
scans at airports. Only 24% of the Mexican adults and 45% of those in
Hong Kong said they would support use of the procedure.
-- Security concerns were highest in Brazil, which reported an overall
index score of 177, closely followed by Mexico with a score of 173.
The Netherlands reported the lowest level of concern with an overall
score of 70.
-- Identity crime ranks as the overall greatest concern in the United
Kingdom. 87% of UK adults are worried about unauthorized access to
their personal information and the same percentage expressed fear
about other people obtaining or using their credit card or debit card
details.
-- National security concern is extremely high in Mexico. More than
three-quarters of Mexicans (77%) are seriously concerned about
national security, the top concern in the country. Only 4% of Mexicans
said they were not concerned about national security.

About the Unisys Security Index

The Unisys Security Index is a bi-annual global study that provides insights into the attitudes of consumers on a wide range of security related issues. Lieberman Research Group conducted the survey in Latin America, Europe and the U.S.; Newspoll conducted the research in Asia-Pacific. The Unisys Security Index surveys more than 10,000 people in eleven countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The study measures consumer perceptions on a scale of zero to 300, with 300 representing the highest level of perceived concern. For more information, visit www.unisyssecurityindex.com.


About Unisys


Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With more than 25,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.


RELEASE NO.: 0413/8962


Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. All other brands and products referenced herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.


Source: Unisys

CONTACT: Brad Bass, Unisys, +1-703-439-5887, brad.bass@unisys.com; or
Mary McCeney, Weber Shandwick for Unisys, +1-212-445-8160,
mmcceney@webershandwick.com

Only Seven Percent of Americans to Use Tax Refunds on 'Fun' Activities

5 Apr 2010 13:00 Africa/Lagos

Only Seven Percent of Americans to Use Tax Refunds on 'Fun' Activities

New Bankrate poll reveals how the American consumer is planning to use tax refunds this year

NEW YORK, April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new study released by Bankrate, Inc. shows that, with economic uncertainty still lingering, many Americans plan to use their tax refunds in a fiscally conservative fashion, with 84 percent intending to pay down debt, save or invest, or use it for everyday necessities. The poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, can be seen in its entirety here: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/how-americans-will-spend-their-tax-refun d-1.aspx.


(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040122/FLTHLOGO )

Among the findings:

-- Fifty-five percent of Americans polled expect to get, or have
received, a tax refund this year while 24 percent expect to owe;
-- While 84 percent plan on using their money to pay down debt, save,
invest, or use the refund for everyday necessities, only seven percent
plan on using their money on "fun" activities like shopping or taking
a vacation;
-- Within that 84 percent of fiscally conservative Americans, 30 percent
intend to pay down debt, 28 percent say they will save or invest, and
26 percent anticipate spending their refund on food or utility bills;
-- While just three percent of those getting a refund took a refund
anticipation loan, among people with incomes under $30,000 that number
is doubled at six percent;
-- Only 19 percent of Americans plan to adjust their paycheck withholding
to avoid a big refund next year while 71 percent plan on keeping their
withholding the same;
-- Among those who anticipate owing money, 63 percent plan on paying
their taxes straight from their bank accounts. Only 6 percent
anticipate borrowing money to pay off their tax bill;
-- Additionally within those who owe money, 17 percent plan on setting up
an installment plan with the IRS. But be warned, setting up a plan
with the IRS includes interest, late fees, and a user fee to begin
installment payments.


"Since a tax refund is often the biggest windfall many Americans receive all year, it is imperative to use it wisely," said Greg McBride, CFA, senior financial analyst for Bankrate.com. "Padding emergency savings, establishing or boosting an IRA, and paying down high interest rate debt are all great uses. But go one step further and adjust your paycheck withholding so you're not giving an interest free loan to the government in 2010 also."


This national random-digit-dialed phone study of 1,002 adults 18 or older was conducted for Bankrate by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The sample was weighted by demographic factors including age, gender, race, education and census region to ensure reliable and accurate representation of adults in U.S. households. The overall margin of error for the survey is +/- 4 percentage points based on the total sample.


About Bankrate, Inc.


The Bankrate network of companies includes Bankrate.com, Interest.com, Mortgage-calc.com, Nationwide Card Services, Savingforcollege.com, Fee Disclosure, InsureMe CreditCardGuide.com and Bankaholic. Each of these businesses helps consumers to make informed decisions about their personal finance matters. The company's flagship brand, Bankrate.com is a destination site of personal finance channels, including banking, investing, taxes, debt management and college finance. Bankrate.com is the leading aggregator of rates and other information on more than 300 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new and used auto loans, money market accounts and CDs, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees. Bankrate.com reviews more than 4,800 financial institutions in 575 markets in 50 states. In 2008, Bankrate.com had nearly 72 million unique visitors. Bankrate.com provides financial applications and information to a network of more than 75 partners, including Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) , America Online (NYSE: AOL) , The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) . Bankrate.com's information is also distributed through more than 500 newspapers. Bankrate, Inc. was acquired by Apax Partners, one of the world's leading private equity investment group, in September 2009. Apax operates across the United States, Europe and Asia and has more than 30 years of investing experience. For more information on Apax, visit: www.Apax.com.


For more information contact:

Chris Spagnuolo
Public Relations Manager
cspagnuolo@bankrate.com
(917) 368-8671

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040122/FLTHLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Bankrate, Inc.

CONTACT: Chris Spagnuolo, Public Relations Manager,
cspagnuolo@bankrate.com, +1-917-368-8671


Web Site: Bankrate


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Majority of Americans Approve of President Obama's Handling of Afghanistan and National Security

President Barack Obama

12 Feb 2010 15:00 Africa/Lagos


Majority of Americans Approve of President Obama's Handling of Afghanistan and National Security But Disapprove of Handling of Economic Issues, Per Franklin &

Marshall College Poll With Hearst Television
75% Say the U.S. Healthcare System Needs Reform

LANCASTER, Pa., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than half (57%) of registered American voters approve of the way President Obama is handling the situation in Afghanistan, and half (52%) also approve of the way he is handling national security issues. Fewer (45%) registered respondents approve of the way the president is dealing with the country's economic problems.

Also, more Americans now say they would vote for the Republican candidate (39%) than the Democratic candidate (35%) if the midterm House elections were held today. In September 2009, the Democrats led the Republicans, 43 percent to 30 percent, on this question.

These and other findings resulted from the February 2010 Franklin & Marshall College National Poll, produced at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA in partnership with Hearst Television Inc.
Among the other findings:

-- Only one in three (35%) citizens believes the United States is
currently headed in the right direction. Most cite the economy and
personal finances (64%) as the most important problems their families
currently face, with healthcare-related issues a distant second (11%).
-- More than one in three (37%) Americans say the current healthcare
system meets their needs very well, and another two in five (41%) say
it meets their needs pretty well, leaving about one in five (21%) who
feel the system is not serving their personal needs. These figures
remain largely unchanged since September 2009.
-- The cost of healthcare and availability of health insurance coverage
were significant problems for many adults during the past year. Nearly
one in four (23%) adults report skipping a recommended test or medical
treatment because of the cost, and one in five (21%) did not fill a
medical prescription because of the cost. About one in five (19%)
respondents say they were without health insurance coverage at some
point during the previous 12 months.
-- Three in four (75%) Americans believe the country's healthcare system
is in need of reform (compared to 79% in September 2009), and half
(47%) of these respondents believe the system is in need of major
reform. This equates to about one in three (35%) Americans who feel
the nation's healthcare system needs major reform-about the same
proportion as in September (37%).
-- A majority (59%) of Americans believes the bills being considered by
the House and Senate would make major changes to the country's
healthcare system. Americans are evenly split about whether they are
satisfied (45%) or dissatisfied (45%) that healthcare reform has not
yet passed.


The survey findings presented in this release are based on the results of interviews conducted February 2-8, 2010. The interviews were conducted at the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College under the direction of the poll's Director, G. Terry Madonna, PhD, Head Methodologist Berwood Yost, and Project Manager Jennifer Harding. The data included in this release represent the responses of 920 adults in the United States, and 767 of them are registered to vote. Telephone numbers for the survey were generated using random digit dialing, and respondents were randomly selected from within each household. Survey results were weighted (age, education, race, region, and gender) using an iterative weighting algorithm. The sample error for this survey is +/- 3.2 percentage points. The sample error for registered adults is +/- 3.5 percentage points. This Franklin & Marshall College Poll was produced in partnership with Hearst Television Inc. It may be used in whole or in part, provided any use is attributed to Franklin & Marshall College.
This is the fifth national poll in a series produced at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., with Hearst Television; the partnership, whose first poll was in June 2008, was forged out of a longstanding regional relationship between Franklin & Marshall and Hearst station WGAL-TV, the NBC affiliate serving the Lancaster/Harrisburg TV market.

This is also the second Franklin & Marshall College Poll to focus on health-care policy, an area of academic strength for the College.
Contributors to the poll included Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty, Vice Provost for Planning and Institutional Research and Professor of Economics Alan Caniglia, Professor of Economics Sean Flaherty and The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government Joseph Karlesky.

Complete results can be found at http://politics.fandm.edu/. Readers can also follow poll director Dr. Madonna on Twitter at http://twitter.com/terrymadonna.
Hearst Television Inc., formerly known as Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., is a leading local media company comprising 29 television stations and two radio stations. The Company's television stations reach approximately 18% of U.S. TV households, making it one of America's largest television station groups. It also owns more than three dozen websites and multicasts more than two dozen digital channels providing news, weather and entertainment programming. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. The Company's Web address is www.hearsttelevision.com.

Source: Hearst Television Inc.

CONTACT: Dr. G. Terry Madonna, Director of the Center for Politics and
Public Affairs, Director, Franklin and Marshall College Poll, Professor of
Public Affairs, Franklin & Marshall College, Office, +1-717-291-4052, or Cell,
+1-717-575-2164, Fax, +1-717-358-4666, terry.madonna@fandm.edu; or Tom Campo
of Campo Communications, LLC, for Hearst Television Inc., +1-212-590-2464,
tom@campocommunications.com

Web Site: http://www.hearsttelevision.com/

Survey shows Americans want to improve health but easily find excuses

Survey shows Americans want to improve health but easily find excuses

American Heart Association introduces free social media application to help keep commitment

DALLAS (January 4, 2010)/PRNewswire/ — Although 58 percent of American adults have resolved to make improvements in their health this year, more than half say they often find reasons not to exercise, according to an American Heart Association survey. Excuses range from too much stress at work to having nothing to wear to simple procrastination.

The American Heart Association's Start! initiative is introducing the Start! Daily Walking Guide, a FREE social media application that can get more Americans active and help them keep their health and physical activity resolutions. Nearly half of all Americans use online tools to track their health.

"The Start! Daily Walking Guide is the ideal tool to keep us committed to our New Year's resolutions," said Clyde Yancy, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. "We spend 164 more hours per year at work than we did 20 years ago, and for many Americans that means lots of time on computers. This application allows you to keep track of your physical activity, see progress, find accountability and get great encouragement."

The Start! Daily Walking Guide can be downloaded and embedded into a variety of sites including Facebook, Windows Live and iGoogle. Users get started with a quiz that generates 12 weeks worth of customized walking plans, a private journal section that lets users record their walks and reference archived exercises, and keep motivated with daily inspirational messages and heart-health tips.

Members can also chat with virtual "sole-mates" via the Start! Connections function. A previous Start! study revealed that American adults are 76 percent more likely to take a walk if another person is counting on them.

Heart disease and stroke are America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, despite being largely preventable though a healthy lifestyle. Cardiovascular disease claims nearly 865,000 lives a year and physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease. Physically active people reduce their cardiovascular disease risk by 30 percent. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, like brisk walking, each week. Download the Start! Daily Walking Guide at www.startwalkingnow.org.

To view the complete survey report visit www.startwalkingnow.org.

Also available on www.startwalkingnow.org:

Customized walking programs for beginner, intermediate and advanced walkers;
Online tracking tools to document calories consumed, steps taken and walking routes;
Sole-mates social networking capabilities to find and support like-minded walkers;
A grocery list builder and archives of heart-healthy recipes;
Downloadable seasonal walking guides with tips to maintain a routine regardless of the weather; and
Start! walking videos, produced in collaboration with ExerciseTV, making an at-home workout easier with tips and motivation.
###

About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, we're the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.



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