New Research From America On the Move Foundation Indicates American Weight Loss Effort...( Poll commissioned by AOMF and con...),Health

Poll commissioned by AOMF and conducted by Harris Interactive(R) shows efforts to lose weight have dropped 14 percentage points in the last four years

BOSTON, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today America On the Move Foundation (AOMF), a national non-profit organization, released new research that indicates efforts by Americans to lose weight might be stalling. The results, released in conjunction with AOMF's Steptember 2007 celebration, show that in the past four years, the number of Americans trying to lose weight has declined by 14 percentage points, from 73 percent in 2003 to 59 percent today.

The research also indicates that building social networks might be crucial to regaining momentum: though 74 percent of Americans agree it is important to have a support network of family and friends when trying to lose or maintain healthy weight, only 40 percent say their immediate family members encourage them to eat healthy and nutritious foods. Fewer than two in 10 Americans (16 percent) report their close friends encourage these same choices.

"As obesity continues to rise at an alarming pace, these results show that Americans do not have the support they need to make healthy changes," said James O. Hill, Ph.D., AOMF co-founder and professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Colorado and Health Sciences Center. "In September and throughout the year, AOMF is committed to providing social networks that encourage and support Americans who are making small changes to lose or maintain weight."

AOMF mobilizes millions of Americans to embrace healthy eating and active living habits and measures our progress toward a healthier nation. AOMF's research-based programs encourage Americans to move more and eat less by making two simple daily changes:

-- Adding 2,000 more steps (about 1 mile)

-- Cutting 100 calories (1 tablespoon of butter)

Today's research findings, coupled with a recent New England Journal of
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