World Health Day Survey: Results

By Christopher Glass/IMA

After reviewing the results, it looks like you know your stuff when it comes to good health. There were only two questions that seemed to stump you.  

5) What percentage of American adults is overweight, obese ore extremely obese?
    Many of you picked 60% - quite a large number, but not quite large enough. The answer is an astounding 68%!

9) What percentage of people around the world do not have access to safe, clean drinking water?
    The majority of you chose 25% but the correct answer is 15%. That’s about 1 billion people who are at risk of disease and death from a simple thing as water.

Thank you for taking our World Health Day Survey and taking a moment to think about good health.

Remember, IMA World Health continues to supports good health at home and abroad.

Maybe today is the day to start living a healthier lifestyle?

Below is the answer key, the correct answers are in black and the participant choices are in red.

1. How many excess calories do you have to burn to lose a pound?

1. 1,000 - 9%
2. 2,750 - 20%
3. 3,500 - 69%
4. 5,280 - 2%

Answer: There are about 3,500 calories in a pound. As a general rule, if you cut your calories by 500 a day through exercise and eating a bit less, you’ll lose a pound a week. 

2. If you were in an emergency situation where food was scarce, what is the minimum number of calories you would need to eat each day in order to survive?

1. 100-300 - 9%
2. 300-600 - 24%
3. 600-1,000 - 58%
4. 1,000-1,200 - 9%

Answer: According to the US Army Survival Handbook, the minimum amount of calories you need to survive per day is 600-1,000 depending on factors such as your muscle-to-fat ratio, metabolism, activity level and will to live. While your everyday calorie needs to remain healthy are probably twice that, millions of people in impoverished nations are living on just enough calories to survive—leaving them vulnerable to illness, disease and other health problems.

3. What is the most common type of cancer in the United States?

1. Lung cancer - 20%
2. Skin cancer - 62%
3. Leukemia - 7%
4. Breast cancer - 11%

Answer: Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US. After skin cancer, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among both men and women combined, though breast cancer is still the most commonly diagnosed among women.

4. In sudanSudan, there is estimated to be only 1 doctor for every 100,000 people. How many doctors are there in the US per 100,000 people?

1. 110 - 7%
2. 270 - 49%
3. 415 - 22%
4. 620 - 22%


Answer: There are roughly 270 doctors in the US for every 100,000 people. The next time you feel your wait time is getting a little long at your doctor’s office, think about what life would be like in a developing country like the Republic of Southern Sudan where IMA is working to bring health care to millions of people who would have no access otherwise.

5. It is estimated that more than 13% of people in the world are hungry. By contrast, what percentage of American adults is overweight, obese or extremely obese?

1. 42% - 18%
2. 51% - 13%
3. 60% - 38%
4. 68% - 31%


Answer: With 68% of the US population being overweight or obese, more than two thirds of us are heavier than we should be. And forget vanity and body image—this epidemic seriously affects our health both individually and as a nation. Carrying extra weight can lead to many debilitating and costly health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and more. So many reasons to exercise and eat healthy!

6. How many hours of moderate activity (such as brisk walking) do US federal guidelines recommend for the average adult every week?

1. 2.5 - 44%
2. 3.5 - 29%
3. 5 - 18%
4. 7 - 9%

Answer: According to recommendations, adults need at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity a week or 1.25 hours of a vigorous activity, such as jogging or swimming laps, or a combination. Only 31% of Americans do enough regular leisure-time physical activity; about 40% do none, government statistics show. No wonder so many of us are packing extra pounds. Once you finish this quiz, go take a walk!

7. How many fruits and vegetables is the average adult recommended to eat every day?

1. 1 cup - 4%
2. 2.5 cups - 13%
3. 3 cups - 36%
4. 4.5 cups - 47%

Answer: The average adult should aim to eat 9 servings, or 4.5 cups minimum, of fruits and vegetables every day. And potatoes don’t count. Take a look at your diet – how many fruits and veggies do you eat on a daily basis? Do you eat any at all? Yikes! Eating healthy is not a punishment, and it’s not just for celebrities and fitness fanatics. Fruits, and especially vegetables, are packed with nutrients that your body needs to fight disease and function properly. Introduce more of these into your diet a little at a time, and you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel!

8. How many women around the world die every hour from complications of childbirth?

1. 23 - 7%
2. 31 - 11%
3. 42 - 66%
4. 61 - 16%

Answer: About 1,000 women die every day due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth, which averages out to about 42 per hour. Only 5 of these 1,000 women live in high income countries like the US, where prenatal care and medical assistance are readily available. The rest live in countries like DR Congo, where IMA is working hard to provide prenatal care and assisted deliveries to expectant women to help decrease this devastating loss of life.

9. The Mayo Clinic recommends that the average adult drink about 8-9 cups, or 2 liters, of water every day to keep your body healthy and functioning properly. What percentage of people around the world do not have access to safe, clean drinking water?

1. 5% - 4%
2. 15% - 40%
3. 20% - 7%
4. 25% - 49%

Answer: About 15.5% of the world’s population does not have access to safe, clean drinking water. (That’s about 1 billion people out of roughly 6.9 billion total.)   

Sources:

#2. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/; http://cancer.about.com/od/cancerlistaz/a/commoncancerus.htm; http://www.ahrq.gov/research/cancerwom.pdf

#4.  http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm and http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp

#5. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-05-03-physicalactivityplan03_ST_N.htm

#6. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/index.html

#7. http://www.who.int/gho/en/

#8. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283; http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

#9. http://www.livestrong.com/article/310517-minimum-amount-of-calories-needed-per-day-to-survive/