Study: 60% of U.S. Adults are Drinkers

(CBS)  Around six in 10 American adults drink alcohol and the same number are either overweight or obese, according federal health statistics.

The National Center for Health Statistics released a report Monday on health behaviors of American adults. Data was collected between 2005 and 2007.

Read complete report

Among the other key findings:

• While 61.2 percent of adults are current drinkers, nearly a quarter said they were lifetime abstainers. About 14 percent were former drinkers and around 5 percent were classified as heavy drinkers.

• Men were more likely be current drinkers than women (67.6 percent compared with 55.3 percent); Women were more likely to be lifetime abstainers (30.9 percent compared with 17.7 percent).

• Separated by race, white men had the highest level of current drinkers (69.9 percent) while Asian adults had the highest rate of lifetime abstinence (47.8 percent).

• Around 20 percent of adults were current smokers, while more than half (58.5 percent) say they've never smoked cigarettes.

• Sixteen percent of smokers said they did so daily and averaged 17 cigarettes a day.

• Among current smokers, 42.5 percent tried to quit in the past year.

• Only around 30 percent of adults regularly exercise, while around 60 percent say they engage in at least some physical activity during their leisure time.

• While roughly 60 percent of adults are overweight or obese (meaning their body mass index is greater than 25), around 40 percent maintain a healthy weight.

• Men were much more likely to be overweight than women (67.9 percent compared with 53.0 percent) though obesity affected men and women roughly equally (25.7 percenet and 25.0 percent, respectively).

• Separated by race, Hispanic adults were most likely to be overweight or obese (67.5 percent).

• Around six in 10 adults report they usually get between seven to eight hours of sleep every day.

The Health Behaviors of Adults survey was based on 79,096 interviews of Americans age 18 and over.

The National Center for Health Statistics is a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[thesevenveils]

If the study contained any history of drinking it would show that the percentage of drinkers has dropped since the fifties.

[thesevenveils]

This survey confirms the population is taking advantage of the healthy effects of wine and beer.

[gerdemento]

Way to go, Asian Americans!

Congrats on your lighter drinking.

I've lived in several east Asian countries and in all of them (I've visited), drinking is a big part of the culture, especially for men, and heavy smoking is still a huge prolbem.

[Dougj83]

Seems about right, everybody who I know (mostly people in there 20's) all drink. About 15-20 drinks a week seem normal with 6 drinks on friday and saturday nights.

[OhCry]

Study: 60% of U.S. Adults are Drinkers
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90% of Dopeheads are Liberals.

[gerdemento]

I failed to see any plitics in this report!

[AttentionDeficit]

90% dopeheads are liberals? Wow, thank you for the wisdom, OhCry

[wdh3007]

Thats it only 60% you would think it was higher?

[KeithDrippingSprings]

Very interesting statistics. I didn't realize that 40% live a sober lifestyle. I don't drink now but that is only because I drank a lifetimes worth in about 12 years. The guy that drinks four drinks a month seems a bit too sensitive about his status in this survey. I think you could have a drink every day and not be a drunkard. But I also believe that you can drink once a year and be an alcoholic.

I was also a smoker for many years and had to try to quit four times before it stuck. I had a great doctor that helped me with some medications that got me through the worst of it. Now that I haven't smoked for several years I wonder why I smoked for so long.

I feel fortunate that I am not one of the folks that have struggled with weight issues. It is all a matter of self control but, as I have let you all know about myself, self control isn't exactly one of my strong points.

I think the real value in this article is not to beat each other up with the facts. It can be used to find out where you fit in the general population. If you are not happy with where you are then you can make different decisions.

[AtLasOn1Kl733]

The "other" 40% are milkaholics.

[rockcutr]

We live in one drunk nation.
Clearly nobody knows how to properly eat either.
Fast food is killing you faster than the booze...
I hear the reply ,,,we don't care.
Pitiful.

[askagain]

Depending on how we look at it, 61% of adults drinking could be called an epidemic. It is interesting that a much smaller percentage smoke. Cigarettes are heavily taxed. My state raised the cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack a few years ago. Now they are considering a few cents increase on alcohol. With 67% of men who drink, it is understandable why the state would only increase the alcohol tax by a few pennies.