Posted on February 12th, 2010 by Craig Maltby, Editor
Some stats worth noting: Part I
The 2010 version of the Statistical Abstract of the United States is just been released. This is a monster volume of 
research on “the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.” It’s housed under the U.S. Census Bureau.
What does this have to do with immune balance? Well, for one thing it might be interesting to look at some consumer health trends that can effect a healthy, balanced immune system. Diet and nutrition for one.
For example, fruits and vegetables in the diet can be a beneficial factor in maintaining a healthy immune system. Did you know that fruit consumption per capital in the U.S. actually decreased from 1980 to 2007, from 265 to 263 lbs. per person? With the health movement that’s been churning over the past decades, I would have thought an increase would be a no-brainer.
There is some good news. Vegetable consumption increased during that same time from 338 to 417 lbs per person. Onions almost doubled, and broccoli increased more than fourfold.
Weight can also impact immune function. Body mass index tracked from 2003 to 2006 as a measure of obesity is not surprising. 70.6% of U.S. males are either overweight or obese. That figure is 60.5% for women. Women are also a bit lacking on the exercise front compared to men. 40% of women in 2007 said they engage in no leisure time physical activity. 29% get moderate to vigorous regular physical activity, and 17% take part in endurance and strength training. For men, the percentages are somewhat better: 38%, 33% and 22% respectively. As people get older, the percentages get worse.
The number of U.S. adult smokers has decreased from 25.3 % of the population in 1990 to 19.7% in 2007. Smoking among women decreased from 23% to 17.5% of the general pop. For men, the decrease was from 28% to 22%. All age groups of women– from 18 to 64–currently tend to smoke at a population percentage of just over 19%. Then at age 65 up, smoking drops dramatically to 7.6%. Kentucky has the highest percentage of smokers; Utah the least.
There’s a lot more in this abstract. Part II coming next.
