Our perceptions about dieting and our attitudes about overweight people are shifting, according to a new survey by the NPD Group.

“Women are leading the decline in dieting,” according to Harry Balzer, NPD’s chief food industry analyst. In a survey of 3,800 adults, he found that about 23 percent of women reported being on a diet in 2012. That’s a significant drop from the 35 percent who said they were dieting back in 1992.

And increasingly, Americans seem to be more accepting of a little extra body weight, which a recent study found may be associated with living longer.

Consider this question, which has been on NPD’s National Eating Trends survey for decades:

“Do you agree or disagree with this statement: People who are not overweight look a lot more attractive?”

In 1985, the majority of Americans surveyed — 55 percent — agreed that being thin was a lot more attractive than being heavy.

But now? Fewer than 1 in 4 agree. It seems that as more of us became a little heavier, we changed our views.

As for trends in dieting, it’s hard to know what’s truly changing here.

Another national survey that we’ve reported on, conducted by the International Food Information Council, finds a barely perceptible drop in the number of Americans who say they’re dieting (55 percent in 2012, compared to 56 percent in 2007).

It’s entirely possible that many of us are watching what we eat and consciously limiting calories, but we’re just not calling it a “diet.” So maybe the term “diet” is becoming passe.

“The newer thinking is personal empowerment for change, and making small changes over time that are doable for the individual,” says Madelyn Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Fat Thanks to Sona S. for the tip!

Skinny Isn’t All That: Survey Finds Fewer American Women Are Dieting : The Salt : NPR

Benjamin Kendrick has offered to pay a large amount over the death of Joan Johnston but not the full sum her widower is demanding in compensation.

Paul McGregor, the surgeon’s solicitor, told Perth Sheriff Court that negotiations were continuing between the two parties and the effect of Mrs Johnston’s weight on her lift expectancy was one of the factors being examined.

Mr Kendrick, 36, of Chesham in Buckinghamshire, admitted killing the morbidly obese woman on his way to a medical team bonding course in the Scottish Highlands during 2009.

He was fined £5,000 and banned from driving for three years but walked free from court partly because of his victim’s weight.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher ruled out jailing Kendrick because Mrs Johnston, of Scarborough, North Yorkshire could have survived the head-on crash if she had been of average size.

Dangerous driving surgeon wants to cut compensation because morbidly obese victim ‘faced a shortened life’ – Telegraph

He said: “I’d been thinking of joining a gym for a while — but I only decided to go for it after my story appeared.

“I am grateful to The Sun for giving me the confidence to be here today. I want to come here regularly and get really fit.”

Ex-postie Paul, who ballooned after eating 20,000 calories a day, needs his doctor’s permission to take up gym membership. But he said: “I’m sure he’ll be OK. I feel I have a very fit body inside me.”

Fatman ‘slim’ goes to gym | The Sun |News

The $99 HAPIfork, available this spring, uses sensors to monitor its movement from plate to mouth. It tracks the number of forkfuls per meal and per minute, and it times the interval between each. The fork lights up and vibrates when the diner eats too fast — that is, if there are fewer than 10 seconds between forkfuls. With the smart fork, “you will greatly improve your digestion, and you’ll likely start losing weight,” says a company spokesman. (Presumably, any weight loss is from eating less and slowly, not from food that vibrates off the fork and onto the floor. The HAPIfork vibration is similar to the buzz of a vibrating cell phone.) Although dining data can be tracked over time, the information must be downloaded to a computer after each meal. A spokesman says a Bluetooth version is in the works.

Slower eating has proven health benefits. Studies have found that it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to alert your brain that you’re full, and eating faster means you are likely to consume more before that happens, says Kari L. Kooi, a registered dietitian at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. The HAPIfork’s size, a bit smaller than typical dinner forks, also helps. “A lot of people stuff their mouths with each bite,” she says.

CES: The latest weight-loss tool? A fork – Breaking News – MarketWatch