People are silhouetted during an annular eclipse in Ciudad Juarez May 20, 2012. The sun and moon aligned over the earth in a rare astronomical event - an annular eclipse that dimmed the skies over parts of Asia and North America, briefly turning the sun into a blazing ring of fire. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez
A boy performs the weekly Friday prayers on a pavement fence during an anti-government rally in Sanaa May 18, 2012. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
A carpenter cuts wood panels in front of a boat that he helps to construct at a boat yard in Karachi’s Fish Harbour May 14, 2012. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
WATCH LIVE: Former FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair speaks with Reuters on the topics of banking regulations and the JPMorgan trading loss. The interview streams live on our website at 10am ET.
A new Reuters/Ipsos online poll of 1,143 adults from May 7 to 10 captures some of the prejudicial attitudes. Asked to identify the main cause of the epidemic, 61 percent chose “personal choices about eating and exercising”; 19 percent chose the actions of food manufacturers and the fast-food industry. The poll is accurate to within 3.6 percentage points. Because of the methods used to collect the data, accuracy is measured using a statistical measure called a credibility interval.
Reflecting the belief that the obese have only themselves to blame, 49 percent of respondents favored allowing insurers to charge obese people more for health insurance.
Poll respondents also showed broad support for efforts that target the food industry: 56 percent wanted to limit advertising of unhealthy food or taxing sugared soda, 77 percent were in favor of calorie counts at restaurants and sport arenas. But an all-out ban on fast-food restaurants? America loves its Big Macs: Only 21 percent said yes.
READ MORE: America’s hatred of fat hurts obesity fight
Scoops & scandals: How the net is changing the news in China
Chinese political dramas have grabbed global headlines, roiled the leadership ranks, and could spark a public crisis. But how do you report in such a closed media landscape? Chris Buckley explains.
Wal-Mart’s alleged reliance on bribes to expand its presence in Mexico destroys local businesses, labor markets and the reputation of the U.S. as a fair player, according to “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” author John Perkins.
![The Space Shuttle Enterprise rides atop a NASA modified 747 plane over New York April 27, 2012. The Space Shuttle Enterprise officially arrived in New York to be placed at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, [REUTERS/Lucas Jackson]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m359kcvZBo1qmaoalo1_1280.jpg)
The Space Shuttle Enterprise rides atop a NASA modified 747 plane over New York April 27, 2012. The Space Shuttle Enterprise officially arrived in New York to be placed at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, [REUTERS/Lucas Jackson]
Space Shuttle Enterprise flew by the Reuters building in New York City on Friday morning. (taken with Instagram)
