ABOUT THE POLLThe Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions has created the Vanderbilt Poll with support from Peabody College and with The Tennessean as a media partner.The poll was conducted by calling a random sample of landline telephone numbers over a period of six days, June 3-8.With 700 respondents, the margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 3.7 percent.
POLL RESULTS• Do you support offering schoolchildren free access to fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk, even if it cost taxpayers an extra $50 a year?Yes: 65 percentNo: 28 percent• Do you support a tax on junk food similar to those on cigarettes and alcohol?Yes: 32 percentNo: 58 percent• Do you support requiring health insurers to charge higher premiums for policyholders who are overweight or who fail to exercise regularly?Yes: 31 percentNo: 56 percent• Should food carry warning labels similar to those on cigarettes and alcohol?Yes: 63 percentNo: 27 percentNote: Numbers don’t add up to 100 percent because not all responses are included, such as “Don’t know.”Source: Vanderbilt Poll
NASHVILLE – Tennessee has a love-hate relationship with food.
The state loves its sweet, salty, doughy, deep-fried Southern comfort foods. But Tennessee’s eating habits are one of the reasons the state sits at the bottom of most national rankings for obesity and overall health – and there’s nothing to love about that.
“It’s a cultural thing,” said Jerry Goad, pausing during one of his thrice-weekly visits to the Cool Springs YMCA to ponder the question of why Tennesseans struggle so with their weight and health.