Doctors unlikely to tell us we're fat

At the same time, adults are smoking less and getting more colonoscopies.

These are some of the findings of a UCLA study released Wednesday that provides one of the largest portraits of Californians' health.

In counties throughout the state, researchers surveyed 50,000 people in 2005 from all income levels, ages and races on everything from eating habits to drug use, premarital sex to mental health and drinking to playing video games excessively.

"California is bigger than most nations, and this report looks at a variety of health indicators to get a picture," said Elaine Zahnd, one of the report's authors. "In certain areas, Californians are doing better, and (in) others (they) are not."

One of the goals was to determine whether Californians' habits had improved since 2003, when a similar survey was taken.

For a project called Healthy People, the survey also measured whether residents were on track to meet a set of more than 100 nationally mandated health goals by 2010.

For many health concerns - obesity, smoking cigarettes or marijuana, binge drinking - the answer was no.

"I don't see this overweight/obesity issue turning around quickly," said Sue Holtby, senior research scientist at the Oakland-based Public Health Institute and the report's lead author.

"What stood out for me is we still have 56 percent of adults who are overweight or obese," she said. "While we know over 80 percent see a doctor once a year, only a third of them had a doctor discuss diet and nutrition. It's surprising to us in public health."

The research suggests that the lack of physician involvement could be a piece of the obesity puzzle, she added.

The survey also examined masses of data from residents in Los Angeles County and exposed some disturbing trends, said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county's Department of Public Health.

"Some of the trends continue in the wrong direction," he said. "We have some serious continuing problems where we are not making enough headway."

Obesity, smoking and binge drinking all were too common, Fielding said.

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