SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 17, 2008 -- Findings from a survey released today reveal that the vast majority of Americans (86%) attempt changes to improve their overall health, but less than half of those who consider making lifestyle changes (46%) are actually successful. The survey, commissioned by LIVESTRONG.COM, the new online destination that provides users with a 360 degree social conversation on health and healthy living, fielded by Harris Interactive®, reaffirms that healthy living is an important area of concern. However, the findings also highlight the importance of providing a framework that enables people to be successful.
"There is no question that just about everyone believes they can take better care of themselves and every day we hear information about the multitude of ways to make that happen," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, physician, chief medical advisor of LIVESTRONG.COM and chief medical correspondent at CNN. "Today's survey proves this, but also shows us that there is a clear need for resources and tools to help them to take an active role on their overall health and well-being. The key to successfully making changes is increased awareness and constant maintenance, which means setting goals for yourself and committing to them on a daily basis."
The survey found 81% of U.S. adults indicated that there are specific factors that prevent/would prevent them from making the needed changes to benefit their overall health.
Leading Factors that stand in the way of Successful Changes to Improve Health
Based on LIVESTRONG.COM's survey findings, the top three roadblocks cited in the survey were, lack of motivation, lack of money and lack of time, respectively. Other factors that prevented people from making changes included: lack of tools/resources, lack of support and lack of knowledge/information. Additionally, women (91%) more so than men (82%) think about think about making changes, yet females are more impacted by the top roadblocks than males. Also, adults with higher income and education levels are more likely to indicate "lack of time" as a factor, while those with lower income levels are more likely to cite a "lacks of tools/resources" as a key barrier to making lifestyle-related changes.
"It's all about consistency. We all know that thinking about making a change is different from actually going out and doing something about it. Whether someone is thinking about losing weight, eating healthy, running a marathon or just incorporating regular exercise in their day-to-day life, it takes commitment and daily determination to
