A newly released global health survey found that most people believe that their family and friends are just as responsible for their health as a registered health care provider. However, those who partake in a healthy lifestyle tend to separate themselves from those who don’t and miss important opportunities to spread positive living habits to those who need it.
The 2011 Edelman Health Barometer was compiled using survey information from 15,000 people living in 12 countries. Forty-three percent of those who responded believed that friends and family have the greatest impact on their lifestyle with regards to health, and 36 percent believed that they have the most impact on personal nutrition.
However, 31 percent of respondents — many of whom said they engage in a healthy lifestyle — said they do not engage with those who partake in unhealthy behaviors. And 44 percent of those polled — those who said they typically lead a more unhealthy lifestyle — said that health did not factor into their social interactions whatsoever.
“Individuals have a powerful influence not just over their own health but also those around them,” said Nick Fahy, a senior health policy adviser to Edelman. “We must be aware of the impact that we can have. Just as poor health choices can be spread through social networks, so can good ones.”
Researchers said the survey also showed an action gap between wanting a healthy lifestyle and actually being able to change:
“More than half of the global public engages in at least one negative health behaviour, such as poor nutrition, lack of exercise or tobacco use. Though 62 percent of respondents said they tried to change a negative health behaviour, half of those people failed, primarily because of addiction/dependency and a lack of enjoyment or immediate reward. A lack of ongoing support, from friends, family or other resources, also contributed to an inability to make healthy changes stick.”
However, there are digital tools that can be used to promote positive health behaviors:
“Fifty-one percent of respondents said they turn to digital sources such as social networks for information when making health decisions, and while only 20 percent of the public is currently using tools, devices and apps to manage or track their own health, 68 percent of those who do say these technologies have helped improve their health.”
Source: Edelman
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.