While most people want to be healthy, and many have used the pandemic as a chance to set some health goals, a new survey shows many think keeping fit is a tall hill to climb.
In fact, 59% of Americans in a poll of 2,005 adults said being healthy is too expensive, according to the non-scientific poll commissioned by Naturade.
It’s even worse for those who live in urban areas: 68% say the cost of eating right and being healthy is too high.
While the survey revealed that 65% valued “mental health” as important to their overall health — and the same percentage said “living in a safe environment” also was as important — just 50% listed “eating healthy food” as a priority.
That apparently comes down to a question of access.
In fact, just 22% of those polled said they knew of a nearby grocery store that sells fresh produce that’s affordable — and for 79%, the nearest store is more than a mile from their home, while the average respondent said it was 4.1 miles away.
That said, 59% of all respondents said they’re exercising more than three times a week — even though 24% of those polled said they resort to eating fast food five or more times a week.
It’s not surprising then that 80% of those polled said they know someone with a lifestyle-related disease like heart disease or type 2 diabetes, or suffer from one themselves.
However, of the 1,604 respondents who are in that category, 70% said learning about a loved one’s diagnosis made them more determined to focus on their own health.