Are we fooling ourselves?

A recent survey by Aviva USA, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, finds most U.S. women feel healthy, despite reporting major risk factors for future health problems. 

According to the survey, three out of four women report they are somewhat, very or extremely stressed. Among those who are extremely stressed, 82 percent said they are uncomfortable with their financial situation. In addition, 58 percent of women report having gained weight in the past 10 years. That number jumps to 68 percent among women identifying themselves as extremely stressed. Although the majority of American women say they have gained weight in the past 10 years and feel stressed, nearly four out of five women consider themselves to be in good to excellent health. So why should these women worry?

“People may not think of it this way, but we all make important health decisions every day,” said Dr. Philip Hagen, medical director of Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth and vice chair of the Division of Preventive and Occupational Medicine at Mayo Clinic. “Most of the women in this survey reported feeling healthy, but they also reported significant rates of two important health risk factors – weight gain and stress – that contribute to chronic health conditions and a poorer quality of life in the long-run. The good news is we know how to lower these risks with simple lifestyle changes we can make through small steps, but by doing it every day. The message here is that lower risk means better health – and it’s doable!”

Aviva USA surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. adults – men and women – on their health habits and financial preparedness to uncover how these factors impact their overall well-being. The survey was conducted by Ipsos. The sample was representative of the general U.S. population based on region, gender, age and household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Read the full article at mayoclinic.org