America isn’t really known for being the healthiest country on the planet, but many people don’t realize just how unhealthy Americans really are. In fact, more than 93% of Americans are living unhealthy lives. When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, Americans are far from being #1.
Check out the information below to learn more about why Americans are living unhealthy, and what they should be doing to undo the damage.
What the Research Shows
Research was conducted to assess just how many individuals in America follow the four basic principles of healthy living. These four principles are a good diet and a non-smoking lifestyle, combined with moderate exercise and keeping body fat within the appropriate limits.
Individuals who follow these four basic principles of a healthy life are able to reduce their risk of a variety of healthy concerns, including cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. But even though these principles are pretty easy to follow, the researchers found that less than 3% of American adults in the study actually fulfilled these four principles in their daily lives. It was then that it became very clear that Americans are living unhealthy lives.
Differences Between Men and Women, and Between Races
Beyond finding that the vast majority of Americans do not lead healthy lifestyles at all, the researchers within the study also found that there were some interesting differences between the men and women that they analyzed.
For example, women are more likely than their male counterparts to avoid smoking, and they are also more inclined to consume a healthy diet on a daily basis. However, women are also less likely to schedule in adequate amounts of physical activity through a beneficial workout routine.
Also, another interesting finding from the study was the fact that Mexican-Americans are more likely to consume a healthy diet when compared with white Americans and black Americans.
What You Can Do
Just because most of the people in the country do not lead healthy lifestyles does not mean that you need to be a part of that statistic. Instead, you can start following a healthy lifestyle today by simply looking up easy, healthy recipes that you can start enjoying at home, as well as joining the gym or watching home workout videos that will get you motivated to exercise a few days a week. You can also quit your smoking and drinking habit and focus on loving your body by treating it well.