Havas Health & You Reveals Surprising Disparities in Healthy Habits by Country in a New White Paper

NEW YORK, June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in celebration of Global Wellness Week, Havas Health & You, the recently launched entity that joins together the agencies of Havas Health with the consumer health marketing communications practices across Havas companies around the world, unveiled a new white paper titled "Striving for Well."

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The paper examines the massive global wellness economy—worth an estimated $3.72 trillion in 2015, according to the Global Wellness Institute—which continues to expand as more people adopt a proactive attitude toward maintaining and enhancing their wellness. The wellness market now encompasses everything from beauty and anti-aging to nutrition and personalized medicine and beyond.

Respondents from six countries—Brazil, China, France, India, the U.K. and the U.S.—were surveyed about multiple aspects of healthy habits and lifestyle. Responses were surprisingly consistent across countries, with a few startling exceptions. Key findings include:

1. Living longer and feeling better in the short term are interrelated. The top two motivations people in our survey chose for adopting healthier habits in order to be fit were to "live healthier longer" and "feel good about myself." The long-term benefits of living healthier was the top choice in all countries represented except France, where the order of the two responses was reversed.
2. Sleep is the new exercise. Compared with two years earlier, those surveyed in all six countries ranked getting more exercise and getting a good night's sleep as priorities, and in relatively equal proportions. Three countries stood out with the close tracking of seeking better sleep and more exercise: India, with 57 percent and 58 percent, respectively; Brazil, with 46 percent and 45 percent; and the U.S., with 27 percent and 31 percent.
3. The United States ranks low in eating healthily. India, China and Brazil topped the list of countries where respondents claimed to be eating healthily, with 72 percent, 62 percent and 61 percent, respectively. France was fourth, with 52 percent of those surveyed answering that they are eating healthily, while the U.S. and U.K. were equals at 44 percent and 43 percent, respectively. The low ranking of the U.S. in particular might seem shocking for a country that has such a seemingly strong emphasis on diet and weight.
4. Sugar is a no-go. When asked what they are avoiding in efforts to be healthy, sugar topped the list in all six countries. Brazil led the charge, with 49 percent of respondents lowering their intake of the sweet stuff. India came in a close second, at 46 percent, with China following at 39 percent and France 36 percent. The U.S. and U.K. again tied for last, with 32 percent each. 
5. Online health research still tops apps. Even though the use of digital health apps is burgeoning, more of our survey respondents reported researching health online over leveraging apps or devices to monitor health. In the U.S. and U.K., the numbers were closest, with 33 percent of U.S. respondents engaging in online research compared with 30 percent for apps or devices, and 32 percent and 28 percent in the U.K., respectively. Brazil showed the greatest disparity, with 54 percent to 36 percent; France and China showed about an equal spread, with 41 percent to 25 percent and 56 percent to 40 percent, respectively. The range in India was moderate: 62 percent to 52 percent.

"We know that health and wellness don't happen in isolation; they coexist along a continuum—and our study confirms it," said Julie Monroid, partner at Havas Health & You, and managing principal of xigxag consulting. "This is true whether you're examining health from an individual perspective, a patient/consumer perspective or a business perspective. With thought leadership such as this white paper, we strive to present insights to serve as change agents for our health and wellness clients."

This holistic view of health and wellness calls everybody to play a part: governments, health authorities and healthcare professionals, employers, communities and individuals. The interplay between what people do and feel combined with their therapy, treatment or regimen will improve health and wellness outcomes for all.

To download the full white paper, please visit: https://www.havashealthandyou.com/white-paper/   

For more information about Havas Health & You, visit HavasHealthandYou.com.

About Havas Health & You Havas Health & You unites Havas Life, Health4Brands (H4B), Havas Lynx and Havas Life PR, all wholly owned health and communications networks, with the consumer health businesses and practices of Havas. Its customer-centric approach has the talent, tenacity and technology that health and wellness companies, brands and people need to thrive in today's world. For more information, go to HavasHealthandYou.com.

Contact:  Samantha Wolf  [email protected]  646-515-3574  

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SOURCE Havas Health & You