Can Americans follow health guidelines?
They say it’s much worse than they thought it would be.
But is it really so bad?
According to a recent survey, Americans just don’t measure up when it comes to these four key health goals recommended by doctors:
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain proper body weight
- Eat five or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day
- Don’t smoke
And according to a Reuters report, the Michigan State University researchers who conducted the survey were surprised to find that only three percent of Americans follow all four of these health guidelines.
Doesn’t sound so good, does it? Only three percent. And this was no timid little phone survey; it involved about 153,000 subjects who participated in a U.S. government trial in 2000.
But let’s look at how subjects answered when asked which of those guidelines they followed individually:
- Exercise regularly: 22 percent
- Maintain proper body weight: 40 percent
- Five servings daily of fruits and vegetables: 23 percent
- Don’t smoke: 76 percent
Now it doesn’t look so bad. Arguably, smoking is the item on the list that creates the greatest health risk. And only one in four smoke? That’s excellent. And the percentage of non-smokers has been growing in recent years – obviously a very good trend.
The other three categories could use improving, but more than one in five exercise regularly, and nearly one in four gets the recommended minimum of fruits and vegetables each day. I thought both of those categories would score lower.
Michigan State researcher Matthew Reeves told Reuters that we need to do more “societally and in terms of government” in creating an environment where it’s easier to follow the Big Four guidelines.
Do more “societally”? Is he suggesting that healthy people put more pressure on friends and loved ones? That sounds like the perfect way to become the relative everyone tries to avoid at Thanksgiving dinner. Or does he want to see public service advertising on TV with “Get Healthy!” messages? Are you stifling a yawn? Me too.
And government intervention? Please. Let’s go to Exhibit A: The new USDA Food Guide Pyramid. Case closed.
I certainly hope that Mr. Reeves isn’t suggesting something more intimidating; especially “in terms of government.” Because you can’t make people be healthy. A lot of people simply don’t want to lead a healthy lifestyle. And that’s their right. I once worked with someone whose father had emphysema and needed to receive oxygen from a tank. One evening he accidentally set his oxygen tube and himself on fire while lighting a cigarette. And even THAT didn’t convince him to quit smoking!
Someone like that is probably not inclined to eat right and exercise daily, no matter how many times they hear it’s good for them. So let’s not fret too much over the fact that only three percent do all the right things. Those people are really no different from the emphysema patient who refuses to stop smoking. They’re all just doing what they’re most inclined to do.
Sources:
Hydro-Alcoholic Extract of Crocus Sativus L. Versus Fluoxetine in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Double-Blind, Randomized Pilot Trial” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol. 97, No. 2, 2/28/05,sciencedirect.com
“A Spicy Treatment for Depression” Kimberly Beauchamp,N.D., Healthnotes Newswire, 4/21/05, pccnaturalmarkets.com
“Few Americans Follow Health Advice, Report Says” Reuters, 4/26/05, reuters.com
