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Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS
I
NOV / DEC 2013
39
major fitness events such as marathons.
While almost half did not rate themselves
anymore or less healthy than five years ago,
about one-third (34%) said they are living
“healthier” than they were then. A few hon-
est souls (18%) admitted they were living
“less healthy.” Among the healthy changes
noted were:
• Opting for side salads instead of French
fries
• Cutting down on alcohol
• Pushing harder in workouts.
So before you suggest a healthier lifestyle
for your patients, it might be worth spend-
ing a few minutes finding out just what that
means to them. The good news is that many
already know what they need to do to be
healthier. Aparticularly interesting question
asked what they would tell a younger version
of themselves:
• 60% of all adults age 25-64 would tell
themselves to “eat their fruits and veggies”
• 46% said “don’t sweat the small stuff”
• 39% correctly stated “smoking isn’t sexy”
• 37% advised “don’t eat like a pig”
• 31% advocated “push yourself to sweat
more,” “don’t drink like a sailor,” and “take
more ‘me’ time”.
You should also know that almost half
of those surveyed consider the Internet the
“go-to” resource for health and wellness
information, so be sure to direct them to
credible sites. And nearly 69% agreed that
having a cat or dog can help reduce stress,
so perhaps you should prescribe a pet while
you are at it.
n
Source: Aetna & Meredith Corp.