Medifast, on behalf of its health and wellness coaching program OPTAVIA, conducted a survey of 1,414 U.S. adults to discover the approach and adjustments Americans plan to make to their routines in 2021, and the habits they turned to in 2020.
The results show that 63% of Americans have already implemented healthy routines since March, including exercising for a mental health boost (24%), healthier eating (23%), being more mindful (22%), and getting better sleep (20%).
“The unprecedented nature of this year has accelerated a shift in how Americans view their health and wellness,” says Dan Chard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Medifast. “Instead of making grandiose changes on January 1, people are prioritizing their health year-round and taking a more holistic approach to wellness. Based on these survey findings, we believe this shift will continue into the future.”
Additional findings that will impact 2021 include:
- 61% of Americans plan to prioritize healthy eating habits over work-life balance
- 70% of Americans would rather sleep better than meet a fitness goal
- 43% of Americans say the pandemic has altered their perspective of what it means to have a healthy mind
- More than half of Americans ages 18-34 say the pandemic has changed the way they are thinking about (54%) and prioritizing (55%) their health and wellbeing
Nearly all of the survey participants (96%) who made health-related changes during the pandemic plan to continue them into 2021.
“It’s clear people are now thinking about health and wellbeing more holistically,” says Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, OPTAVIA Co-Founder. “However, instead of trying to eliminate destructive habits or set overly ambitious goals destined to be abandoned, the key to reaching your health goals in 2021 is to focus on positive, small behavior changes that can add up to lifelong healthy habits.”
The survey was conducted October 19-20, 2020 with a margin of error of +/-3% and 95% confidence.
