Most Americans Wellness 'Wannabes'

WASHINGTONThe majority of Americans (77 percent) are making moves toward wellness, but have a ways to go, according to results of a survey released by the Lifesupplemented campaign. Of the study participants who used the My Wellness Scorecard online assessment tool, 44 percent fell into the category of WannabeWELL and 33 percent were OhWELLthe middle ground of wellness regimes.

These WannabeWELLs are on the cusp of wellness, says William Cooper, M.D., medical director of cardiovascular surgery at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and advisor to the Lifesupplemented campaign. They want to be healthier, but may not know where to start.  What many Americans need are the proper tools to get healthy: simple, easy-to-understand wellness tips and health information.

On the diet side of the equation, just over half of the 1,100+ adults surveyed (51 percent) report they do a fairly good job of avoiding processed, fatty and cholesterol-rich foods; but, 27 percent admit they eat too much fatty food like red meat and cream cheese. Although 63 percent try to eat two to three servings of whole grains every day, many arent paying attention to their intake of oils (30 percent) or consumption of salt (24 percent). Also, 46 percent dont track how much fiber they eat, and just 37 percent report to limit the salt they use in cooking and read food labels carefully to limit other sources of salt and sodium.

Americans fare better when it comes to daily or weekly habits. More than half of respondents take a multivitamin, and 45 percent report taking a dietary supplement other than a multivitamin. The number one reason supplement users take supplements is for general health. A third try to adhere to their exercise regimens at least two to three times a week (36 percent) and nearly two-thirds (61 percent) exercise for 30 minutes or more.

Healthy diet, vitamins and other supplements, and exercise work together to form a foundation for wellness, Cooper said. The more education Americans have about these three pillars, the easier it will be to live healthy lifestyles.