According to a recent survey conducted by Medifast, 88% of adults i.e, 9 out of 10 of them have encountered stress during the pandemic.
Moreover, the results of the survey conducted showed 82% are concerned about the minimum of one aspect of their physical or mental health whereas one-fifth are struggling to get on track with their pre-pandemic health goals.
Over 1,000 U.S. adults were surveyed by the Medifast, company behind the OPTAVIA, to understand the impact of the pandemic. How the subsequent shelter in place orders had on their ability to maintain and develop healthy habits as well as how people are coping during these difficult times.
The survey was concluded with the following notable findings:
• Many have diet and exercise on their mind, with more than half of the respondents i.e, 57% of them are concerned about weight, overeating, and workout since the start of the shelter in place orders.
• Approximately 46% of the respondents had issues with healthy food habits. About 34% of the surveyed were struggling with snacking too much, 26% were trying to stick to a healthy diet, and rest 19% were struggling with portion control when eating.
• Around 52% of women were more likely to have difficulty with at least one aspect related to food than men 41%.
• 75% of respondents who experienced stress during the pandemic outbreak are looking for active ways to manage their increased anxiety.
These ways include social networks for support, calling your friends and family for help.
Medifast Chief Executive Officer Dan Chard quoted that the pandemic brought significant changes in the lives of every American, these are also preventing them from achieving physical and mental health goals. People facing trouble in maintaining healthy habits are turning to their communities for support.
Some other important highlights are:
• Women are affected more during the pandemic than men.
• 50% of women are more concerned about their stress levels whereas 34% of men are concerned about it on the other hand.
• Women are more tensed about their weight, overeating, or healthy food habits as compared to male counterparts.
Note: Half of the respondents reported that they are managing their pandemic related stress through exercising, eating healthy, or cooking. 90% believe that eating healthy was quite effective in managing stress.
Methodology:
1,327 nationally representative US adults, ages 18+ through YouGov’s omnibus. The survey was fielded from April 23-24, 2020, with a margin of error of +/- 3% at 95% confidence.
