GNC Research Reveals India Health Perception Disconnect
Posted on: 29/May/2018 3:49:49 PM
GNC, a leading nutrition and supplement brand, today announced its report, which finds a disconnect between perception and reality of health and wellness among Indians. Most Indians view their health as acceptable or excellent (70%) and describe themselves as balanced eaters (69%) � yet their lifestyle habits reveal a contradictory picture with 44% of respondents admitting to rarely or never exercising and being negligent eaters.
�While the consequences of Indians� lifestyle and current choices are widely known, as are the benefits of a balanced diet and exercise, our research finds a clear disconnect between how we view our healthy lifestyles versus our actual behavior,� said Shadab Khan, CEO, GNC India. �There is currently a form of �collective delusion� when it comes to health and fitness; the vast majority of Indians believe themselves to be fit and healthy, while their daily behaviour suggests precisely the opposite.�
Specifically, while the majority (68%) of survey respondents agree obesity directly or somewhat contributes to a person�s overall health, a proportionate number of respondents admit to eating fast food at least twice a week (47%) � with 15% consuming take-away food daily, and 41% eating fresh fruit only once a week or less. These negative eating habits spike during holidays and festivals, with 36% of respondents admitting to indulging in extra sweets and 26% disrupting their regular eating patterns.
India�s state of health has long been a source of concern, as 72 million Indians are currently diagnosed as diabetic � making the country the diabetes capital of the world according to the International Diabetes Federation. The health delusion illustrated within GNC�s findings shed light to the cause behind this epidemic.
�There is a need to educate consumers about the benefits and significance of adequate nutrition, regular sleep and recovery, and exercise,� said Khan. �According to our research, work colleagues (for 29% of respondents) and close family (27%) remain the most trusted and influential purveyors of health and lifestyle information. We at GNC believe the conversation needs to shift and become a collaborative effort to create awareness and drive India toward a healthier future,� he said.
Additional findings include:
No priority to exercise: Approximately one in five respondents admit to never undertaking any exercise; if presented with a lift and a flight of stairs, 27% of Indians would always use the lift and 28% would be prepared to climb only one flight of stairs, before turning to the lift.
A lack of sleep: Only 36% received at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep twice per week or less, and 29%rarely or never feel refreshed or energized in the mornings � which aligns with Fitbit findings that India is the most sleep-deprived county with average sleep hours of around 6.55 hours.
Vitamin D deprived: The GNC survey also revealed that more than half (58%) of respondents spend less than two hours per day in natural sunlight.
GNC India gathered results through face-to-face interviews with 1,440 individuals in the ten cities of Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow and Bangalore during February 2018.
