Increasingly, Americans are turning to nutritional supplements and holistic views to maintain good health, often at the costs of exercising and eating a nutritional diet,
according to a recent Wirthlin Worldwide national survey. But there is growing confusion about the specific health benefits of supplements and how best to use them with
prescription drugs - a key area for hospitals to step in and provide clarification.
Emotional wellness tops the list of what Americans believe most influences overall health at 61%. Further down the list is food at 19% and exercise at 18%. Using nutritional
supplements often shapes healthy perceptions for consumers. More than half (54%) of those surveyed say they are using supplements more than they were two or three years ago.
However, they crave credible guidance in how to best incorporate nutritional supplements into a busy lifestyle, where exercise and healthy eating habits have slipped. The
survey identified top drivers of this uncertainty. They include:
- Confusion: Americans are constantly bombarded by complicated and sometimes conflicting nutritional advice. Marketer claims about nutritional supplements are often
considered misleading, particularly in the area of side effects. - Burnout: even the health-conscious are getting tired of all the rules and limitations of what defines a healthy diet.
- Fads and fashion: nutritional trends tend to rise and fall in popularity like clothing styles. Counting calories, for instance, has been replaced by counting fat grams. The
current craving is for eating foods with more protein and avoiding foods high in sugar and carbohydrates.
The survey is based on telephone interviews of more than 1,000 U.S. adults.
(Wirthlin Worldwide, Bryce Bassett, 801/226-1524, http://www.wirthlin.com)