Majority of adults intent on getting healthier

A new survey of over 5,000 adults has found that 80 per cent of those aged over 18 have made the decision to change their lifestyle in 2021.

Compared to last year, almost half of the population (43 per cent) feel more motivated to make changes to their life this month, predominantly as result of coronavirus.

According to Public Health England, approximately six million adults aged 40 to 60 plan to: eat more healthily (40 per cent), lose weight (39 per cent), and exercise more (41 per cent).

Additionally, 43 per cent of regular smokers plan to make a quit attempt in 2021 and nearly half of those who increased their alcohol intake during the second lockdown intend to reduce their alcohol intake this year.

To support the public in making these changes, Public Health England has launched its latest ‘Better Health new year’ campaign to encourage the nation to work towards a healthier lifestyle – whether it’s losing weight, getting more active, looking after mental wellbeing, or quitting smoking. The campaign offers support through a variety of tools and apps, including the updated NHS 12 Week Weight Loss app.

Public Health Minister Jo Churchill, said: “There is no doubt 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted particularly the impact obesity can have on some people’s health and health outcomes. We know many people want to make changes for a healthier lifestyle and we want to help them. So the Better Health campaign provides a range of tools, like Couch to 5K, to support people in their choices. This, together with the government’s world-leading obesity strategy, will help motivate and support everyone to take up healthier routines in 2021.”