Only one in three with good New Year resolutions

Only one in three will start their good intentions at the turn of the year: Less smoking and healthy nutrition are the best

12/30/2011

A good three quarters of Germans have made good intentions in recent years, but only one in three uses a classic occasion such as the New Year. This is the result of a representative survey by the Siemens Health Insurance SBK in cooperation with the opinion research institute Forsa.

Just as many interviewees stated in the survey that a key experience has convinced them of good intentions, for example by the scale exceeding a magic kilogram. Classic appointments such as New Year's Day or one's own birthday are even more popular with younger people when it comes to good intentions: while 42 percent of under 30's see the turn of the year as an ideal start to a "better life", that's the case for those over 45 years old only 26 percent. The older the people, the more their own health is the mainspring in the foreground: 34 percent of those over 45 and 39 percent of those over 60 years ascribe their intentions to health awareness. And: While in the 60-plus generation, 17 percent of respondents on medical advice have made good intentions, the doctor plays in the under-30s only for 2 percent a role.

At the top of the list of good intentions are the topics of smoking and healthy eating. 21 percent of respondents wanted to stop altogether or at least smoke less.16 percent wanted to lose weight and 9 percent had a healthier diet at all, 14 percent had more exercise.

Health experts know today: Realistic goals make sense, start small and stick to it! True to this motto, the SBK has developed the online coach "Lust auf Gesundheit", which helps to incorporate healthy nutrition and exercise into everyday life. "Without stress" because he is not healthy. Anyone can participate, even those who are not insured in the SBK. (Pm)

Also read:
Resolution for 2012: less stress and more time

Picture: Gerd Altmann