Vote in This Week's Poll: Why is there a gap between intentions and behavior when it comes to eating healthy and exercising?
- 90% of people say breakfast is important, but only 49% actually eat breakfast each day
- 80% say they know about the benefits of heart-healthy foods but only 42% actually eat them
- 75% of people say they want to lose weight, but 44% report that they don't balance exercise and diet to lose weight
So, is this really all that surprising? Not to me or probably to many of you out there. There are plenty of times I don't do something, even though I know I should and that leads me to my next question - why do you think there's such a gap between intentions and actual behavior? Researchers working on this survey suggested that a couple of reasons may be hectic lifestyles and confusing information, but is that all that's going on? Are we more interested in instant gratification than long-term health? Or is there something more? Vote in this week's poll and leave a comment about why you think we're not making the right choices.
Poll: Why is there a gap between intentions and behavior when it comes to eating healthy and exercising?
1. Laziness
2. Instant gratification is more important to people than long-term health
3. People are too busy to exercise or eat right
4. People want to be healthy, but they don't know how
5. People try to change too much at once and fail
6. A combination of some or all of the above
7. I wish I knew
8. Other - please explain in comments
Comments
Because a) exercise is boring and b) healthy foods taste lousy and c) none of us believe we’re really going to die.
It’s just hard changing habits or getting the results we long for. I eat pretty healthfully and exercise a lot, but most days I feel like I’m still hungry, sometimes REALLY hungry, and end up eating more than I should or eating something I shouldn’t. It’s not as simple as eat fewer calories and exercise. Feelings of not getting the results we work so hard for contribute to feelings of defeat I think.
I think it is because we are too busy, especially if you are a parent. We tend to loose sight of our 1st prority, our well being and focus more of our time, engergy, and money on our children. At the same time, we ironically want to be good examples for them.
Because we are able to justify eating when we shouldn’t and not going to the gym by convincing ourself that just this time wont ruin my chances of getting fit. But it does and I cannot figure out how to break that cycle.
It takes too long to see a small result. If there was more definate feedback/reward after exercise or diet the healthy activity would be easier to continue.
As someone who quit smoking a year ago and is now trying to get fit, I find the two have a lot in common.
Smoking and not eating right/excercising have a lot of the same consequences and a lot of the same behavior and thought patterns.
I think that part of it is an addiction to food and part of it is just that we’ve done something for so long that it feels like it is a part of us that can’t and won’t ever change.
Stress and fatigue. I’m pretty good unless I am really tired and stress [they go hand in hand]. Then food calls to me.
I agree with Laura, I eat healthy, even keep a food diary, but there are times that I am so hungry that I can’t stop. I also find it hard to exercise for long enough to lose weight
Diet sounds temporary, eating healthy is permanent. Machines do our essential work so we do not have to burn calories! We have a choice and cannot see moving our bodies as they were meant to be moved as important because of all the distractions of modern life ans anxietes about things we have no control over.
Maybe we are all just waiting for the pharmaceuticals to market us the magic pill to make “healthy diets” and “exercise” a thing if the past.
I think that we are so used to getting pills for every health concern that we are unable to grasp the concept that the responsibilty of managing our health is our own!
I sometimes find it the time factor, I get involved in a project and I forget to eat my meals at the given time and end up eating snacks, healthy or otherwise. My body ends up in starvation mode and I end up putting on weight. Not too healthy a habit. I really try to eat at a set time to overcome this problem, but it is difficult when your priorities are over-set in the workplace.
It all boils down to ” if you want it bad enough”. Period. If you want to look god and have a killer body then get after it, if not too bad, just quit making excuses.
As far as nutrition is concerned it’s really simple, eat stuff you know is good for you. When you get the munchies mid morning or late afternoon, keep some dried fruit and almonds nearby. When you do fall off the wagon, and you will often, just remember it’s only nutrition, and get back to the right foods tomorrow and don’t regret yesterday.
You don’t have to sign up at a gym, just strap on a new pair of running shoes and head out the door for 30 minutes of light jogging. Mix in some situps and pushups, and in a month you’ll be feeling different.
Don’t forget that most people who are overweight are depressed for any number of reasons. Where’s the motivation? Where’s the pot of gold? What you can’t visualize realistically leaves you without the motivation to tackle it. Get the emotional help and you’ll be able to conquer the world or at least your eating disorder.
I like what rob says, if u want it bad enough, youll go for it. i guess most dont want it bad enough
i think that it may just be that the proven diets and diet plans cost a lot of money.many peole think that they can do it on their own but sometimes when assistance is necessary, people don’t want to pay the high price of being fit.
People seem to think that frozen food from Costo is concered a “home cooked meal.” I have been invited to people houses for a “home cooked meal” and was served Costco Lasagna!!!
for me, the difference between what I want to do, and what I actually do has to do with eating for emotional reasons. I began overeating when I was 8, and am now 39. That’s trying to change 30 years of habit and addiction.
That’s pretty dang hard all on it’s own.. never mind that I have spent about half of that in therapy working on other issues.
Emotional eating and addiction are tough habits to change.
i think we all know why we dont eat good and why we dont exercise. i had all the excuses too. but my bad habits caught up with me and i had to make some chooices. alot of my friends seen what i have done (losing weight, happier,healthier etc) and they also are trying on new life styles. its never a diet—ITS A LIFE CHANGE.
I can diet/change eating habits easily, but I hate exercise just because time is so valuable. No time for the gym, my old equipment at home is useless, well, it’s used as clothes hangers, too hot to do anything outside and i work 10 hour days, mostly sitting. So, come up with a stationary exercise method I can do at my desk and I’ll be first in line, but don’t temp me with informercials that promise a firm body in a few weeks by just doing 7 minutes of stationary a day!! Lies…I used to be an aerobics instructor and body builder…no time for these now…I’m older, wiser and just looking to firm up without injury.
My habit of eating healthfully is quickly sabotaged if I don’t have enough groceries in the house. When there isn’t good and healthy food readily available in my home then I will eat junk. The best thing is keeping a good stock of healthy food in your fridge and cupboards and then you won’t be tempted to eat out or eat junk.
My experience with clients is that until folks really understand what they want their lives to look like in 5, 10 or 20 years, they tend not to see how important their health really is to them. Once they understand this, then it’s a matter of teaching them how to set goals that are realistic and leverage the strengths they already possess. We give some great assessments that help people deal with emotional issues as well as tap into their natural striving instincts. The last piece, is to create a supportive environment for long term change. It really doesn’t have to be that difficult and it can be very empowering.
Most people don’t have time to exercise.They’re working,commuting,being soccer moms or dads. In todays society it’s hard enough to pay bills or afford groceries.Much less afford the higher cost of health foods.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT IT CAN BE DONE. YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT MIND FRAME ABOUT HOW YOU EAT. IT’S NOT A DIET IT’S A NEW WAY OF LIFE. IT’S OKAY TO PIG OUT EVERY NOW AND THEN, JUST DON’T FORGET TO MOVE YOUR BODY. I HAVE LOST 37 LBS. SINCE 1/2007. I AM USE TO MY NEW EATING HABITS.
i agree with rob, people just make too many excuses for being too lazy to get off the couch, put down the ice cream spoon and get moving. they blame it on the kids or stress or work or motivation but really its just laziness. if you want to get fit and be healthy then you have to pay the price which is real exercise and good nutrition. the only people you fool with excuses are you and the other people who need to feel better about their bad behaviour – the rest of us dont buy it
I’ve been learning more about a healthy lifestyle and have been sharing what I learn with everyone. The most frequent response I get is that “You only live once” you may as well enjoy it now”. Even though I mention poor health later in life, no one cares.
While a person may recognize the importance of weight loss, there may be a stronger need to stay at their current weight — keeping people at a distance, or avoiding relationships.
Because we are kind of laziness and also really busy and stressed out, it feels easier in the moment (instant gratification) to do the fastest and/or easiest and/or cheapest and/or tastiest thing. It’s hard to focus on the long term goal when life is crazy, stressful, expensive.
America, as a whole, does not have their focus on health. The focus is on money. It used to be that the wife stayed home and made sure the family was fed 3 square meals. Father would get a job close to home and golf on the weekends. Now it’s both mom & dad commuting 1-2 hours to work for a 12 hour workday, grab what you can to eat, the kids can fix themselves some mac & cheese when they get home from school before they sit around playing video games & eating chips before they go to bed. Weekends are the same for the kids and the parents are either working through the weekend or are so exhausted that they sit around like a vegetable & mom is to tired to cook so, “let’s order a pizza!” People know what they are supposed to do, but it’s just not the American ideal to be healthy & happy.
ImmaGoodlady wrote about emotional eating. Try the website for Generation Excel. Gary has a book about your story!
The main reason is FOOD COST TO MUCH. I can go to McDonald’s and buy a meal cheaper then i can go to the grocery store and buy milk or cereal..
That’s the reason man! we can’t afford to eat right.
Well, the reason there is a gap is because people have good intentions….we want to eat and be healthy but the fact is, we live in a fast food world. Whether it’s a quick lunch because we’re low on time or we don’t feel like cooking.
skeeter8161 says it all. In today’s world it takes both parents to work to barely survive and the whole “family” thing has gone out the window. Working for the all mighty dollar comes first now. Thinking about nutrition for yourself—or a whole family???? Not heard of anymore.
I already have some of the health problems, but I work an evening (or a night shift) and we can’t eat dinner together as a family unless we eat it around 2PM. My son dosen’t even get home from school by then. When school is out we try to eat a major meat and vegetable meal together, before I go to work. But I sleep late (work late) and we don’t get any other meals together. Healthy meals cost a lot of money. We try to buy a lot of fruit and vegetables, milk and yogurt and fiber rich cereals but they don’t last long and you end up eating junk food to get you throught til payday. My husband is disabled so we are on a limited income.
Just having food to eat comes before just eating healthy.
I was diagnosed 18 years ago with mutiple sclerosis, at that time the Doctor advised me that I needed to avoid, “stress, fatique and overheating.” Yea right!! Well, I went into a wheelchair about 5 yrs. ago which was not my style. I woke one day about 4 mos. ago calld the Dr. and got my booty into physical therapy, and now I’m using a walker part-time. Breakfast is my #1 meal, and I drink a lot of ice-cold water. I’ve heard that the metabolism burns more calories because it has to bring it up to body temp. My biggest hurdle was “MOMENTUM”, that is what caused my “GAP”! Well, I’ve lost 42lbs. over the last 4 months.
a veryyy nice ex maby i try it!!!