A shocking new survey has revealed that most women don’t exercise and eat healthily to stay fit or live longer, they do it because they want to look good.
Eat a healthy diet, exercise five times a week, stay out of the sun, don’t drink too much alcohol, avoid cigarettes… we all know the basic rules of looking after our health, but why do we follow them?
Why do we force ourselves to go to the gym when we really, really don’t want to?
Why do we knock back a vegetable juice when what we actually want is large glass of Pinot Grigio?
The answer to all these questions should of course be, to live a long and happy life, free of disease and other consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.
But, as recent research shows, the truth is a lot more self-centred: we do it because we want to look good.
A study of UK women found that for the majority, the real motivation behind a healthy lifestyle is to look younger or more attractive.
A massive 87% admitted to making positive lifestyle changes so they can appear younger for as long as possible – while just 40% said they wanted to stay free from ill-health.
Insurance company Aviva commissioned the research, which also found that over half of respondents would choose a slim and toned figure over low cholesterol or stable blood pressure – which could potentially prevent heart disease or strokes.
Shocking figures
The figures relating to smoking were perhaps the most shocking. The motivation to kick a smoking habit should surely be to protect our lungs and avoid cancer, but for most women (74%) it was stained teeth and wrinkles that were the real reason for stubbing out.
Just 49% said they were more concerned with the impact smoking has on their health.
When it comes to booze, 53% claimed that the effect drinking has on their weight or looks is the primary motive for cutting back on alcohol, compared with just 32% who were worried about the impact on their long-term health.
Perhaps less surprisingly, six in ten respondents said that they exercised to lose weight rather than to improve their health and fitness.
Meanwhile, a huge 86% of women said they knew their weight, while just 42% were aware of their blood pressure.
The issue of where to get trustworthy health and fitness advice also came up in the study.
Almost eight in 10 women said they consult celebrity magazines for health and lifestyle advice, compared to 31% who said they seek advice from a medical professional.
Are men more responsible?
So where do men fit into all this? It should come as no surprise that they are less vain than us – 69% of the nation’s men are motivated to eat well and exercise for no other reason than to stay healthy.
Perhaps this explains why, in another recent survey, experts found that women are becoming more beautiful than men.
Dr Doug Wright, from Aviva, warns women that their health is more than skin deep:
“Just because you like what you see in the mirror today, does not mean that an unhealthy lifestyle isn’t actually taking its toll on your long-term health.
“Although you may think that you look healthy on the outside, it’s what’s inside that really counts. Potentially serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes can often go undetected until it’s too late.
“Regular health checks are the best indicator of wellbeing – and should be more motivating than images in celebrity magazines.
“Leading a healthy lifestyle needn’t be costly or onerous. It’s not just about going to the gym or the latest fad.
"Simply going for a brisk walk, gardening or even shopping all help contribute to improving your fitness.
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