We know that obesity rates continue to rise in America, but new research out of the Mayo Clinic shows just how few Americans live a truly healthy life. According to new research, only 2.7 percent of Americans meet the basic qualifications for a “healthy lifestyle.”
The Mayo Clinic looked at four factors that contributed to an overall healthy lifestyle. In order to live a healthy lifestyle, an adult needed to meet all four of the following qualifications:
- At least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise.
- A diet score in the top 40 percent on the Healthy Eating Index.
- A body fat percentage under 20 percent for men or under 30 percent for women.
- Being a non-smoker.
In an effort to get a better picture of the percentage of Americans living a healthy lifestyle, researchers examined data from 4,745 people who participated in the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In the survey, physical activity was measured using an accelerometer for a week and diets were tracked using a 24-hour food journal.
Healthy Lifestyle Findings
When looking at all four pillars that comprised a healthy lifestyle, researchers uncovered:
- 71.5 percent of adults were non-smokers
- 46.5 percent got enough weekly exercise
- 37.9 percent qualified as having a healthy diet
- 9.6 percent had what the study deemed “a normal body-fat percentage”
In all, just 2.7 percent of people met the criteria for all four categories, although some suggest that the low percentage of people meeting the the classification of a “normal body-fat percentage” suggests the category doesn’t accurately reflect the US population as a whole. When you exclude the body-fat percentage category, 13 percent of Americans met the criteria for the other three categories.
Researchers concluded that Americans should strive for these markers, as meeting these qualifications was associated with a decreased likelihood of having high cholesterol and or high blood pressure.