Americans are changing a lot of things due to COVID-19 and getting healthy is one of them. It’s not all about getting that perfect bathing suit body anymore. More and more, Americans want to improve their health, according to a study from the Mayo Clinic. This study focused on what mindset people have when beginning a new diet program. In the past few years, that mindset has shifted from focusing on appearance to focusing on health and wellness.

Let’s be real. They’re preaching to the choir! We know this is true thanks to feedback from Pure 21 Wellness Challenge alumni. While they do love the added benefit of weight loss, this challenge is all about gut health!

Let’s break down this new study and how people are making healthy lifestyle changes.

Overall Health is King

Out of more than 200,000 Americans surveyed, 83% say they value health over all other aspirations. Most of the people surveyed were women (86%) and most had a BMI that was in the overweight or obese range (80%). The CDC says even modest weight loss can give big benefits and decrease your risk of chronic diseases related to obesity. You’ll also likely see improvements to your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

Looks Aren’t Everything

In fact, Health was five times more popular a reason to lose weight than appearance. Most respondents said they were intrinsically motivated to achieve a healthy weight. This is a huge change from before the pandemic, when people mostly wanted to lose weight to look better. And we all know that if you feel good on the inside, then you’re going to see the effects on the outside as well.

Dieting is a Short-Term Solution

More than half of the participants in this study had dieted at least six times during their lifetime. This shows that people are looking for a few ways to get healthy, but they needed that long-term solution. That’s why we recommend a lifestyle change of whole, healthy food and dietary supplements. For the most part, people are not striving to look and feel better for a few weeks, they want to look and feel better for the rest of their lives!

Women are More Motivated

67% of the most motivated weight loss participants in this study are women. But when you’re intrinsically motivated to get healthy, that intense motivation is not entirely necessary. This study found anyone on the spectrum of motivation still lost 5% of their body fat in 12 weeks. So, whether one person was highly motivated, and another was moderately motivated, they still got the same results.

Americans have changed their minds when it comes to getting healthy. What about you? Make today the day you take the first step to a healthier, more confident you.

Tori Tromblay

Tori Tromblay

Special Projects Producer
Tori Tromblay (she/her/hers) is a book enthuisiast, cat lover, and Cincinnati native. She graduated from Ohio University with a degree in journalism. After traveling to New York, D.C., London, and Tulsa, she settled back home, where she lives with her husband and two cats. She has worked for Pure Romance for two years and loves to learn and teach about sex education.