Nearly Half of US Consumers Don’t Place High Value on Healthy Lifestyles

July 3, 2008

This article is included in these additional categories:

Boomers & Older | Pharma & Healthcare | Youth & Gen X

Nearly half (46%) of Americans are “Health Neutrals” or “Health Isolates” and do not place high importance on health and wellness issues, according to research by Ketchum Global Research Network.

At the other end of the spectrum, one fourth of US consumers are “Health Sharers,” committed to a wide range of activities to keep themselves and others healthy, Ketchum found.

The proprietary study, “Health Attitudes and Well Connections: A Ketchum Consumer Study,” polled some 4,000 US consumers and divided them into five psychographic segments based on their attitudes and behaviors toward health and wellness decision-making, motivation, information sharing and influences.

The five segments identified in the study are as follows:

  1. Health Sharers make up one-fourth of the US population and give and take health information from a variety of sources, especially friends and family. They are knowledgeable about health topics and proactive in doing a range of activities to improve their own health. Sharers are also more likely than other segments to place an emphasis on enjoying time with friends and participating in their communities. Despite this proactive spirit, obesity remains a top issue faced by health sharers.
  2. Health Isolates comprise 12% of the population, do not actively seek or share health information and place little importance on looking good and eating low-fat foods. While this group is one of the least likely to seek information from doctors, it is more likely than the other segments to cite a pharmacist as a top source of information on health conditions.
  3. Health Traditionalists make up 14% of the population and seek out health information and advice specifically from health professionals. However, they pay minimal attention to being physically fit and looking good.
  4. Health Elites constitute the 16% of the population who give but don’t take health advice. They are the most educated about healthcare yet are among the least likely to listen to healthcare professionals. They are self-motivated and place a great deal of importance on eating nutritious foods, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly.
  5. Health Neutrals account for one in three Americans. For them, health and wellness are not driving influences. As both the largest and the youngest of the five population segments, Health Neutrals are the least likely to visit a primary care physician at least once a year.
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