22% of Aussies would rather give up sex than do this

The past couple of years have taken a toll on the average Aussie routine. Your regular conference meetings were suddenly virtual, a lot of kids found out what it’s like to be homeschooled, and your boxing or yoga class moved online.

When it comes to health and fitness, where there’s a reliable wi-fi connection, there was certainly a way. But not everyone embraced this new lifestyle, with many Aussies perfectly happy to do the bare minimum when it comes to their health and fitness.

And they’re willing to give up more than you might think in order to maintain their current lifestyle.

The lowdown

According to new findings released by Noom, a leading digital health platform focused on behaviour change, 22 per cent of Australians would actually rather give up sex for a year, than make the changes needed to lose weight and live healthier.

This comes after Noom released its inaugural ‘State of Healthy Behaviours’ report, the result of a consumer survey conducted to assess the current state of consumer behavioural health trends and the barriers to improvement.

Why is it so difficult to get fit and healthy?

After the year(s) we’ve had, you could certainly be forgiven for wrapping yourself in a doona cocoon while bingeing the latest Disney+ series and ordering Uber Eats. In fact, looking after yourself and enjoying your favourite treats is healthy, in moderation.

But many have tried, and failed, to implement long-lasting healthy lifestyle habits.

Why?

Chief of Psychology at Noom, Andreas Michaelides PhD, has some thoughts on the matter.

“Developing new habits is indeed difficult and we often fear the discomfort and emotional toll that comes along with trying,” he explains.

The report also uncovered that more than a third of Australians would prefer to sacrifice what have become daily creature comforts over making healthy lifestyle changes, with 34 per cent saying they would choose to give up social media for a year and their favourite streaming app (25 per cent).

That’s a strong person who can say “Bye bye, Baby Yoda!”.

And while many Aussies tried to improve their health over the past year, including attempts to get more sleep, eat healthier, lose weight and be more physically active, millions fell short with 86 per cent of Australians reporting they do not feel they are currently at their peak physical and mental fitness.

‘State of Healthy Behaviours’

The report also revealed it has been over twelve years since Australians have felt their healthiest.

Nearly one in five Australians also don’t know where to begin to make changes in their life to be healthier.

Only 25% of Australians agree that it’s easy to change their habits.

Affordability, accountability, and time come in as the top barriers preventing them from doing so.

People think of their doctors as resources, but many are not getting the support they need from them.

In fact only 25% of Australians think of their doctor as a true partner on their health journey, and just 13% of Australians feel their doctors hold them accountable to achieving their health goals.