Health Is A Team Sport: The 2011 Edelman Health Barometer

Lifestyle, nutrition, the environment and the health system are four key factors that people globally say have the most impact on their health. Underlying these influences, its friends and family who most shape our health, followed by government and business.

Welcome to the 2011 Edelman Health Barometer, the third year the communications firm has polled health citizens around the world on their views on health, behavior change, and the use of information and digital tools.

Edelman conducted 15,165 interviews 12 countries in North America, Asia and Europe to gather health citizens’ perspectives.

The top-line, globally, is that there is a knowledge-action gap in health: people ’know’ many of the right things to do to bolster positive health outcomes — the spirit is willing – but, frankly, the flesh is weak. Top unhealthy behaviors include not exercising enough (55% confessing they don’t), smoking (41%), poor nutrition (36%), overeating (34%), not getting enough sleep (33%), and consuming alcohol or drugs (24%)...