- Male dieters now fear the calorie consequences of a night at the pub
British men are putting their health at risk in a bid to achieve a body worthy of a magazine cover – almost half admit to using extreme dieting, in a study released today.
The Aviva Health UK "My Health Counts" study reveals that 48% of the country’s men have turned desperate to drop the pounds – crash diets, the Atkins method and meal replacement programmes top their weight loss routes.
And, as almost half (47%) of the country’s men say they aspire to the slim, muscular and well-toned bodies seen on magazine covers, 6% admit they have even turned to slimming pills in their battle of the bulge.
The weight-loss obsession, that’s normally seen as a women’s health issue, means that men are also now increasingly relying on glossy magazines as the first port of call for health advice (65%), ahead of visiting a GP or health professional (51%).
Men’s top five weight loss fads
- Slimming groups
- Crash diets, eg detoxing
- Atkins
- Meal replacement programmes, eg Slimfast
- Slimming pills
The old beer belly stereotype is also being bucked too by men’s desire to stay slim – the majority (87%) of males hitting the gym admit their main motivation is losing weight and looking good, while a third (31%) reveal they worry about the how many calories a night at the pub will cost them.
Dr Doug Wright, head of clinical governance at Aviva UK Health, expressed concern at the findings: “It seems men too are now becoming fixated with achieving the unrealistic physiques of cover models and celebrities, and are turning to extreme measures to reach their goal.
“But, for both men and women, quick-fix fads are never a sustainable option, and fixating on the outside means we often risk what’s on the inside.
“It’s important that we’re aware of basic health measurements such as our blood pressure, resting heart rate and cholesterol levels as using your looks or weight as a measure of health can mean more serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes are missed.”
Aviva UK Health commissioned the study to mark the launch of MyHealthCounts, an innovative enhancement to its Health Solutions personal health insurance policy. MyHealthCounts is an online health management service that encourages individuals to take pro-active steps to improve their lifestyle and rewards them with up to 15% Wellness Discount for demonstrating they are positively managing their health.
Designed by medical experts, MyHealthCounts contains a wealth of invaluable information offering personalised advice on the steps individuals can take to improve their health and help reduce their risk of developing serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.
To discover how healthy they are compared to 100 other people in their demographic peer group, individuals complete a short online health and lifestyle questionnaire and if they choose, have a pharmacy health check, to generate their current and maximum “Q Score.” Once their “Q Score” is calculated, the online coach suggests ways to maintain and improve their health.
Customers who have a “Q score” of over 40 qualify for a unique Wellness Discount off their private health insurance which increases up to a maximum of 15% discount the healthier they become. The unique Wellness Discount is awarded off the customer’s next private health insurance renewal premium, irrespective of whether they have made a claim on their policy.
-ends–
For more information contact the Aviva Healthcare team:
Telephone: 0207 908 6488
E-mail: avivahealthcare@lexispr.com
Notes to editors:
The study based on 2007 interviews during July 2009 and was conducted by Redshift Research.
MyHealthCounts is available to Aviva’s new individual health insurance customers taking out a Health Solutions policy and existing health insurance customers from their next renewal.
The benefit will be rolled out to Aviva’s corporate health insurance customers later on in the year to help them tackle their sickness absence costs, respond to the government’s workplace wellness recommendations and control future medical insurance premiums.
Aviva is working in partnership with Roadtohealth to provide MyHealthCounts.
Q Score is a trademark of Roadtohealth ltd.
Health and Wellbeing from Aviva
Established in 1990 as the healthcare arm of Norwich Union, Norwich Union Healthcare was re-branded to Aviva in 2009. We provide a range of private medical insurance, income protection, occupational health and group life products and services that cover over 2,400,000 lives. We are one of the largest providers of income protection, group life and private medical insurance in the UK.
Norwich Union Occupation Health, a sister company of Norwich Union Healthcare, was also re-branded to Aviva in 2009. Occupational Health provides occupational health solutions and services to a wide range of industry sectors. By utilising their large fleet of purpose built mobile clinics and approved medical centres, staffed by a team of experienced occupational physicians and nursing staff, the services are designed to meet the individual needs of clients.
Aviva Health UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the Association of British Insurers and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Aviva’s news releases and a selection of images are available from Aviva’s internet press centre at www.aviva.com/media.
About Aviva- Aviva, the international savings, investments and insurance group, is the world’s fifth largest insurance group, serving 50 million customers across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
- In the UK, Aviva is a leading provider of life, pensions, investment, general insurance and health products to more than 20 million customers. Aviva also provides roadside assistance through the RAC. Products are distributed through a number of channels including IFAs, brokers, corporate partners and direct to customers via the internet.
- Aviva's UK Insurance business has a market share of around 15%, making it the largest general insurer in the UK. The business is focused on insurance for individuals and small businesses.
- Aviva's life and pensions business in the UK has a total market share of 12% and a top three position in its key markets of savings, protection, and annuities.