Brits tell 20 fibs a week about their ‘healthy’ living habits

The majority of Brits are in complete denial about their health, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 adult workers commissioned earlier this month by peanut snack company KP Nuts gives an insight into the nation’s attitudes towards their wellbeing. The study reveals that we tell on average 20 fibs a week regarding our lifestyles: that’s 1,020 every year.

And it’s not only friends we try to deceive. It’s partners, doctors – and even ourselves, according to the findings. In fact, 61% of the adults who took part in the poll admitted they were in denial about their health – with 16% claiming they ‘always’ paint a healthier picture of their lives to others.

Some 15% tell acquaintances that they are non-smokers when it isn’t the case and 13% routinely play down the level of alcohol they consume.
A further 12% claim they are ‘gym-goers’ regardless of how often they actually frequent the gym.

However, the biggest fib to emerge was how much water we drink, with 18% claiming they drink more than one litre of it every day.
Other regular fibs to emerge from the research include ‘I never eat takeaways’ (7%), ‘I don’t watch much television’ (14%) and ‘my kids aren’t allowed sweets’ (6%)

Regardless of age, mums are the people we are most likely to lie to about our health, with 19% of adults pulling the wool over their mother’s eyes about how healthy they are. 16% tell lies to their other half about their lifestyle and a further 16% admit to going to the school playground dressed in gym gear to give off a healthy vibe to other parents.

More worryingly, 19% routinely lie to their GPs about their lifestyles with 41% filling medical forms in inaccurately to give a better impression.
36% exaggerate how healthy they are on social media –and men are the worst culprits (43%). When asked why, 26% of those polled said it was because of peer pressure and 14% said it was because of celebrity influences. 51% said they felt pressure to keep up with the Joneses in terms of their health.

A spokesperson for KP Nuts said: “We’re all a little guilty of fibbing about what we’ve really been snacking on. But the truth is we don’t have to take supplements and pump iron at the gym to be healthy.

“Some foods that we write off in a bid to eat well can be far more nutritious than we give them credit for.It’s not about following food fads. It’s about knowing which foods taste good and still give you the nutrients you need. A handful of peanuts for example (or 25g) can provide around 7g of protein.”
 

20 TOP HEALTH AND FITNESS FIBS:

1. I drink more than one litre of water a day
2. I don’t watch much telly
3. I only drink at weekends
4. I visit the gym regularly
5. My kids aren’t allowed sweets
6. I have a normal BMI
7. I never eat takeaways
8. I don’t really like chocolate
9. I don’t like the taste of alcohol
10. I’m not a fan of fried food
11. My kids love vegetables
12. I never eat fast food
13. I lift really heavy weights
14. I only shop at organic supermarkets
15. I don’t eat any saturated fat
16. I won’t have processed food in the house
17. I have never tried a kebab
18. I don’t eat carbs at all
19. I’ve run a marathon
20. My children never eat fast food