Why your reflection may not reveal the whole truth

09:09 02 October 2009

Looking good in the mirror is all very well, but it doesnÂ’t necessarily mean that you're really fit and healthy. So many people focus on feeling good about the outside, that they forget the importance of our wellbeing on the inside.

Smoking, drinking, crash diets and a lack of exercise take their toll in the long run – and this will usually affect our health before our looks, but can go unnoticed for some time.

New research has discovered that Brits concerned about the way they look are forgetting about the potential health issues caused by our lifestyle choices.

Aviva UK Health found that nearly four in 10 Brits of those surveyed (38%) wished for a slim and toned body. However, less than half as much, only 17%, thought about good blood pressure rates, and only 10% wanted low cholesterol.

The research also found that Brits have little knowledge of their own basic health statistics.

While it was common (86%) for people to know their weight, far less knew their BMI (35%) – which is a guide to whether your weight is typical for your height. Less than half (42%) knew their average blood pressure reading and, more worryingly, a further one in five (18%) admitted to having no idea how healthy they were - leaving many health issues potentially going unnoticed. 

Visible results seemed to be the deciding factor for whether people would keep to a regime or not, with three in five (61%) admitting to not sticking to health plan if they didn't see any change, and a further one in five (17%) claimed that they donÂ’t exercise because they hate the gym.

However, simple changes to our daily routine can be the answer to improving all-round health. For example, walking rather than getting the bus can make all the difference to our overall condition.

Regular health checks also make it easy to stay on top of your health, ensuring you're on the right track as well as providing advice on how to improve.

To help you assess and monitor your health, Aviva has devised MyHealthCounts.com, a dedicated website with loads of great tools to give customers an accurate assessment of their overall health and helping you set a series of realistic targets to strive for.

In the short video below, former Olympic champion Sally Gunnell and Head of Clinical Governance at Aviva UK Health, Dr Douglas Wright, take us through some basic steps we can all make towards taking our health seriously – little changes that you don’t have to be an athlete to stick to but can make a real difference.

Watch Sally and Dr DougÂ’s tips here, then check out MyHealthCounts.com to find out how Aviva UK can help put you on the right track:

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