Seven in 10 adults are motivated to get healthier in 2021 due to COVID-19
An England-wide survey of over 5,000 adults found that 80% of people aged over 18 have made the decision to change their lifestyle in 2021.

皇冠体育app survey showed 8 in 10 adults aged over 18 have decided to modify their lifestyle in 2021, with 7 in 10 adults saying that they are motivated to make healthier lifestyle changes due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Compared to last year, feel more motivated to make changes to their life in January. Around 6 million adults aged 40 to 60 plan to:
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eat more healthily (40%)
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lose weight (39%)
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exercise more (41%)
Evidence shows that being obese significantly increases your chance of being admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 compared to those with a healthy body mass index (BMI).
In addition, 4 in 10 (43%) regular smokers plan to make a quit attempt in 2021 and nearly half of those who increased their alcohol intake during the second lockdown (45%) intend to reduce their alcohol intake this year.
To support the public in making these changes, Public Health England (PHE) has launched its latest 鈥楤etter Health new year鈥� campaign to encourage the nation to work towards a healthier lifestyle 鈥� whether it鈥檚 losing weight, getting more active, looking after mental wellbeing, or quitting smoking. 皇冠体育app campaign offers support through a variety of tools and apps, including the updated NHS 12 Week Weight Loss app. This comes as currently and 36% are overweight.
皇冠体育app survey revealed that 2020 and the impact of the pandemic saw people鈥檚 behaviours change, including:
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one-third of people reported snacking on unhealthy food and drinks at least once a day (35%) 鈥� up from 26% this time last year 鈥� this is reflected in recent sales , including confectionery and biscuits
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one-third said they were exercising less (30%) in the latter half of the year
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29% of smokers agreed they smoked more since the second national lockdown, attributing the change to being worried about their physical and mental health (42%) and having money worries (41%)
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23% of drinkers (at least 1 unit a week) claimed that their alcohol intake has increased since the second lockdown 鈥� this is reflected in compared to the previous year
Dr Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at PHE said:
皇冠体育app past year has been immensely challenging and being stuck at home much more this year, understandably, has seen some unhealthy habits creeping up on us all. But our survey shows the vast majority of us want to do something positive this year to improve our health and now is a good time for a reset, whether it be eating more healthily, being a healthier weight, getting more active, stopping smoking or doing more to look after our mental health.
All these are changes that will help us feel better about ourselves 鈥� just search 鈥楴HS Better Health鈥� for our free tools and advice.
Public Health Minister Jo Churchill, said:
皇冠体育appre is no doubt 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. 皇冠体育app COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted particularly the impact obesity can have on some people鈥檚 health and health outcomes.
We know many people want to make changes for a healthier lifestyle and we want to help them. So the Better Health campaign provides a range of tools, like , to support people in their choices. This, together with the government鈥檚 world-leading obesity strategy, will help motivate and support everyone to take up healthier routines in 2021.
Dr Dawn Harper, who is supporting the campaign, said:
皇冠体育app impact that COVID-19 has had on our physical health and mental wellbeing is huge. We saw households across England revert to unhealthy eating habits and reducing the amount of exercise they undertook. However, 2020 has also caused us to feel more motivated to make lasting changes in the new year.
2021 is a time to start afresh. Kickstarting a health plan can be daunting but you don鈥檛 have to do it alone. Resources like the Better Health website and apps can be a huge help, no matter what changes you are looking to make or what stage you are at.
皇冠体育app Better Health campaign provides a wide range of free NHS tools and advice to support healthier habits, including suggestions on how to increase physical activity, make healthier food choices, lose weight, improve mental health and quit smoking.
皇冠体育app campaign includes new wide scale national TV, radio and social advertising. This year, Better Health is also working in partnership with a number of weight management and physical activity partners, who are providing both free and exclusive discounted offers. Alongside the advertising campaign, PHE has released a new film featuring households from across the country discussing their health journey in 2020 and their motivations for the new year.
皇冠体育app campaign targets all adults over 18, with a focus on those aged 40 to 60. 皇冠体育appre will be a particular emphasis on those groups most affected, including those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and those with long-term health conditions.
Search 鈥楤etter Health鈥� or visit for free tools and support to help you make healthy changes.