Asians less satisfied with state of health

Asians are concerned about their health, but their level of satisfaction has dropped due to failure to ensure that they remain healthy. The culprit: lack of exercise. (Photo: Tanvir Alam/ flcikr)

MANILA –Asians are concerned about their health, but their level of satisfaction has dropped due to failure to ensure that they remain healthy. The culprit: lack of exercise.

”Generation O” (overworked, overweight, and overwhelmed) still exist, as Asians continue to lack time and motivation to improve their health,” results of the 2016 Asia Health Index survey of Sun Life Financial.

The online survey, done by leading market research firm Ipsos from August 17-26, 2016, covered 4,000 middle class Asians with age range of 25-60 years and from the Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It was a 50-50 share in terms of male and female respondents.

For the Philippines alone, 50 percent of the respondents were from Manila, 29 percent from Cebu and 21 percent from Davao.

In a briefing Thursday, Mylene Lopa, Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) Inc. (SLOCPI) Chief Marketing Officer, said that although perception on personal health in the region has declined, Filipinos continue to have one of the highest scores with 514 points, second after Malaysia’s 515 points.

Indonesia is third with 513 points, followed by China and Hong Kong, 511 points; India, 502 points; Vietnam, 315 points; Thailand, 303 points; and Singapore, 302 points.

In particular, Filipino respondents came in third, after Indonesia and India, rating their overall health with 76 points. Indonesia is on top with 78 points and India with 77 points.

In terms of physical health, the Philippines is second with 72 points as against Indonesia’s 74 points.

The Philippines topped the list when it came to rating the emotional or mental health with 78 points. Indonesia is second with 75 points and India, third, with 69 points.

”This is not surprising because Filipinos have been known to be among the happiest people in the world,” Lopa said.

Overall, the Philippines registered, for the third consecutive year since the survey started in 2014, the “Most Optimistic” view, with a score of 89 points, on their state of health, she said.

The drop in the overall score, on the other hand, was traced to lack of exercise. This was led by respondents from the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand, who claimed that 61 percent do not exercise regularly.

In the Philippines, work is the main reason the respondents cited as behind their inability to have regular exercise.

Others are lack of personal motivation, distractions of modern life, cost (such as gym membership), and lack of venues for sports and recreation.

But the respondents know the importance of their health, survey results showed.

Lopa said 83 percent of the Filipino respondents want to exercise to feel healthy and improve their mental health, with running, swimming and cycling as the most popular sports to achieve their goal.