One in Three (32%) Canadians Will Have Healthy Living New Year's Resolutions for 2015
Among those who say they'll try their hand at a 2015 resolution (65%), losing weight and getting in shape (19%) trumps all options, followed by making better financial decisions (16%) and eating healthier (12%). This figure jumps to half (49%) of Canadians who mention having some kind of New Year's Resolution! Handfuls of Canadians indicate that their resolution will focus on family or relationship goals (7%), job/career advancements (6%), or doing more traveling (4%).
- When it comes to having a New Year's Resolution geared towards losing weight or eating healthier, Ontarians (35%) hold a slight edge over those from Quebec (31%), Atlantic Canada (31%), the Prairies (31%) and British Columbia (29%), while Albertans (24%) are least likely to have such resolutions
- Younger Canadians (ages 18-34, 36%) are most likely to have a healthy lifestyle resolution, ahead of seniors (ages 55+, 31%) and middle-aged (ages 35-54, 29%) Canadians
One of the biggest problems with New Year's Resolutions is sticking to them, and many Canadians indicate that starting a new health regimen is not hard, but keeping it going is. Eight in ten (79%) Canadians `agree' that it's easy to start a diet, but not easy to maintain one, while just one in five (21%) `disagree'.
Biggest Challenges to Resolutions...
Many give up on their resolutions because of the many challenges they face in trying to achieve them, and resolutions relating to achieving a healthy lifestyle are no exception. The biggest challenges Canadians believe they have when it comes to losing weight or achieving a healthier lifestyle are:
- Managing cravings or staying on track during special occasions (75% challenging)
- Staying motivated (75% challenging)
- Eating properly and exercising in inclement weather (71% challenging)
- Getting started when it seems overwhelming (68% challenging)
- Getting back on track after derailing (67% challenging)
- Achieving goals on your own (64% challenging)
- Avoiding temptations (60% challenging)
- Finding the time to prepare healthy meals/eat properly or exercise (59% challenging)
- Working around costs of eating healthy (56% challenging)
- Finding good recipes/knowing how to cook good meals (43% challenging)
Interestingly, other than managing cravings or staying on track during special occasions, Quebecers are by far the least likely to find any of the above challenging, while residents of Atlantic Canada are more likely to find nearly all of the above challenging compared to their regional counterparts.
Women are significantly more likely than men to believe that most of these are challenging to their healthy lifestyle goals.
Helpful Resources for Keeping NYR on Track...
While Canadians identify barriers to their New Year's Resolutions, those who have resolutions that could have progress `tracked' outline ways in which different resources could be helpful towards their efforts.
Two-thirds identify `a mentor/coach to keep them accountable and on track' (66%) as being helpful in terms of achieving their New Year's Resolutions for the upcoming year.
- Albertans (80%) are most likely to indicate that having a mentor or coach to keep them accountable and to help them stay on track would be helpful, ahead of Atlantic Canadians (76%), Ontarians (69%), British Columbians (66%), Prairies Residents (59%), and Quebecers (55%)
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 3rd to 8th, 2014 on behalf of Weight Watchers Canada. For this survey, a sample of 2,004 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points had all Canadians adults been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]
About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
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