A New Survey Revealed That Adults Don’t Start To Take Their Health Seriously Until The Age Of 38, And 84% Believe They Didn’t Value Their Health Enough In Their Youth

As a child or teenager, visiting the doctor for a routine check-up often just feels like a chore. Many people even still rely on their parents to book their doctor’s appointments well into young adulthood.

Nevertheless, you might be surprised to find out that people don’t really begin to take their health seriously until reaching the age of 38.

This finding is the result of a recent survey conducted by OnePoll involving 2,000 adults in the UK, and the study found that the average age for this mindset shift is 38, typically spurred by a health scare.

The research further highlighted that significant birthdays or newfound aches and pains often motivate people to pay more attention to their health. Additionally, the health issues or loss of a loved one can be a catalyst for others to start taking their well-being more seriously, too.

Perhaps shockingly, celebrities can also have a significant influence on public health awareness. Approximately one in 30 people reported that learning a celebrity was suffering from a medical issue prompted them to prioritize their health.

This impact was particularly evident when King Charles announced his treatment for an enlarged prostate, leading to a surge in traffic on the UK National Health Service’s landing page about the condition. In fact, the site actually experienced an elevenfold increase in visits compared to the day before, attracting one visitor every five seconds.

“It can be very easy to disregard your health– particularly when you are young, or you feel that everything is okay,” said the associate clinical director of UK’s Bupa Health Clinics, Dr. Elizabeth Rogers.

“No one wants to think that there might be something wrong, but often, the early signs of an issue are not obvious. Sometimes it can take a bit of a wake-up call before you start taking your health more seriously, whether that is falling ill yourself or seeing a loved one or even a well-known person experience an issue.”

According to the survey, 11% of adults confessed to not prioritizing their health, and approximately 45% claimed they didn’t pay much attention to their health in their younger years since they felt generally well; meanwhile, 36% believed they were too young to be concerned.

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