Can money be a significant barrier to leading a healthy life?

 By Elizabeth Elizalde // SWNS

Seven in 10 Americans (73%) believe that money can be a significant barrier to leading a healthy life, suggests a new poll.

Nevertheless, people are still willing to pay an average of $239.18 for wellness products per month to help boost their health. That’s $2,870.16 annually.

The survey of 2,000 adults revealed that 60% of respondents have even considered traveling farther distances to find healthier products for their families.

Other ways people ensure their families are on a healthy path are checking for healthy ingredients while grocery shopping (56%), preparing home-cooked meals (54%) and taking vitamins and supplements daily (52%).

But what defines being “healthy”? According to the research conducted by OnePoll for Vitacost.com, respondents think being healthy means maintaining a balanced weight for their age (71%), exercising regularly (66%), routinely getting a good night’s rest (65%) and eating foods rich in nutrients (64%).

And when people hear the term “organic,” half think it means products that are grown naturally (51%) and not altered by chemicals (48%.) However, many people associate organic with being expensive (38%), overrated (22%) and tasteless (19%).

Respondents also shared their experiences when dieting. On average, the people surveyed have tried two diets in the last year, with one of them being considered unsuccessful – despite  77% saying they “completely” or “mostly” followed their diet plan.

What’s considered a successful diet? Respondents think a successful diet requires eating more vegetables (63%) and fruits (59%) and cutting sugar (55%) and carbs (50%).

Time is also an important factor when dieting. Six in 10 think it’s better to start a diet at a future date to better prepare, and a third said the seasons don’t matter when embarking on a new health journey. However, 28% believe spring is the best time to start a new diet.

Over half (53%) plan to start a new health journey next year. And their main priorities include reducing the risk of health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure (57%) and losing weight (50%). Four in five especially want to make sure their diets are affordable (43%).

“Making healthier, cleaner choices regarding supplements, foods, personal care items, etc. easily attainable and very affordable is vital. Educating consumers on the benefits of those choices helps dispel some misperceptions that still exist,” said Guy Burgstahler, president of Vitacost.com.

People’s families appear to be their biggest supporters when trying to be healthy. Their partners (52%) and children (46%) are the people who most influence respondents to be better versions of themselves. ‘

That may be why a majority (83%) said they want to be healthy to witness their kids’ milestones.

And shopping for the right products matter since, too, since 80% of respondents claim they know what’s in the health and wellness products they consume.

“Understanding your unique biology is the foundation. Learning how nature’s ingredients and those that are synthetic or genetically modified impact wellness is also very important,” said Burgstahler. “With that knowledge, people can then read labels and compare to make the best decisions for themselves.”