By Bae Ji-sook
Koreans are quite enthusiastic about maintaining good health and well-being but in reality suffer from extreme stress that conversely damages their health, according to Philips Healthcare.
The Dutch healthcare appliance maker announced the “Philips Health & Well-being Index” Wednesday which revealed that Koreans have the third highest level of awareness and eagerness to be healthy but are under equal pressure from stress, mostly due to financial reasons.
The survey was conducted on 1,065 adults nationwide concerning their well-being awareness and their current status to maintain their health and welfare.
As a result, Koreans scored 66, following Malaysia’s 77 and Singapore’s 68. Australia tied also with a score of 66. This is higher than the 57.6 average of the countries surveyed; 58 for Asian countries; and 55.2 for 10 countries participating in the G20 summit.
About 84 percent replied that they feel physically healthy overall. They felt responsible for their physical health and believed that how they take care of themselves has an important impact on their health.
About 90 percent of those over 65 years old said they expect to live to be over 80, suggesting that Koreans have strong confidence in their overall health, the report showed.
However, Koreans may not be that healthy after all. The level of stress, said to be the largest cause of many serious illnesses including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes or strokes, was the highest.
About 94 percent said they experience various levels of stress every day, mostly because of financial concerns such as paying bills, being able to retire, or being fired.
“Their overall satisfaction in life was quite low. They were generally concerned about what to do with a limited amount of money: it is an inevitable question in a capitalist society,” Wayne Spittle, senior vice president and commercial leader of Philips Healthcare Asia Pacific said.
“Making a balance in life and narrowing the gap between the desire for well-being and dissatisfaction in real life will be the next big thing,” he added.
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