We knew there was a problem in the developed world, with people being exposed to a high volume of toxins on a daily basis, eating a poor diet, becoming less active and living under stress.
We also knew that the cumulative effect of these factors can significantly affect a person’s overall health and wellness.
But we didn’t realize quite how endemic these issues are in our population – until now!
Quiz: Is Your Body TOXIC? Take the Test...
(get your free personalized report)
Background
Over the past six years, we’ve had hundreds of people (possibly thousands) contact us because they have issues with weight, energy or general poor health. When we take a closer look at our client’s diet and lifestyle factors, and the issues that could be affecting their health, there are often clear patterns and similarities.
To help our clients identify areas of their diet and lifestyle which could be affecting their health, we developed a simple questionnaire, which we have used successfully for the past few years.
However, although we knew the issues our clients were facing, we didn’t know if this was representative of people in general, and whether our clients were the exception or the tip of a much bigger iceberg.
So we decided to gather some hard data to find out more…
The “Are You Toxic?” Quiz
We modified our client questionnaire to create an interactive quiz, which we published on our website in early August 2012.
Quiz: Is Your Body TOXIC? Take the Test...
(personalized report)
This “Are You Toxic?” quiz asks respondents a series of questions to help them understand more about the current state of their health, lifestyle and daily habits. At the end of the quiz, people were given a series of recommendations based on their answers, to help them make some simple lifestyle changes and improve overall health.
This quiz also provided the data we needed to complete our study and find out just how toxic people really are!
The quiz is still available to use on our website (it is free & only takes around 2-5 minutes to complete).
Note: No personal information has been, or will ever be shared.
The Data
Over the past 2 months, we have had over 200 people submit a valid, completed quiz (204 results were used for this data analysis). These results have been collected, compiled and used in the analysis of this study.
The Questions / Scoring
There are 24 questions, each with a Yes/No response. For scoring purposes, a “Yes” equals 1 and a “No” equals “0”. The total score is calculated by adding the number of “Yes” responses.
The Results
We knew people had issues with weight, diet, poor lifestyle habits, stress and other factors, but we didn’t realise quite how bad things were.
Some of the results were quite shocking, and in our opinion demonstrate some serious issues affecting people’s physical and mental overall health and wellness.
Below are some of the statistically significant results:
78% of people suffer with stress, anxiety or depression
One of the most shocking results was that over three quarters of people (78%) suffer with stress, anxiety or depression.
This is a worryingly high figure, and although we acknowledge that our quiz is simplistic and only allowed a Yes/No answer, we believe it still highlights a big problem in our society.
Organisations like Mind estimate 1 in 4 people will suffer from mental distress in their lifetime; however, our study shows this figure may be much higher.
83% of people often feel tired, lethargic or have trouble focusing on work
8 out of 10 people OFTEN feel tired & lethargic!
If these results are representative, millions of people in developed nations are living each day in a fog, struggling to concentrate and having trouble focussing on work.
It is also troubling to see that 53% of people rely on stimulants (coffee, sugar, soda) to keep them going through the day!
These issues related to tiredness are probably caused by a range of diet and lifestyle factors; highlighted by some of the other quiz responses for example:
- 53% of people eat out or get take-away meals on a regular basis
- 69% of people regularly eat processed or refined foods
People are consuming refined, processed and empty calorie foods which don’t provide the nutrients that the body needs to perform as it should do.
Add this to a sluggish digestion and an overloaded detoxification system, and it’s no wonder 83% of people are struggling with energy levels on a regular basis.
As our “Are You Toxic” infographic shows, even our fresh produce can be full of chemicals and nutritionally depleted. Refined foods, like white bread, are some of the most dangerous foods in your home.
One encouraging statistic was that less than ¼ of people (22%) drink alcohol more than 3 times a week, however a similar number (21%) smoke or are exposed to 2nd hand smoke on a regular basis.
78% of people find it difficult to lose weight
The most common reason people contact us is to get help with losing excess weight. Most of these people have already tried a number of calorie-controlled diets in the past, but at best achieved limited, short-term results.
Our experience has shown that people who eat a nutrient deficient diet, have a sluggish digestive system and a toxic body find it hard to lose weight.
Because most of the respondents who indicated they have trouble losing weight also eat processed foods and are exposed to a high volume of toxins, we would hypothesise that these two factors do affect people’s ability to lose weight.
When you support the body’s natural detoxification processes and feed the body with the nutrients it needs on a daily basis, people are able to lose weight, and, importantly, keep it off much more easily.
68% of people have digestive concerns: gas, bloating, irregular bowel movements
Studies show that up to 20% of the population are affected by irritable bowel syndrome; however, in our survey it seems that a much higher percentage of people are suffering from ongoing digestive issues like gas, bloating and irregular bowel movements.
Often digestive concerns can be quite painful, embarrassing and affect people’s social lives.
Medical professionals still don’t know why many of these digestive concerns occur. However, in our experience, in comes down to three main factors:
- Diet
- Water
- Exposure to toxins
Here are 4 tips for a healthier digestive system that you may find useful if you have digestive issues.
90% of Respondents are Toxic
With 9 in 10 people using chemical-based personal care products and standard household cleaners, entire families are being exposed to a chemical maze every time they take a shower or clean a room.
Scientists have linked personal care products and household cleaners to impairment to the reproductive system, increased risk of certain types of cancer, asthma, and developmental disabilities (http://www.saferchemicals.org/resources/health.html).
Plus, over 70% of respondents regularly drink unfiltered tap water. Research has shown that many toxic chemicals are in regular tap water, including fluoride, arsenic, aluminium and chlorine (http://www.naturalnews.com/037205_water_toxins_arsenic.html).
- 93% of people use a microwave or mobile phone on a daily basis
- 90% of people use standard personal care products (soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, sunscreens, etc)
- 87% of people use standard household cleaners, detergents and anti-bacterial products
- 87% of people use plastic containers to store food, or drink water from a plastic bottle
- 85% of people drive a car every day
- 78% of people have used antibiotics or over the counter drugs (including Panadol, Ibuprofen and other common pharmacy medications) recently
- 71% of people drink (or shower using) regular unfiltered tap water
- 52% of people have more than one or two mercury amalgams (‘silver’ fillings)
Poor Diet & Toxins Linked to Disease
Our survey did not look at the correlations between poor diet, exposure to toxins, stress or weight on the rate of disease; however, other studies have.
Multiple studies have shown the risk of cancer, and other diseases are higher if you have a poor diet, are overweight, don’t exercise regularly or are exposed to a high level of toxins.
For example a study in the UK published in the British Journal of Cancer showed that the 2nd biggest cause of cancer, after smoking, was a diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Summary
The results of this quiz highlight some serious issues which are not only affecting people’s physical health, but also their mental health, jobs, family time and daily wellness.
Perhaps more worrying are the studies, which are only just starting to be published, linking these diet and lifestyle factors to the onset of serious diseases like cancer.
- It IS NOT normal to be overweight, tired, stressed, irritable and depressed.
- It IS normal to be able to maintain your ideal weight, have enough energy to get you through the day, feel clear-headed and enjoy a feeling of overall vitality and wellness.
People are exposing themselves to too many toxins, eating nutrient depleted diets, being stressed, and not getting enough exercise.
Each of these factors individually puts a stress on the body, but cumulatively the effect is much greater and may be the reason why so many of our respondents are struggling to enjoy optimum health (and perhaps a factor in the rise of so many chronic diseases and conditions?).
What Can You Do?
Get the Word Out There
People need to know that these issues are affecting the majority, not the minority, of the population, and that what they eat, drink and expose their body to really can affect both short-term and long-term health and wellness.
We encourage you to:
- Share this article on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest to reach others who need help.
- Post a link to this page in the forums you use, the websites you visit and the online newspapers you read, to encourage people to wake up and realize they don’t have to spend their lives tired, overweight and unhealthy.
Improving your diet and lifestyle
- Take the quiz and see which areas of your diet and lifestyle you need to work on.
- Make small, achievable changes to reduce your exposure to toxins, improve your diet and reduce stress. For example:
- Drink plenty of filtered water
- Avoid processed and refined foods
- Avoid products which have additives, colors, preservatives, HFCS & other nasties
- Eat plenty of organic/spray free/free-range fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains
- Cleanse the body regularly (using a natural, gentle and safe cleansing program)
- Avoid household toxins by switching to natural cleaning and personal care products
- Reduce your exposure to pollutants, and other environmental toxins
- Manage stress levels through meditation, yoga, or other forms of relaxation
- Improve happiness & sense of worth through community involvement, friendships and altruistic/volunteer activities
- Turn these small steps into healthy, long-term lifestyle habits through daily consistent action
- Enjoy the benefits of a clean, lean and healthy body
Leave a Comment Below
Whether you agree or disagree with our study or philosophy, we would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the box below, or visit our Facebook page.
Disclaimer/Notes
- This is not meant to be interpreted as a representative or statistically significantly study.
- This article contains no advice, only the opinions of the authors.
- We are not medical professionals, and strongly recommend you consult your Doctor before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle.