Being physically healthy is no longer enough today. The definition of being healthy has expanded from simply not being physically ill to encompass mental health, sexual health, mindfulness and work-life balance, according to a new study by Wunderman Thompson.
"The Well Economy Thailand" survey by the affiliate of the global communications group WPP involved interviews with a representative sample of 500 respondents about how they viewed life in the modern world. It looked at four contextual topics that affect the health of Thai people: Health Definition, Reasons for Not Being Healthy, Treatment, and Health & Technology.
Among Generation X and baby boomers, mental health is regarded as an integral part of the definition of "health". But for Gen Z and Millennials, the immediate association is "physical health" and "fitness".
Good diet, including choosing healthy food and paying attention to food labels, is perceived as the most important factor for a healthy lifestyle -- and surprisingly higher than exercise.
For Thai people, a key to leading a healthy life is to maintain a positive self-image, which is related to staying in good shape and having no serious diseases, with 82% of respondents saying that it is important that they look good.
Meanwhile, 50% of Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X are obsessed in keeping their body in good shape and staying fit; they often get anxious about their weight and about not being muscular enough. Eighty-nine percent of all respondents acknowledged that making healthy choices has already become a trend.
CAUSES OF ILL HEALTH
Ninety percent of those surveyed believe environmental issues could affect their health, rather than blaming their personal behaviours and lifestyles. The government is also expected to step up and take care of the people.
Money or personal finance is another key factor leading to stress (58%). This is similar to findings in other countries such as Australia (52% of respondents), China (42%) and Indonesia (60%). There is a feeling of insufficient income to make ends meet, leading to mental stress and then physical and mental illnesses and the need for treatment that has to be paid for, and more rounds of exactly the same things. Moreover, Gen X tends to have the most stress in all aspects of life.
When sick, Thai people tend to treat themselves with over-the-counter pain, flu or cold relievers rather than prescription medication. Millennials (66%) and Gen X (73%) often quickly treat themselves with a common painkiller; these are relatively higher percentages than among other generations. They also take "natural" medicine as an option.
Another strong trend is online solutions complementing offline advice for all ages: 46% of baby boomers say they would visit a clinic and also do more research about their symptoms online, while Gen Z (30%), Millennials (27%) and Gen X (25%) look for health or medical advice from social media, and Gen Z (19%) would prefer to chat with a doctor online.
Buddhism also has a positive influence on health, as evident from the findings that Thai people have the highest rates of self-meditation and therapy in both the physical and emotional aspects: a 78% meditation rate against a global average of 51%; 60% visit spas against 53% global average; and 50% say they would visit a therapist against a 30% average globally.
HEALTH APPS RISING
New technology has strong potential for helping keep people healthy, but education about what and how is needed, along with reassurance of data security. More than half of respondents worldwide do not currently use health applications to track their health, even in highly developed countries such as Japan.
Among baby boomers in Thailand, 78% use no apps to track health. The key reasons vary by age. Lack of knowledge in what these apps do, and how, as well as trust in doctors over tech are the key reasons among older people. Millennials (56%), Gen X (47%) and Gen Z (44%) are the key potential user groups for health apps.
Those who use apps believe that if used correctly, they would help them achieve their goals according to their definition of health. They use health apps to track their fitness, weight, heart rate, and diet and/or daily nutrition. Moreover, 87% believe that technology could have helped them be healthier than they are currently, and 81% prefer to track their health at home rather than visit a doctor.
The "well economy" condition of Thai people is a key index of the nation's strength and stability, Wunderman researchers believe. Physical and mental health is a sum of the interrelation between degrees of personal well-being, the nation's economic growth, and social conditions at the macro level.
To build a "quality nation", there is a need for "quality people". Therefore, staying abreast of health across physical, mental and sexual health as well as mindfulness and work-life balance is becoming a priority. The goal is to promote healthier ways of living before health issues develop into a persistent cycle of "broke, stressed and ill" people, which can ultimately affect the nation's security.
