A YouGov survey commissioned by Your.MD has found that Britain is set to emerge unhealthier from lockdown, with four out of five people (81%) reporting an increase in harmful habits, including smoking, poor diet and staying up late. Yet only a third (31%) of those surveyed plan to shake off their new habits after lockdown, with the North West coming out on top in England (34%).
Almost a fifth (17%) of people claim to have started drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week (approx two bottles of wine) during lockdown, and 9% have taken up smoking. This is more common in 35-44-year-olds (20% and 13% respectively).
A third (33%) of the public say their eating habits are less healthy now than before lockdown began, with full-time students and 18-24-year-olds at the forefront of the trend (47% and 49% respectively).
In spite of a rise in online fitness classes and government encouragement to get outside to exercise, 30% said they had become less active during lockdown. Poor sleep is also impacting people, with just under one third (29%) saying they're not sleeping as well during lockdown, and over two thirds (67%) are not making extra efforts to get a better night's sleep.
"Now that our normal lives are suspended, so are the cues we used to be exposed to and so our habits will have changed too" explains behavioural economist, Denise Hampson "We will have replaced them with new ones based around the routine of our lockdown lives.
"We are also facing an extreme period of collective anxiety" she adds "Nothing we used to do can be taken for granted anymore and we are less clear on what the future holds. This leads to soothing behaviour, to make us feel better, so it's no surprise we are drinking more alcohol, consuming more social media, smoking and snacking unhealthily."
Against this, almost half of the survey's respondents (45%) have been taking extra steps to look after their mental health during lockdown - from seeking WhatsApp group advice (14%), to following YouTube videos (8%) and using smartphone apps (10%). When it comes to managing their mental health, 18-24 year-olds unexpectedly prefer to write in diaries (17%) more than use smartphone apps (12%).
Full-time students have come out on top in terms of looking after their mental health and wellbeing (63%), with retired people coming in last, at 36%. This correlates with the latest ONS (Office for National Statistics) survey which reveals that 65% of people feel more stressed and anxious and 27% say it is making their mental health worse.
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