Just enjoy life.
Quebeckers (90%) are most likely to say they live a healthy
lifestyle. They are followed by Canadians living in Alberta (87%), British
Columbia (85%), Ontario (84%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (83%) and
Atlantic
Canada (77%).
When asked if they exercise at least twice a week, drink alcohol, eat unhealthy foods such as fast food or snack foods, or smoke, the only significant difference between Quebec and the rest of Canada is in terms of “eating unhealthy foods”. At 25%, Quebeckers are far less likely to say they do so compared to the national average of 30%. (Source: Ipsos Reid survey for RBC released January 27, 2009)
This is about perceptions (I believe I lead a healthy lifestyle) and reported behaviour (I do not eat unhealthy foods). Does reality match perceptions in Quebec when it comes to healthy, active living? We will take a closer look at objective health indicators in future posts.
One thing is clear. Quebeckers approach health maintenance differently. Just look at two data points from PMB 2008. On one hand, they are significantly more likely to say they “enjoy keeping fit” (56.6% of Quebeckers agree compared to 46.6% of Canadians in the ROC). Yet they are far more likely to say they “rarely exercise, jog or play an active sport” (37.4% of Quebeckers agree compared to 31.4% of Canadians in the ROC).
52% of Canadians outside Quebec say that “exercise is an important part of my life” while only 45.7% of Quebeckers say so.
What if the secret to healthy living is joyful living? What if the key here is the “enjoyment” part of “I enjoy keeping fit”.
There are indications. Quebeckers are significantly less likely to “feel guilty when they eat junk food”. They are less likely to “reward themselves by having a snack”. And less likely to say they “try to eat smaller portions”.
Perhaps that’s another take on the French paradox. Just relax and “enjoy” keeping fit.
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