ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 26, 2016
/PRNewswire/ -- If you have ever asked yourself, "What makes
me feel most fulfilled?" you are not alone. Nearly 2 million people
recently answered that question in a new survey by Abbott, the
global healthcare company. The goal of the survey was to understand
what living fully means to different people and spark a
conversation about happiness, health and human potential.
Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7820151-abbott-full-life-survey/
"We uncovered the passions and obstacles that people have as
they try to live their best lives. We set out to get people talking
about what it means to live fully and how they can get the most
from their lives," said Elaine
Leavenworth, senior vice president, chief marketing and
external affairs officer, Abbott. "Ultimately, we want to help
people live the fullest, healthiest life possible. Understanding
more about what people value the most and what gets in their way
will help us serve them better."
The survey revealed several universal truths, such as family is
key to a full life and money and time are the biggest barriers. The
survey also highlighted the importance of attitude. Respondents
said it was the No. 1 reason why they believed others live
fully.
Abbott Asked the Following Questions:
- What is the one thing that makes you feel the most
fulfilled?
- On a scale of 1 to 100, with 1 being "not at all living fully"
and 100 being "living fully," how would you rate yourself?
- Think of a person who you believe is living fully. Why do you
think they live life so well?
- What keeps you from living your life fully?
Key Findings
- More than 32 percent of respondents said the No. 1 key to a
full life is FAMILY, followed by SUCCESS (12%); GIVING (8%) and
HEALTH (7%).
- Twenty-three percent of respondents said that ATTITUDE matters,
and is the No. 1 reason people believe others are living full
lives. Other key drivers were MONEY (16%), HEALTH (11%) and FAMILY
(10%).
- People said MONEY (44%) is the top barrier to living a full
life, followed by TIME (33%), WORK (20%) and PRIORITIES (17%).
- On a scale from 1 – 100 rating how fulfilled we are, the
overall global median was 68.
- When asked what they wished for their kids, more than 40
percent of people surveyed said they want GOOD HEALTH (41%),
followed by GREAT ADVENTURE (29%) and CAREER SUCCESS (17%).
- People who chose FAMILY or SPIRITUALITY as reasons why they are
most fulfilled often rated themselves higher on how well they are
currently "living fully." People who chose SUCCESS or MUSIC rated
themselves lower on the fulfillment scale.
- According to the survey results, the top 10 most fulfilled
countries were China (79.2),
Costa Rica (77.9), Colombia (76.2), Mexico (74.8), Indonesia (74.3), Thailand (72.9), Peru (72.3), Germany (71.7), Philippines (71.6) and Malaysia (69.1). The U.S. came in at 65 on the
scale of living fulfilled, just a few points under the global
median of 68.
"These results reflect a dynamic that has been ingrained in
humans for much of history. There's always a sense of tension
between what we value as society and what might actually be
possible for individuals," said Eric
Hedberg, Ph.D., sociologist and assistant professor,
Sanford School of Social and Family
Dynamics, Arizona State University.
"Around the world, most societies value family and success; these
are core needs of any human being. However, not every society
provides the same opportunities to achieve those goals. Instead of
accepting barriers to fulfillment, it's important for individuals
to refocus on what they can do to change these
conditions."
Other Notable Results
- HEALTH was listed as a top three reason why people believe
others are living a full life.
- India, Philippines, Costa
Rica, Puerto Rico,
Peru, Argentina and France rated FAMILY as No. 1 to living fully,
but those same countries also said FAMILY was a major barrier.
- AGE and GENDER were not seen as barriers to living a full live
in most countries surveyed.
- Russia and Puerto Rico are the only two geographies to
list MUSIC as a key to living fully.
- Netherlands, Italy, Vietnam and Russia all ranked COMMUNITY at No. 4 as a top
attribute to a full life.
- Australia and France rated ADVENTURE as the second highest
factor to living fully. They were the only two countries that had
this answer in their top rankings.
"Living a full life begins with health. That's our belief at
Abbott, and our survey found that many people around the world
agree," said Leavenworth. "We hope that by inspiring people to
think about what matters most to them and providing insight into
ways to overcome key barriers in their lives, we will help people
do more of what they love with the people they love."
From Insight to Action
Inspired by these global
insights and as part of Abbott's effort to encourage others to live
life fully, the global healthcare company is developing a series of
tips/hacks that will help overcome some of the barriers uncovered
in the global survey. These hacks will be simple, cost-effective
ways to bring people together to make healthier choices, amp up
their physical activity and live their best life. The tips will be
backed by Abbott expert insights, science and "real world"
road-testing from families worldwide.
Throughout 2016, Abbott will share these simple hacks on Twitter
via @AbbottGlobal and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott. You
also can share your own hacks with #fullosophy. To learn more about
the global study and to get more inspiration and ideas, visit
www.LifetotheFullest.abbott.
About the Abbott Survey:
Why is living fully
important? It can be summed up by Abbott's mission, helping people
live the best and fullest lives they can, through better health –
LIFE. TO THE FULLEST. The goal of the survey was to
understand what fulfillment means around the world and spark
conversation about this topic. Nearly 2 million people globally
participated through online surveys, social media channels and
onsite events from September 2015
through March 2016. More of the
global data summary can be found here.
About Abbott:
At Abbott, we're committed to helping
you live your best possible life through the power of health. For
more than 125 years, we've brought new products and technologies to
the world – in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded
generic pharmaceuticals – that create more possibilities for more
people at all stages of life. Today, 74,000 of us are working to
help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150
countries we serve.
Visit www.LifetotheFullest.abbott to learn more. Connect with us
at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on
Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.
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SOURCE Abbott