For a Healthy 2015, Swap Lofty New Year's Resolutions for Little Changes

FOLSOM, Calif., Jan. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Every January, Americans reflect on the past and look to the future, often setting drastic health-related New Year's resolutions they struggle to keep; an overwhelming 92 percent of resolution-setters failing to see them through.

This year, actress, author and TV host Alison Sweeney and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council aim to curb that trend, releasing findings from a poll fielded by ORC International*, and ringing in the New Year with a sweepstakes and motivational campaign challenging Americans to trade their lofty resolutions for more realistic lifestyle changes.

Choose Little, Win Big
ORC's research revealed that four out of five Americans (82%) believe that making small lifestyle changes is a more effective way to improve health than making major changes that might require more self-discipline.

"Instead of setting big New Year's resolutions, I encourage people to set small and sustainable goals," said Sweeney. "Whether that means drinking an extra glass of water each day, signing up for a 5K, or adding blueberries to your usual oatmeal or yogurt, it's the little changes that will add up to a healthier lifestyle over time."

Among the changes poll respondents indicated as being easy to keep are spending more time with family (79 percent) and eating more healthy foods like blueberries (72 percent).

Ditch Deprivation, Ditch Frustration
While New Year's resolutions have the tendency to make both men and women act irrationally or adopt a defeatist attitude, the poll found little changes make people feel more confident (61 percent), more likely to make additional positive changes (60 percent) and happier (58 percent).

Diets, on the other hand, tend to create unnecessary drama:

• A third of women (32 percent) and almost a quarter of men (20 percent) have given up on a diet completely after slipping up
• One in seven (14 percent) have snapped at someone because their diet was making them crazy

Additionally, respondents found it easier to add healthy foods like blueberries (50 percent) and broccoli (51 percent) to their diets than to eliminate things like gluten (16 percent) or dessert (33 percent), suggesting deprivation is not the best method for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Little Changes Sweepstakes
Sweeney and the Blueberry Council encourage Americans to join the growing Little Changes movement in 2015 by visiting littlebluedynamos.com/littlechanges2015 and:

• Entering the Little Changes Sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes like a trip for two to LA for the Little Changes Kitchen Challenge with Alison Sweeney and a variety of gift cards,
• Accessing year-round Little Changes inspiration, tips and recipes and
• Subscribing to monthly emails that serve as Little Changes reminders.

Visit www.littlebluedynamos.com for more details.

*Poll Methodology
This report presents the findings of a survey conducted by ORC International among a sample of 1,028 adults comprising 516 men and 512 women 18 years of age and older. The online omnibus study is conducted twice a week among a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older. This survey was live on November 6-9, 2014. Completed interviews are weighted by five variables: age, sex, geographic region, race and education to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population, 18 years of age and older. The raw data are weighted by a custom designed program which automatically develops a weighting factor for each respondent. Each respondent is assigned a single weight derived from the relationship between the actual proportion of the population based on US Census data with its specific combination of age, sex, geographic characteristics, race and education and the proportion in the sample. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. The data have been weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the 18+ population.

About the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is an agriculture promotion group, representing blueberry growers and packers in North and South America who market their blueberries in the United States, and works to promote the growth and well-being of the entire blueberry industry. The blueberry industry is committed to providing blueberries that are grown, harvested, packed and shipped in clean, safe environments. Learn more about blueberries at www.littlebluedynamos.com or www.facebook.com/littlebluedynamos.

CONTACT:
Nikki Parrotte
(703) 894-5460
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141229/166443

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SOURCE U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council

Related Links

http://www.blueberrycouncil.org