WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — To help Americans better understand how to maintain their digestive health and overall well-being this holiday season, Activia®has partnered with actress and children’s book author Jamie Lee Curtis to spread the word about the importance of digestive health and how eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential to overall physical and emotional well-being.
A new survey, commissioned by Dannon –The Activia 2012 Well-Being Indexi– shows that 9 in 10 Americans have experienced symptoms of poor digestive health in the past year. Issues like stress, traveling, eating indulgent foods, drinking, and even lack of sleep are all factors that can contribute to poor digestive well-being. With the holiday season in full swing, these factors often collide, so it’s no surprise that 25 million Americans are likely to suffer from symptoms particularly during this time of year.
More than half of Americans admit that fatigue, stress, digestive issues and a desire for a more balanced diet are all reasons why they might rethink holiday plans, such as traveling or visiting a relative. And 17% actually worry about experiencing digestive issues and having to use the restroom while visiting someone for the holidays.
As an actress, busy mom and author, Jamie Lee Curtis is an expert in balancing her priorities in life especially during the holidays, insisting that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the key to her success. “Digestive well-being has always been important to me. The good news is that there are simple steps Americans can take to achieve good digestive health, such as incorporating certain yogurts like Activia which can help regulate the digestive system when consumed daily as part of a healthy lifestyleii,” said Jamie.
For many years, Jamie has led the conversation around the importance of digestive health and how a balanced diet and exercise are invaluable parts of physical and emotional well-being. The holidays and the New Year are perfect times for Americans to rethink their digestive well-being routine so that they can fully enjoy the festivities and start the upcoming year off right.
“Our recent survey shows how much of a toll digestive issues can have on Americans. One in eight believe they are extremely knowledgeable about doing everything they can to have the best digestive health possible. We feel that it’s particularly important that Americans are educated on digestive health so that they can be in better control of their overall well-being”, said Michael Neuwirth, Senior Director of Public Relations at Dannon.
Additional key findings from the Activia 2012 Well-Being Survey include:
• Over half of Americans (55%) say that having a healthy digestive system promotes a feeling of well-being; and one –third of American women (37%) think poor digestive health has a negative impact on overall well-being.
• More than half (53%) of those suffering from poor digestive health say that digestive health is more likely to impact their emotional state.
• 39% of Americans say that experiencing symptoms of poor digestive health, like temporary irregularity, is likely to throw off their entire dayiii.
• Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) who experienced poor digestive health would be willing to give up something else in their lives for a year in order to never have to deal with associated symptoms again.
• Nearly eight in ten Americans (77%) believe poor digestive health isn’t just a part of life; instead, they believe it can be prevented.
To learn more about Activia, visit www.activia.com.
About the Activia 2012 Well-Being Survey:
The Activia Well-Being survey was conducted online by Kelton between October 19th and October 25th among 1,017 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over and an additional 521 nationally representative American women ages 18 and over.
About The Dannon Company, Inc.
Headquartered in White Plains, New York, The Dannon Company, Inc. has plants in Minster, OH, Fort Worth, TX, West Jordan, UT, and Portland, OR, which make more than 200 different flavors, styles and sizes of cultured refrigerated and frozen dairy products to serve its retail and foodservice customers. Dannon brings health through food to as many people as possible via its diverse offering of delicious and wholesome fresh and frozen yogurts.
Dannon is a subsidiary of Danone, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone. Dannon’s commitment to health is also illustrated through the support of the Dannon Institute, a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting research, education, and communication about the links between nutrition, diet and health.
Danone is one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world. Its mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible. The company, whose products are sold on five continents, has more than 180 production plants and around 100,000 employees. In 2011, Danone generated sales of €19 billion, of which more than half were in emerging markets. The company holds top positions in healthy food through four businesses: Fresh Dairy Products, Baby Nutrition, Bottled Water, and Medical Nutrition. Listed on Euronext Paris, Danone is a component stock of leading social responsibility indexes including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, ASPI Eurozone and the Ethibel Sustainability Index.
i Activia Well-Being Index Online Survey conducted by Kelton in October 2012, on behalf of Dannon.
ii When consumed daily as part of a healthy and balanced diet for two weeks.
iii Clinical studies show that Activia, with B. lactis DN 173-010, helps with slow intestinal transit or occasional irregularity when consumed 3 times per day for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Source: The Dannon Company, Inc.