Two-fifths of under-30s say they are 'lazy'

April 22, 2016, 4:34 PM GMT+0

Nearly half of under-30s say that they are physically lazy, and over half of Americans have driven rather than walk less than five minutes

America may not be the world's fattest country, but the United States is certainly one of the heaviest countries in the developed world. The sugar heavy American diet undoubtedly plays a role in this, but so does the sedentary American lifestyle built around suburban housing and long car journeys instead of short walks. The average American takes 5,117 steps a day, compared to 9,560 in Switzerland.

YouGov's latest research shows that most Americans (61%) say that they are physically active, but 30% say that they are physically lazy. Perhaps surprisingly the youngest Americans are the most likely to describe themselves as lazy. 43% of under-30s say that they are physically lazy, compared to 22% of over-65s.

Americans in general may in reality not be that active, however. 57% say that they have driven a car from their home to a place which is less than a five minute walk away. Only in the Northeast are people more likely to say that they have walked five minutes instead of driven.

Full poll results can be found here and topline results and margin of error here.