Most British people are in complete denial about their health, and many will lie to health professionals without batting an eyelid, according to new research.

A study into the nation’s attitudes to their wellbeing has revealed that members of the British public tell on average 20 fibs a week about their lifestyles.

A staggering 61 per cent of the 2,000 adults who took part in the study admitted they were in denial about their health, with 16 per cent claiming they “always” paint a healthier picture of their lives to others.

Fifteen per cent have told acquaintances that they are a non-smoker when it wasn’t the case, while 13 per cent routinely play down the level of alcohol they consume. A further 12 percent claim they are “gym-goer”, regardless of how often they actually frequent the gym.

However, the biggest fib to emerge from the poll was how much water we drink – with 18 per cent claiming they drink more than one litre of it every day.

While the survey did not specify the number of lies people tell their pharmacists, it did discover that 19 percent of people routinely lie to their GPs about their lifestyles. More than one in four people (41 per cent) admitted to filling medical forms in inaccurately “to give a better impression” of themselves.

When asked why they did this, 26 per cent said it was because of peer pressure and 14 percent said it was because of celebrity influences. Around one in four (23 per cent) said “everyone does it”.

The UK’s 20 top health and fitness fibs:

1. I drink more than 1 litre of water a day
2. I don’t watch much telly
3. I only drink at weekends
4. I visit the gym regularly
5. My kids aren’t allowed sweets
6. I have a normal BMI
7. I never eat takeaways
8. I don’t really like chocolate
9. I don’t like the taste of alcohol
10. I’m not a fan of fried food
11. My kids love vegetables
12. I never eat fast food
13. I lift really heavy weights
14. I only shop at organic supermarkets
15. I don’t eat any saturated fat
16. I won’t have processed food in the house
17. I have never tried a kebab
18. I don’t eat carbs at all
19. I’ve run a marathon
20. My children never eat fast food

 

Source: Survey of 2,000 adult workers by KP Nuts, February 2017.