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Nearly 50% Indian fathers are under work stress: FGILI Study

New Delhi: Becoming a father is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. However, it also comes with big responsibilities and sacrifices. According to a study conducted by Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Limited and Market Xcel – Market Agency Research in India, Indian fathers in their characteristic way are more worried about their child’s future than their own health.

A sample size of 1319 respondents with an average age of 35 years were surveyed across seven cities. A majority of the people surveyed had a graduate degree and had a household income with more than 5 lakh rupees.

The study, which comes ahead of Father’s Day, finds that in the pursuit of achieving their financial goals, dads are making their health take a backseat. As per the study, only 19 out of 100 fathers surveyed place their health as the topmost priority. At the same time, 49 out of 100 fathers are under work stress most of the times, which is taking a toll on their health.

It also revealed that 68% of Indian fathers are working 6 days in a week. Further, the average working hours are 7-9 hours for 55% of fathers. With changing lifestyles, fathers are concerned about their health but feel they are not able to do enough about it. Consequently, they feel fatigued and tired regularly. Vacation with family and outing with friends are seen to be the most preferred solution to overcome work-related stress.

Interestingly, nearly half of the respondents have health insurance at an overall level. The penetration of health insurance is low in cities like Kolkata, Delhi, and Lucknow.

Rakesh Wadhwa, Chief Marketing Officer, Future Generali India Life Insurance Company commented, “Through this study, we wanted to understand life’s priorities of Indian fathers and their health habits. While health is one of most talked about subjects in families, our fast-paced lifestyle is increasingly taking away personal time from us. Young fathers who neglect their health are far more prone to lifestyle diseases and work-related stress than ever before. As the study indicated, fathers often end up sacrificing their own health goals while providing the best for their children. We believe that health is your true wealth and therefore, it should be prioritised over any other financial goal you may wish to achieve in life.”

As most of the people are engaged in private/service sector they are often under work stress. For example, in metros like Mumbai, 62 out of 100 respondents feel under work stress most of the time. In non-metros like Jaipur, 58 out of 100 respondents reel under work stress most of the time.

46% of survey respondent expressed that time is a major constraint they face to achieve health and wellness goals. Also 85% of father’s feel that their careers don’t allow them to have a work-life balance.

Good nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and the study found that 75% pay attention to what they eat. Young fathers prefer to follow diet plans and getting adequate sleep to maintain good health. Surprisingly, having a fitness routine and following a regular work-out regime was not the top choice. 36% feel it is expensive to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

A hectic lifestyle has paved the way for stress, fatigue, and neglected health. There is a widespread understanding of the benefits of healthy living; however, fathers are neglecting the need to take actions that will positively impact their health in the longer run.