January 10,2007
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Less Weight, Not Debt, is Priority
With the time of New Year's resolutions just behind us, a survey from TransUnion and Roper showed that more Americans were concerned with slimming their waistlines than their debt load. Displaying a singular commitment to only one resolution for 2007, 37% of Americans have vowed to shed pounds in 2007, compared to 22% who want to get rid of their outstanding debt. This is an almost exact switch from last year, when 37% of consumers wanted to get fiscally fit in 2006, and 29% wanted to fit into a smaller size. The two goals have long duked it out for Resolution of the Year, and the trade off is normal, experts say.
The poll found that losing 10 pounds or more would be considered "very or somewhat difficult" by almost half of all Americans represented, while only 31% rated dropping their debt at the same level of challenge. Furthermore, it showed that age impacts priorities – those under 50 were more concerned with paying off debt; the over-50 crowd were more interested in undertaking or continuing a healthy lifestyle. The poll, most interestingly, showed that just a little less than half of Americans bother making resolutions for the New Year – maybe, because they are too afraid of failing, as they perceive their goal to be unattainable.