2 days Ago By Katrina Turrill
ARE you clued up on general health and wellbeing knowledge - knowing how much fruit and veg you should eat a day and the amount of exercise you should aim for each week? An online tool can help you find out your Health IQ number and how you compare to the rest of the nation. Advertisement 2 A new quiz has been developed to test people's knowledge on different aspects of health Credit: Getty 2 Be quizzed about BMI, healthy cholesterol levels and early diabetes symptoms with the online tool Credit: Bluecrest Questions delve into nutrition and diet, chronic conditions and preventative health, resulting in suggested ways to take a more proactive approach to your health - have a go at the quiz here . It comes as a poll of 2,000 adults found they will diagnose themselves with 1,202 illnesses and ailments over the course of their lifetime by turning to ‘Dr Google’.
The first thing 14 per cent do when they start feeling unwell is search their symptoms online, rather than going to a pharmacy, making a GP appointment or visiting a walk-in centre. Individuals typically do this twice a month, but Gen-Z’s do so more than any other generation at three times a month. Advertisement Read more on cancer symptoms DON'T DELAY One in 3 put off a GP visit for worrying cancer symptoms for six MONTHS CHECK YOURSELF The 18 cancer symptoms to know, as half of Brits can't name killer signs The research was commissioned by Bluecrest and found the majority turn to search engines for insights (77 per cent), followed by medical websites and AI platforms (15 per cent).
As a result, 56 per cent have self-diagnosed themselves with an illness - and 33 per cent of those who have done so were incorrect with their diagnosis. They only found out they’d falsely detected something when they received correct test results (38 per cent), spoke to a professional at their local surgery (38 per cent) or visited hospital (34 per cent). Dr Martin Thornton, chief medical officer at Bluecrest said: “We rely on online sources for so much of our information these days.
” Advertisement Most read in Health 'HUGE SHOCK' I thought I hurt myself at football but in reality the truth was much worse Breaking FARM FEARS 28 people sick with parasite infection after stroking lambs at UK farm HUGE STEP New five-minute 'super-jab' rolled out on NHS to treat 15 types of cancer WAKE-UP CALL Struggle to fall asleep or feel TATT? You could be at risk of early death “But when it comes to our health, we shouldn’t solely accept what we read online, particularly when the source isn’t backed up by reliable, expert-led research. “Although it’s useful to find out what symptoms might mean and get a quick answer, the outcomes can cause more worry than its worth. Life-saving NHS health checks to spot killer diseases will be carried out at work “We created the Health IQ because we believe health intelligence has never been more important, in this world of growing misinformation.
“We hope our tool can help change that, making people more aware of their health knowledge, and encouraging them to take proactive steps to understand their bodies better.” Advertisement The research also found reasons for initially searching online include to get a quicker answer (51 per cent), peace of mind (43 per cent) and to find out what the next symptoms might be (22 per cent). Despite this, 34 per cent believe searching online when feeling unwell often tells you the worst news and 40 per cent said it can cause more issues in the long run.
And 38 per cent admitted while it’s quick and easy to self-diagnose it’s often incorrect. A fifth have sought professional help after being alarmed by online results, but on average people wait six days before speaking to a medic. Advertisement The OnePoll stats also revealed lack of knowledge around health and wellbeing, including 20 per cent not knowing the recommended daily fruit and veg portion number is five.
A further 61 per cent aren’t aware the advised amount of physical activity adults should aim for a week is 150 minutes and half don't know the healthy range for BMI – which is between 18.5-24.9.
Dr Martin added: “The results of the research and our Health IQ tool highlight some gaps in knowledge around general wellbeing, nutrition and conditions. Read more on the Scottish Sun TOUCHING MOMENT Moment Kate has sweet encounter with kids on trip to stunning Scots island GREAT SCOT Little-known Scottish tourist attraction in running to be crowned best in UK “It’s important to be clued up on your own health status in order to correctly treat and prevent issues. Advertisement “In the long run this will help have a smarter approach to personal health.
” Eight ways to stay on top of your health Keep to a healthy weight Do regular exercise Make sure you get good quality sleep Eat well Cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink Quit smoking Get help for addiction Look after your sexual health Source: NHS.
