Which recurring health issues affect Americans?

The average American only feels “fully healthy” for just 19 days of a typical month, according to new research.

A new survey of 2,000 Americans regarding their daily wellness found that only 28% felt completely healthy at the time of responding, while 72% reported being in moderate or poor health.

Respondents were asked to self-report on how many days of a typical month they feel fully on form, with the average response coming in at 19 days.

The most common issues respondents say they battle with regularly that prevent them from feeling fully healthy are digestive issues (9.8 days per month), fatigue (12.9 days per month), mood changes (10.1 days per month) and headaches (7.5 days).

The survey, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Doctor's Best, saw a startling 51% of people polled are living with recurring health issues that have lasted for a period of six months or longer.

Gut issues are a common problem these days, affecting about one-third of respondents. Close to a third said they’ve started labeling themselves as someone with “gut issues.”

Thirty percent of individuals reported regularly experiencing bloating, indigestion, and constipation.

“If the average American only feels healthy 19 days a month, perhaps the real epidemic is how much suffering we have learned to tolerate,” said Gale Bensussen, CEO of Doctor’s Best. “Gut issues and fatigue are often discussed as if they are just a normal part of life. Feeling well shouldn’t be considered an exception; it should be the baseline.”

So, how is this lack of feeling our best manifesting?

Over half of those employed (65%) in the survey feel that their lack of well-being impacts their performance at work, while more than four in 10 said it limits their ability to exercise.

Fifteen percent said that not feeling well has impacted their ability to fully enjoy time with their family.

Almost half of respondents (48%) said that having consistent gut issues has made them avoid sex. 

Thirty-two percent of men polled reported struggling with ED symptoms.

Gut issues are becoming more prevalent in younger age groups, with Gen Z being the largest group suffering from gut issues.

The results also revealed differences between genders. Men were more likely to believe that their inability to consistently feel their best affects their sleep. Additionally, they were more inclined to report that this struggle impacts their work productivity.

Men were still less likely to report being proactive on addressing day-to-day health and showed more hesitancy in visiting a doctor.

There is hope for change though, as 38% of men and 37% of women polled said they were willing to try supplements to help alleviate their gut issues.

“When your gut is unbalanced, everything else begins to suffer — work, sleep, intimacy, and even the simple joy of being with family,” said Katie Lucas, CMO of Doctor’s Best. “We often try to convince ourselves that health is a private issue, but the statistics show otherwise. When we don’t feel well, it affects every aspect of our lives. Healing the gut isn’t just about improving digestion; it’s about reclaiming the parts of life we’re gradually losing."

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans (1,000 men and 1,000 women, 18+); the survey was commissioned by Doctor’s Best and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between April 18 – 24, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.