Study reveals 5 health topics that unite GOP, Dems, independents

While political lines are being drawn left and right — figuratively and actually — there are some topics that bring America together when it comes to personal health. While they may not see eye-to-eye on issues like abortion and the Affordable Care Act, it turns out that Republicans, independents and Democrats see more eye-to-eye than not when it comes to their physical, mental and even sexual health, according to a study from Hims. 

These are the five health topics that connect Americans across party lines.

1. Weight is a top source of stress

Outside of finances and their future, all parties agree that a top source of stress is their weight. 25% of Democrats, 24% of independents and 26% of Republicans say their weight is weighing heavily on their mind. Weight even ranked higher than key issues like the state of the world (20% are stressed), climate change (13%) and the upcoming presidential election (12%). 

In fact, the majority of all parties (60%) said that their weight was impactful (35%) or very impactful (25%) on how they felt during the day — even more impactful than their social media (45%), their news feeds (46%), what others think of them (49%) and even their job performance (58%). 

Furthermore, 72% of independents and Democrats and 74% of Republicans agree or somewhat agree, “My life would be a lot better if I were 10 pounds lighter.” And two-thirds of Americans of all parties say they are open to prescription weight loss medication.

2. Mental health is more important than physical appearance

Republicans, Democrats and independents agree on the importance of mental health. 

When asked what’s more important, their mental well-being or their physical appearance, all parties agreed that their mental health was the top priority: 66% of Democrats and 63% of both independents and Republicans chose their inner well-being over their outer appearances. Eighty-five percent of Democrats, 86% of independents and 84% of Republicans agree, “I believe the world is facing a mental health crisis.”

What measures do they think we should take to address the issue? 

Access to mental health care tops their list with 90% of Democrats, 89% of independents and 86% of Republicans saying that this type of care should be a universal right. Over 70% of each party doesn’t have confidence in the current American health care system, particularly when it comes to mental health, and 60% are unsure if their current health care covers mental health care. 

3. Hair matters for mental health

Mental health may matter more than physical appearance, but that doesn’t negate the power of a great hair day. In fact, the vast majority of all parties agree that a good hair day improves their mental state: 84% of Democrats, independents and Republicans agree, “It’s amazing how much a good hair day can improve my mood,” and over one-quarter of each party say that it improves their mental health. 

The power of hair may even spur the economy, with more than 1 in 10 Americans saying great hair inspires them to buy something new. 

Here are the top 10 ways a great hair day shapes America’s perception of themselves. 

1. 37% say it boosts my confidence

2. 27% say it makes me smile more

3. 26% say it improves my mental health

4. 20% say it makes me more social

4. 19% say it makes me more attractive to my partner

6. 17% say it makes me want to do something special

7. 15% say it changes others’ perceptions of me

8. 15% say it inspires me to exercise, or be more healthy

9. 15% say it makes me want to treat myself or buy something new

10. 15% say it improves my sex life

4. The same three things impact our morning outlook

Good health may not depend on a great start to the day, but a healthy outlook on life when you wake up sure can’t hurt. Despite the differences among political parties, a perfect morning looks exactly the same. 

All parties agree it begins with a great night’s sleep, a good cup of coffee and their partner saying “I love you.” After that, it’s a sunny morning and morning sex that rounds out Democrats’, independents’ and Republicans’ perfect start to the day. 

There were a few places the parties diverged, albeit slightly. Republicans were more likely to say that great sex the previous night was an added bonus to the next day; Democrats want more personal space than do the other parties; and independents were more likely to say an inspiring idea was a great way to kick off their day.  

What was at the bottom of their list for great ways to start the day? News. What showed up in their news feeds mattered very little, with only 9% saying that it positively influenced their morning.

5. Sex supersedes social media

All parties agree that more sex and less screen time is a good equation. Democrats, independents and Republicans equally say their sex lives matter more than their social media. When forced to choose one over the other, 56% of Democrats and 57% of both independents and Republicans chose sex over social media. 

Independents, however, are the sexiest party. They spend the most on sex yearly — $468 vs. $270 among Democrats and $314 among Republicans. 

Additionally, 21% of independents have a sex toy no one knows about vs.19% of Democrats and 16% of Republicans. Finally, independents are the most likely of the political parties to say they’d like more experimentation in their sex life.

What are Democrats and Republicans looking for to spice up their sex life? There were very few differences. Both parties agree that better sex begins with more sex (No. 1 answer choice), and better orgasms (No. 2). From there, Democrats want less stressful sex (No. 3) and more endurance (No. 4), whereas Republicans want a better libido (No. 3) and more confidence (No. 4). Rounding out both parties’ #5 was more intimate sex.

Data and methodology

This study is based on a 5,504-person online survey, which included 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in the top 50 metropolitan areas (100 respondents per city) and a nationally representative sample of 504 18-to-65-year-old respondents to contextualize results. The study was fielded in May 2024.

Findings were analyzed by more than 100 demographic and psychographic cuts, including city, region, gender (when we refer to “women” and “men,” we include all people who self-identify as such), age, race and ethnicity, relationship status, parenting status, sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual, queer, etc.) and political affiliation, among other areas of interest. 

Note: Agree responses throughout include those who either “agree” or “somewhat agree” with the statements.

All data in this study are from this source, unless otherwise noted. Independent research firm Culture Co-op conducted and analyzed research and findings.

Tips for a healthier start to your day

Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating more protein can help you feel fuller for longer between meals and can even help with weight loss. 

Get moving. Whether your workout of choice involves a sport or strength training or a walk outside, getting some movement is a great way to start your day. Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise a week for overall health. If you’re looking to lose weight, some suggest increasing this to 200 to 300 minutes per week, or about 30 to 40 minutes a day.

Try meditation. Regular meditation can provide benefits for your mental and physical health. It can even help with anxiety. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that mindfulness-based treatment may improve stress reactivity and assist with managing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.    

Written by Melissa Lavigne-Delville.

This story was produced by Hims and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. The article was retitled copy edited from its original version. Republished pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Re-published with CC BY-NC 4.0 License.

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