NEW YORK, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Only about half of Americans concerned about stress try to deal with it properly, a survey said Thursday.
Many turn to unhealthy behaviors such as overeating and smoking for relief and don't exercise, says a report published in the by the American Psychological Association.
But, those choices, researchers say, lead to increased health problems that ultimately make stress worse, USA Today reported.
"What's surprising and alarming is the fact that too many people weren't taking active steps to do anything about the stress they're feeling," Russ Newman of the APA told USA Today. "People don't really appreciate how detrimental stress is and the ways they're trying to manage stress can be as detrimental, if not more so."
Despite the numbers of adults who are very concerned about stress, only 55 percent are making an effort to manage it. That's a trend that could have long-term consequences for the health of Americans, Newman told the newspaper.
