Question 6 may be the emotional core of the entire survey. Nearly 75% of parents know what to do or want to do better, but can’t keep up. This isn’t a motivation problem. It’s a bandwidth crisis. Health isn’t being ignored, it’s being buried under logistics, guilt, and exhaustion. The good news? Parents haven’t given up. The opportunity now is to meet them with simplicity, relief, and momentum, not more demands.
Survey Insight: 3 in 4 Parents Know What They Should Do. So Why Can’t They Do It?
If health starts in the mind, then mindset matters more than macros.
And when we asked 392 parents to describe their current mindset around health, the results were stark. Not for how hopeless people feel, but how ready they are, if only life would get out of the way.
Results Breakdown:
| Mindset Statement | Count | % of Respondents |
| I want to do better, but it feels overwhelming | 150 | 38.3% |
| I know what to do, I just can’t keep up | 136 | 34.7% |
| I do my best. I’m proud of what I manage | 93 | 23.7% |
| I’ve given up trying — there’s too much going on | 13 | 3.3% |
1. 73% of Parents Are Stuck in the “Intent Gap”
The top two answers representing nearly three-quarters of respondents say one thing loud and clear:
“I’m not lazy. I’m overloaded.”
Whether it’s overwhelm or time poverty, these parents are asking for one thing:
Simplification.
They don’t need another diet, app, or cleanse. They need health interventions that:
- Require minimal thinking
- Show visible, quick wins
- Fit into a chaotic, child-first life
- Reduce decision fatigue
This is the true power of low-effort gut health support. Start with fibre because it works quietly in the background. No macro-tracking, no perfectionism. Just fuel that supports mood, energy, and digestion, passively.
Key takeaway: Parents know what to do. But they need health that works without needing them to work harder.
2. Only 1 in 4 Parents Feel Proud of Their Health Efforts
This stat hits emotionally: Only 23.7% of parents feel proud of what they manage.
Even when they are doing something they don’t feel good about it. This points to a toxic undercurrent in modern wellness:
“If I’m not doing it perfectly, I’m not doing enough.”
This perfectionist mindset leaves exhausted parents feeling like failures, even when they’re genuinely trying. It’s an emotional loop that drains motivation and reinforces guilt. But here’s the truth:
✅ Consistency is more important than intensity
✅ Small changes (like more daily fibre) compound over time
✅ Feeling good about small wins creates real momentum
Key takeaway: We need to celebrate real-life effort, not punish people for not being “ideal.”
3. Only 3.3% Have Given Up — The Flame Is Still Burning
Yes it’s encouraging that only 13 parents have “given up trying.”
This proves that hope is still alive. Despite exhaustion, low energy, poor routines, and guilt, parents haven’t stopped caring.
What they need now is:
- Permission to do less, not more
- Reinforcement that small is powerful
- A reframe: health isn’t about overhauling life, it’s about upgrading the baseline
This is the lane where FiiHii can lead:
- Deliver fibre-rich solutions that don’t require tracking or thought
- Position gut health as emotional resilience, not just digestion
- Rebuild health by removing stress, not adding pressure
Key takeaway: Parents haven’t given up, but they’re one unrealistic plan away from burnout.
Final Thoughts: Parents Don’t Need More Willpower — They Need Less Friction
This question doesn’t reveal laziness. It reveals misalignment.
Parents are navigating invisible loads, mental, emotional, physical and still trying to show up. That’s not failure. That’s resilience under strain.
The next wave of health support must do more than educate.
It must translate, simplify, and protect energy.
Because when a parent has capacity, everything changes.
5 Key Takeaways
- 73% of parents know what to do or want to do better, but feel too overwhelmed.
- Only 23.7% feel proud of their efforts guilt and perfectionism cloud progress.
- Just 3.3% have “given up” meaning most are still looking for the right solution.
- Parents don’t need motivation, they need systems that require less thinking.
- FiiHii can lead by offering gut health tools that reduce friction, guilt, and effort.
Tired of feeling behind on your health?
Subscribe to the FiiHii newsletter. Get real, achievable gut-health wins, starting with fibre-rich support that fits into your life, not on top of it.
