We’ve covered all aspects of wellness for years here at DMARGE, helping blokes work on their fitness, mental health, relationships and much more. However, as the world ushers in a much-needed new year, a study conducted by Go Smoke Free has revealed some surprising insights about the addictive behaviours of nations from around the world.
The study analyzed a wide cross-section of addictive behaviours, including alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and even screen time across a total of 200 countries — that’s nearly every nation on earth. The results hit pretty close to home for us here at DMARGE, revealing Australia’s pole position as the most sex-addicted nation out there and ranking third overall for all types of addiction, with a score of 62.28 out of a possible 100.
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In a somewhat ironic twist, Australia’s high addiction index comes into direct conflict with its global reputation as a laid-back, easy-going nation. And before Aussies get up in arms and dispute the numbers, it’s worth noting that the study draws on data from the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, and the National Library of Medicine amongst many others.
The Land Down Under’s score considered factors like the number of sexual partners per year and the average age of losing one’s virginity, with Aussies having an average of 13 partners per year and losing their virginity at 18 years old.
Worryingly, Australia also secured the third position for both gambling and drug addiction. Gambling constitutes a massive 0.54% of the country’s GDP and there are 2.17 cases of drug use disorder per 100 people. The overall addiction index reveals that Australia is the third most addicted nation globally.
However, the top spot for the most-addicted nation overall was taken by Romania — with an index score of 66.79 — driven primarily by massive alcohol consumption, with the average adult consuming just under 17 litres per year. Latvia followed close behind as the second most addicted country, with an index score of 63.40, similarly fueled by high alcohol intake along with significant contributions to GDP from online gambling.
France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic rounded out the top ten most-addicted nations. Interestingly, both France and the US have an especially acute craving for caffeine, with inhabitants consuming massive amounts of coffee compared to their counterparts. In the UK, their famous sweet tooth came shining through, with enormous sugar imports reflecting high levels of chocolate, lolly, and general sweet-treat consumption.
A spokesperson from Go Smoke Free had this to say about the findings:
“With New Year’s resolutions having just been made, it will be interesting to see how well these addicted countries do at sticking to them. Now is the time for a fresh start and to break these habits.”
Go Smoke Free Spokesperson
Breaking those habits is much easier said than done, but nothing will give you that much-needed push to change your ways like seeing the numbers laid out in front of you, bold, bare, and unarguable. Let’s see if 2024 will be the year we can all get our act together…