No doubt we’ve all been there: We want to eat healthier, exercise or do something to lower the risk of preventable disease. However, we never quite get that intention to become part of a healthy habit.

Turns out, you and I are not alone in this. A new survey released earlier this month by Abbott found that 74% of adults in the U.S. believe that most chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are preventable, but only 25% feel very confident in knowing how to care for their own health.

Why is it so hard? The survey, which included 4,000 U.S. adults and was conducted by market and analytics company Kantar, found that information overload, confusion and costs were to blame.

In fact, 65% of those surveyed said they had delayed or avoided doing something to improve their health because they felt it was too overwhelming or expensive. Conflicting advice was cited by 58% of respondents, and 46% said health guidance is confusing to follow.

“Healthy living shouldn’t feel like a full-time job,” said Dr. Dominique Williams, nutrition medical director at Abbott. “The data shows people are overwhelmed and unsure how to act, but the good news is the basics still work. Simple, consistent habits around movement, nutrition and preventive care can make a difference.”

The survey found that nutrition remains a big challenge for a lot of us. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed believe good nutrition helps prevent disease, but only 30% say they personally eat “very healthy” and 42% said healthy food is too expensive.

Parents, it seems, have an additional concern. Seventy-one percent of those surveyed worry about their children developing a chronic disease. Nearly 9 in 10 of those parents feel pressure to model healthy habits for their children, but more than 40% say they aren’t always doing so.

To help parents with this, Abbott recently partnered with Sesame Workshop to launch a program that helps families create healthy routines around nutrition, movement and sleep. It provides free, multilingual resources including storybooks, videos and hands-on activities featuring “Sesame Street” characters. Families can find those resources at Sesame.org/HealthyHabits.

Dr. Williams also recommends some simple ways to help all of us build healthier habits:

• Add nutritious foods to every meal – colorful produce, legumes, nuts.
• Move your body daily. Start with a 10-minute walk or a 15-minute bodyweight routine. Break activity into 5- to 15-minute segments if needed.
• Schedule daily self-care to reduce being overwhelmed – journal, walk the dog or stretch.
• Keep track of your basics: sleep, hydration and movement.
• Maintain preventive care, including annual checkups.

Turns out, Gen Z may be ahead of the rest of us on at least one of these suggestions. Sixty-nine percent of Gen Z respondents have used a health tracker or app in the past 12 months; of those 93% report a positive change in health habits, with 58% stating a lasting change. That was higher than any other generation.

“When it comes to your health, focus on small, attainable goals that make a real difference in long-term well-being,” Williams said.

More information about how Abbott and its programs and partnerships are working to prevent chronic disease, visit Abbott.com/HealthyHabits.

Sometimes starting small can create momentum. We have to start somewhere.

• Joan Oliver is the former Northwest Herald assistant news editor. She has been associated with the Northwest Herald since 1990. She can be reached at jolivercolumn@gmail.com.