Do you feel older than your actual age? If so, you are not alone.

We conducted a survey of Americans aged 25-45. 64% of these adults feel physically older than their actual age, according to our new research. Yet mentally, 73% feel younger than they really are.

Given the sense of an older physical age, it’s no surprise that 40% of respondents said that they have aches and pains with no identifiable source – seven of them, on average. The most common areas with aches and pains were the neck (54%), joints (51%) and back (50%).

Our study examined why respondents might be feeling older than their real age.

34% of these adults say parenting has aged them. Work takes a toll on youthful vigor too, but not necessarily, as one might expect, due to the stress and responsibility it can entail. Instead, about 33% of respondents blamed their workstation ergonomics for their sense of aging.

Does all this perceived premature aging strengthen Americans’ belief in the adage that “youth is wasted on the young?” For 55% of respondents, the answer is yes.

Four in 10 admitted the top struggle of growing up is being responsible for their physical health, including making their own doctor’s appointments. The same proportion, moreover, admitted to not buying nutritious food when grocery shopping. And for 36% of respondents, among the hardest parts of being an adult is working up the energy to cook up a balanced meal every night.

Our survey found that more than half of respondents said they still struggle to consume the right amounts of nutrients – and 71% admit they couldn’t identify the right number of daily servings required from each food group. A full 26% rarely or never consumed fruits, and nearly a quarter said the same about veggies.

Moreover, nearly a third of respondents (31%) in this age group reported that they rarely or never consumed fish -- a far cry from the United States Department of Agriculture recommendation of eating two 4 oz servings per week.

“The survey data reveals that nutrition gaps are more than common among adults in this age group, but that’s not necessarily a surprise. For example, it’s understandable that busy adults don’t necessarily have time to cook the recommended servings of fish per week, even though it is an excellent source of Omega-3s that support heart and immune health,” said Dr. Taz Bhatia, Integrative Medicine Physician.

“If you can’t add more of these foods to your diet, one of the best ways to mitigate these nutrient gaps is with high quality supplements,” she added. “Look at how the supplements are sourced, the quality and quantity of the ingredients and any third-party testing.”

63% percent of respondents said that as they’ve gotten older, the number of vitamins and supplements they take has increased. However, two-thirds still feel like they should be taking more than they currently do.

“Our perception of aging can be influenced by many cultural factors, but it ultimately has little to do with our overall state of health. It’s important to listen to your body, especially when it comes to nutrition,” said Dr. Bhatia.