Daily Research News Online no. 3619 - Obesity Not Worrying Most Brits

Obesity Not Worrying Most Brits

December 3 2004

British consumers continue to be sceptical over headlines about diet, health and nutrition. A substantial majority (61%) believe their diet is always healthy and only 11% think they are not eating healthily, according to new research by food and grocery think tank IGD.

The report, 'Consumer Watch: Nutrition and Health', says that most people believe a healthy lifestyle is not just about diet and should encompass a range of different activities, but they also believe that as long as they choose to implement some of them it will be enough to be healthy.

Half believe that the major factor determining diet is eating five portions of fruit and vegetables each day - and many of these go on to suggest that if they eat five-a-day they are eating a healthy diet, no matter how much fat, sugar or salt it contains. Only 11% think balance is important and 12% simply do not think about the nutritional value of the food they buy.

Weight loss or preventing weight gain is one of the main catalysts driving people to try to eat a healthy diet (34%), but the most common way for respondents to decide whether they were overweight was to compare themselves with the people around them (30%). A further 26% judge their weight by how their clothes fit and only 18% would refer to a weight/height chart.

IGD Chief Executive Joanne Denney-Finch says most people 'do not realise or do not want to accept that the headlines of an increasingly overweight nation apply to them and therefore their motivations to change are very low... Many believe that as long as they are under the average size of the population then they are okay. However, as the population gets bigger the size deemed acceptable may grow'.

IGD surveyed 1,000 UK consumers for the report, part of the Consumer Watch series of ten concise, subject-specific monthly reports. The company's web site, at www.igd.com , has just been enhanced by the addition of 50% more free content, in line with user feedback. Among more than 50 free factsheets, it includes coverage of: