Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Market factors
- No improvement in overweight and obesity levels
- A third of adults moderate drinks, a fifth don’t drink
- Air pollution in the UK begins to harm lung health
- Burgeoning mental health epidemic
- Huge costs relating to the ageing population, but growing opportunities for ‘preventative’ health solutions
- The consumer
- More people deem themselves to be very healthy
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- Figure 1: People’s perceptions of their general health, 2014-19
- A balanced approach presides
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- Figure 2: Behaviours relating to healthy habits, by gender, September 2019
- A stressed-out society, many people struggle to get enough sleep
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- Figure 3: Frequency of health-related behaviours, September 2019
- Family/friends’ health advice on a par with the NHS
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- Figure 4: Sources consumers would seek support from to lead a healthy lifestyle, September 2019
- Mental wellbeing widely seen as just as important as diet/exercise
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- Figure 5: Relative importance of mental/emotional wellbeing and diet/fitness, September 2019
- Spending time with friends/family is seen to be most important
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- Figure 6: Factors and activities seen to support long-term mental/emotional wellbeing, September 2019
- Significant interest in DNA-based approaches to health
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- Figure 7: Behaviours relating to healthy lifestyles, September 2019
- Technology is embedded in healthy lifestyles, enjoyment in the present overrides concerns over the future
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards healthy lifestyles, September 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Huge potential of genetically customised diet/fitness plans
- The facts
- The implications
- Myriad opportunities linked to widespread concerns over air pollution
- The facts
- The implications
- Putting fun at the centre of healthy activities will resonate widely
- The facts
- The implications
- Places of work are underutilised sources of guidance on health
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- No improvement in overweight and obesity levels
- Higher levels of physical activity
- A third of adults moderate drinks, while a fifth don’t drink at all
- Air pollution in the UK begins to harm lung health
- Burgeoning mental health epidemic
- Huge costs relating to the ageing population, but growing opportunities for ‘preventative’ health solutions
Market Drivers – Diet
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- No improvement in overweight and obesity levels
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- Figure 9: Trends in body mass index (BMI), England, 1995-2018
- UK’s weight problem at odds with people’s positive perceptions of their healthiness
- Overweight and obesity also prevalent in children
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- Figure 10: Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children, by gender, 2018/19
- Government initiatives to combat obesity are yet to bear fruit
- Sugar reduction remains a focus
- Food industry tasked with 20% calorie reduction by 2024
- Government looks into a crackdown on ‘junk food’ promotions
- Proposal for a 9pm watershed for junk food advertising
- A public transport snacking ban is mooted
- The VMS market is struggling
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- Figure 11: Share of food and non-alcoholic drink launches carrying functional and/or ‘plus’ claims, 2016-19
- Real incomes have been thriving
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- Figure 12: Annual change in CPI and average weekly earnings, January 2012-October 2019
Market Drivers – Physical Fitness
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- Higher levels of physical activity
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- Figure 13: Levels of activity, 2015/16-2018/19
- Figure 14: Levels of activity, by age, 2015/16-2018/19
- Lucrative opportunities to capitalise on young people’s keen interest in fitness…
- …but still a need for improvement in this area
- Overcoming time and motivation barriers will be key
- Researchers advocate replacing calories with "exercise required" on food labelling
Market Drivers – Smoking and Alcohol Intake
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- Media spotlight on new research adds to health concerns about alcohol
- A third of adults moderate drinks, a fifth don’t drink
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- Figure 15: Alcohol usage and reduction, by age, April 2019
- ‘Drink Free Days’ campaigns
- E-cigarette users are on the rise
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- Figure 16: Number of E-cigarette users (vapers) in Great Britain, 2012-19
- Air pollution in the UK begins to harm lung health
Market Drivers – Mental Health
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- Burgeoning mental health epidemic
Market Drivers – Ageing Population
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- Huge costs relating to the ageing population, but growing opportunities for ‘preventative’ health solutions
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- Figure 17: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2014-19 and 2019-24
- Age stereotypes are shifting
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- More people deem themselves to be very healthy
- Only 14% of people rate their health as below average
- A balanced approach presides
- A stressed-out society
- Almost half of adults only get enough sleep twice a week or less
- Family/friends’ health advice on a par with the NHS
- Mental wellbeing widely seen as just as important as diet/exercise
- Spending time with friends/family key to long-term emotional wellbeing
- Significant interest in DNA-based approaches to health
- Widespread concern over air pollution
- Technology is increasingly embedded in healthy lifestyles
- Enjoyment in the present overrides concerns over the future
State of the Nation’s Health
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- More people deem themselves to be very healthy
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- Figure 18: People’s perceptions of their general health, 2014-19
- Only 14% of people rate their health as below average
- Misperceptions of personal healthiness make it challenging to spur change
- A financial and socio-economic divide in health
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- Figure 19: Perceptions of general health, by household income and socio-economic group, September 2019
Amount of Effort People Put into Staying Healthy
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- One in 10 adults are strict with themselves
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- Figure 20: Behaviours relating to healthy habits, by gender, September 2019
- A balanced approach presides
- The prevalence of moderate efforts has implications for marketing messages
- Concern as consumers rely on healthy habits to negate unhealthy behaviours
Frequency of Health-related Behaviours
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- A stressed-out society
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- Figure 21: Frequency of health-related behaviours, September 2019
- Stress is ambiguous for many
- Only a quarter of under-45s spend time relaxing every day
- Almost half of adults only get enough sleep twice a week or less
- Sleep is increasingly being commercialised
- CBD benefits from associations with aiding relaxation and improving sleep
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- Figure 22: Frequency of selected health-related behaviours, by age, September 2019
- Loneliness tends to be associated with the elderly…
- …but it is rife among the younger generation
- Opportunities for companies to encourage people to open up about their emotional wellbeing
- The fitness sector is well placed to offer support
Sources of Support on Healthy Lifestyles
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- Family/friends’ health advice on a par with the NHS
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- Figure 23: Sources consumers would seek support from to lead a healthy lifestyle, September 2019
- Opportunities to encourage word-of-mouth endorsement
- Supermarkets can play an important role
- Loyalty card information can be used to greater effect
- Places of work are underutilised sources
- More steps being taken to deal with mental illness at work
Importance of Emotional Wellbeing vs Diet/Fitness
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- Mental wellbeing widely seen as just as important as diet/exercise
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- Figure 24: Relative importance of mental/emotional wellbeing and diet/fitness, September 2019
- 16% of adults place most importance on mental/emotional health
- Mental health: tipping the balance in healthy behaviours?
Supporting Long-term Mental/Emotional Wellbeing
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- Spending time with friends/family is seen to be most important
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- Figure 25: Factors and activities seen to support long-term mental/emotional wellbeing, September 2019
- This supports the popularity of the ‘big night in’ social occasion
- Facilitating new community connections
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- Figure 26: Sainsbury’s ‘Talking Tables’ Initiative, October 2018
- Spending time outdoors seen to be just as important as being physically active
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- Figure 27: Factors and activities seen to support long-term mental/emotional wellbeing, by gender, September 2019
- Bringing the outdoors indoors
Behaviours Relating to Healthy Lifestyles
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- Significant interest in DNA-based approaches to health
- Scope to tap into the enormous potential of genetically customised diet/fitness plans
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- Figure 28: Behaviours relating to healthy lifestyles, September 2019
- Widespread concern over air pollution
- Consumers likely to want to know more about their exposure
- Demand for products which minimise/negate air pollution, in and out of the home
- Opportunities within anti-pollution products
- Most young people think a ‘digital detox’ would benefit them
- Mounting pressure for tech companies to encourage self-imposed restrictions
- However, social media can also help improve emotional wellbeing
Attitudes towards Healthy Lifestyles
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- Technology is increasingly embedded in healthy lifestyles
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- Figure 29: Attitudes towards healthy lifestyles, September 2019
- Scope to build on emotional wellbeing within digital tracking
- Technology can also promote fun fitness
- Enjoyment in the present overrides concerns over the future
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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