What you need to know
65% of adults say they try to eat healthily all or most of the time. However, obesity rates are still high, with 64% of adults classified as overweight or obese, suggesting a disconnect between people’s good intentions and how successful they are at eating healthily.
Confusion around what healthy eating means is likely undermining this aim, with 46% of UK adults agreeing it’s hard to know which food/drink products are healthy. Nudges towards healthier choices would be welcomed by many, such as loyalty cards rewards or healthy aisles in supermarkets, signalling potential for the supermarkets to win favour by supporting their shoppers in this space. However, there is also openness among consumers to more punitive measures such as extending the sugar tax, offering welcome news for tackling this costly issue.
Positively for the brands, reformulation is widely welcomed and taking action in this space to stay ahead of the state stick will find favour among many consumers. 52% of UK adults see brands that are taking steps to reformulate their food/drink to make them healthier as more appealing than those which aren't.
