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Attitudes towards Healthy Eating - UK - February 2017

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Products covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Obesity continues to edge upwards
Sugar intake remains far too high
Government outlines its plan to tackle childhood obesity
Companies and brands
Brands look to relevant ambassadors to drive links with strength
The upward trend in L/N/R sugar NPD continues
The rise of the humble vegetable
Emotional empowerment replaces weight loss messages
The consumer
Healthy eating is becoming more widespread
Figure 1: How often consumers try to eat healthily, November 2015 and November 2016
Health trumps weight management as a reason to eat healthily
The “feel-good factor” is also a major incentive
Figure 2: Reasons for eating healthily, November 2016
Sugar is top concern
Figure 3: Perceptions of personal intake of foods and macronutrients, November 2016
A balanced diet is the holy grail of healthy eating
Figure 4: Uptake of and interest in selected health-related eating habits, November 2016
High demand for superfoods continues
Powerful influence of social media on healthy eating trends
Figure 5: Attitudes towards healthy eating, November 2016
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
In the crowded ‘superfood’ space, innovation has to deliver on all-round healthiness
The facts
The implications
The natural and health-boosting credentials of plant proteins makes these a winning formula for NPD
The facts
The implications
Companies that are able to quickly react to health trends on social media have a distinct advantage
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Obesity continues to edge upwards
Sugar intake remains far too high
Government outlines its plan to tackle childhood obesity
Mixed messages on carbohydrates and fat
MARKET DRIVERS
Obesity continues to edge upwards…
…putting mounting pressure on the already stretched NHS
Figure 6: Trends in body mass index (BMI), England, 1996-2015
Childhood obesity still creeping up
Despite a reduction among children, sugar intake remains far too high
Figure 7: Average daily intake of (non-milk extrinsic) sugars as a proportion of total food energy, by age group, with recommendations shown, 2012-14
Government outlines its plan to tackle childhood obesity…
…but is criticised as watered down and not tough enough
New Change4Life app targets parents’ health concerns
The five-a-day target is not coming to fruition
Figure 8: Average daily intake of fruit and vegetables and proportion of people achieving five-a-day, 2012-14
…with cost a barrier
Carbohydrates and fat are the subjects of a high-profile health debate
Carbs in the firing line in controversial report
Updated Eatwell Guide includes more fruit, veg and starchy carbohydrates
Sainsbury’s aims to boost vegetable consumption
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The upward trend in L/N/R sugar NPD continues
The rise of the humble vegetable
Emotional empowerment replaces weight loss messages
Brands look to relevant ambassadors to drive links with strength
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
The upward trend in L/N/R sugar NPD continues…
…but L/N/R fat and slimming claims slump
Figure 9: Share of new product launches with slimming and minus claims in the overall UK food market, by claim, 2012-16
Ongoing rise in high-fibre and -protein claims
Figure 10: Share of new product launches with plus claims in the overall UK food market, by claim, 2012-16
Warburtons unveils four-strong range of added-protein products
Premier Foods taps into protein
The rise of the humble vegetable
Making vegetables the stars of the show
Faux carbs take off in a big way
Vegetables moving into meat products to tap flexitarianism
Veg appearing in sweet categories
Products harnessing the positive associations of plants
Mars Food rolls out ‘occasional’ and ‘everyday’ labels
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITY
Emotional empowerment replaces weight loss messages
Special K’s #StrengthIs campaign
A cautionary tale from Diet Chef
New ‘strong not skinny’ adage harnessed in advertising
New Olympians take over from Mo in Quorn advertising
Activia reveals new “Live InSync” tagline
Arla aims to open up protein to everyone
Social media star Joe Wicks backs brands
Guilt-free messages still going strong for some brands
Debut TV advert for Fibre One
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Healthy eating is becoming more widespread
Health trumps weight management as a reason to eat healthily
The “feel-good factor” is also a major incentive
Sugar is top concern
A balanced diet is the holy grail of healthy eating
High demand for superfoods continues
Powerful influence of social media on healthy eating trends
HEALTHY EATING INTENTIONS
Healthy eating is becoming more widespread
Figure 11: How often consumers try to eat healthily, November 2015 and November 2016
Healthy eating intentions peak among women, over-55s and ABs
Consumers’ finances play a role in healthy eating habits
Figure 12: Consumers trying to eat healthily all/most of the time, by gender, age and socio-economic group, November 2016
REASONS FOR EATING HEALTHILY
Health trumps weight management as a reason to eat healthily
Figure 13: Reasons for eating healthily, November 2016
The “feel-good factor” is a major incentive
The link to energy provision is a big plus for healthy eating
Links between healthy diet and appearance also chime most among 16-24s
PERCEPTIONS OF PERSONAL INTAKE OF FOODS AND MACRONUTRIENTS
Sugar is top concern
Figure 14: Perceptions of personal intake of foods and macronutrients, November 2016
A sizeable minority of adults not getting enough fruit and veg
Concerns over a lack of ‘good’ fats and fibre
UPTAKE OF AND INTEREST IN SELECTED HEALTH-RELATED EATING HABITS
A balanced diet is the holy grail of healthy eating
Figure 15: Uptake of and interest in selected health-related eating habits, November 2016
Less of the ‘real thing’ preferred by many to ‘diet’ versions
Do people need more help in achieving the right balance?
Widespread appeal of plant proteins
Scope for plant proteins to inject goodness to carb-heavy categories
Demand for naturalness evolves
Raw food
‘Clean eating’
ATTITUDES TOWARDS HEALTHY EATING
High demand for superfoods continues…
Figure 16: Attitudes towards healthy eating, November 2016
….but these ingredients are not a guaranteed win for manufacturers
Consumers are switched onto the potential for spices to boost health
Powerful influence of social media on healthy eating trends…
Social media forges a role as source of information…
…as source of inspiration…
…and of controversy
Social media has heralded a new wave of influencers
Figure 17: Selected attitudes towards healthy eating, by age, November 2016
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology

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