Healthy eating or chips with everything?

Abstract

Outlines the numerous messages sent to consumers regarding healthy eating practices and indicates the problems involved in determining whether or not the British consumer has adopted a nutritious and healthy diet. Research was undertaken which measured individuals’ involvement in healthy eating issues and related this to several demographic characteristics. The research indicates some variation in involvement in healthy eating according to demographic variables but the results were not statistically significant. Group discussions were also conducted which confirmed that the healthy eating messages were widely received and understood; however, there was some confusion over their content, scepticism regarding the veracity and motivation of some sources and a growing resentment of boring and puritanical themes. In the future care must be taken to produce clear, simple and positive healthy eating messages to the public if trends towards a more nutritious diet are to continue.