The Goodlife

1
The Goodlife

• Topline summary of results from omnibus survey
  amongst 50-65 year olds

October 2007
2
Introduction and methodology

• The FSA wished to investigate attitudes towards
  food and diet amongst those aged between 50 and
  65 years.
• A series of questions were placed on the RSGB
  Omnibus survey, which interviews a representative
  (in terms of gender, age, and working status )
  sample of c. 2000 UK adults weekly.
• The questions for this survey were asked only of
  those aged 50-65 years, a total of 472
  respondents were interviewed between the 3rd and
  10th October 2007. The data was weighted at the
  analysis stage to ensure that the sample was
  demographically representative.
• The questions were designed to assess consumer
  attitudes and awareness of healthy eating
  messages and their relevance to this particular
  age group.
• The following slides show a summary of the key
  findings of this survey.

3
How much do you agree/disagree with the following
statements?
4
Demographic differences

• I am confident I know which foods to eat to keep
  my heart healthy
• Those in the higher social grades are the most
  likely to agree strongly to this statement, with
  those in the lower social grades being more
  reserved (DEs are the lease likely to agree
  strongly)

Significantly higher than at least one other
subgroup
small base size
5
Demographic differences

• I take care to eat the right foods, as I know
  how important this is as I get older
• Women were more likely than men to agree strongly
  with this statement, in particular women aged
  58-65. Men aged 50-57 were the most likely to
  disagree.

Significantly higher than at least one other
subgroup

• As was seen with the previous statement, those in
  the AB social grade were the most likely to
  strongly agree (65 in comparison to 55 of C1s,
  50 of C2s and 58 of DEs).

6
Demographic differences

• Ive always eaten this way and its done me no
  harm
• Those in the oldest age group (58-65) and those
  in the lower social grades (DEs) were the most
  likely to agree strongly with this statement

Significantly higher than at least one other
subgroup
small base size
7
Demographic differences

• The older I get, the more I worry about things
  like salt in my food
• There were few differences between the subgroups
  for this question. Men aged 58-65 were the most
  likely to disagree strongly and those in the DE
  social grade were the most likely to disagree
  (slightly/ strongly combined)

Significantly higher than at least one other
subgroup
small base size
8
Demographic differences

• Lifes too short to worry about what I eat
• Response to this statement varied depending on
  social grade, with those in the lower grades
  (C2DEs) being the most likely to agree, and
  those in the AB group being the most likely to
  strongly disagree.

Significantly higher than at least one other
subgroup
small base size
9
Demographic differences

• Im more aware than I used to be of how the food
  I eat affects my health
• Interestingly, the group most likely to strongly
  agree with this statement was men aged 50-57. 62
  of this group agreed strongly, in comparison to
  53 of women of the same age and 46 of men and
  56 of women aged 58-65.
• In contrast, this group were the most likely to
  disagree that they take care to eat the right
  foods..

small base size
10
Summary of results

• Awareness of healthy eating messages is
  relatively high amongst this age group with 67
  strongly agreeing that they are confident they
  know which foods to eat to keep their heart
  healthy, 57 strongly agreeing that they take
  care to eat the right foods and 55 that they are
  more aware than they used to be of how the food
  they eat affects health.
• Although these results indicate that a
  significant proportion of this age group are
  confident that they are eating the right foods,
  there is evidence to suggest that consumers still
  need more help in choosing the right diet. Around
  a quarter only agreed slightly that they know
  about foods that keep the heart healthy (26),
  that they take care to eat the right foods (30)
  and that they are more aware now about how food
  affects health (26).
• The survey highlights some potential barriers to
  these consumers actually changing their behaviour
  towards food. 39 strongly agreed that they have
  always eaten this way and its done me no harm
  and almost a quarter (23) strongly agreed that
  lifes too short to worry about what I eat.

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Summary of results

• Those who appear to be the least aware of healthy
  eating messages (and also who are the most
  likely to demonstrate some of the attitude
  barriers to changes in diet) are those in the
  lower social grades, and males aged 58-65.
• The question with regard to salt and age received
  a very mixed response with equal proportions
  agreeing and disagreeing that the older I get,
  the more I worry about things like salt in my
  food. This could indicate that this age group
  are not really sure how this particular health
  message corresponds to age (23 agreed strongly,
  24 agreed slightly, 20 disagreed slightly and
  30 disagreed strongly).

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Appendix 1 Questionnaire

• I am going to read you a series of statements
  that other people in your age group have said
  about their attitudes to their health, food and
  diet. For each one I read out, please tell me how
  much you agree or disagree with it, taking your
  answer from the screen.
• SHOW SCREEN
• (scripter rotate order of statements)
• I am confident I know which foods to eat to keep
  my heart healthy
• I take care to eat the right foods, as I know
  how important this is as I get
• older
• Ive always eaten this way and its done me no
  harm
• The older I get, the more I worry about things
  like salt in my food
• Lifes too short to worry about what I eat
• Im more aware than I used to be of how the food
  I eat affects my health
• 01 Agree strongly
• 02 Agree slightly
• 03 Disagree slightly
• 04 Disagree strongly
• (DK)