Summary
This survey on Attitudes to Diet and Health in Scotland 2015 complements our on-going dietary monitoring and surveillance work by providing contextual information on consumer understanding of a healthy diet, and why it is difficult to change.
The survey was undertaken by Scott Porter Associates using a Scottish online panel in July/August 2015. Information was collected from the perspective of both adults and parents. A total of 1545 panellists were included.
Main Findings
- Over three quarters of participants felt that their / their child’s current diet was healthy.
- Lack of willpower and the fact that unhealthy food is hard to resist were the main reasons offered by all adults with regards why it can be difficult to eat healthily at home.
- There was a perception of limited availability and convenience of healthy options outside the home.
- High fat/sugar/salt snacks and drinks were commonly consumed. For adults this appeared to be linked to habit (e.g. TV viewing) and emotional factors such as stress and boredom, whilst for children it was more focused on refuelling when hungry.
The findings of this survey will help to inform the development of FSS diet policy, including approaches to consumer messaging on healthy eating.
