They Know They Ought to, So Why Don’t They? –Breaking Down the Barriers to Healthier Eating

Laura Staugaitytė & Tino Bech-Larsen

MAPP MAPP KONFERENCEAarhus School of Business MiddelfartUniversity of Aarhus 13-11-2007

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Agenda

Research backgroundResearch designResearch resultsImplicationsQuestions!

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I wish that I didn’t wish that I didn’t wish to eat cream cake. I wish to eat cream cake because I like it. I wish that I didn’t like it, because, as a moderately vain person, I think it is more important to remain slim. But I wish I was less vain (But do I think that only when I wish to eat cake?).

(Elster, 1989, p. 37)

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Background (1)

Despite numerous attempts to encourage people to eat healthier, the positive changes are very slow and rather insignificant.

Healthy eating behaviours are very often grounded in attitude ambivalence (Sparks et al., 2001; Olsen et al., 2005; Orland and Ito, 2005). − Sensory appeal is the main determinant of food choice

or even “the only criterion used when deciding whether to buy a particular food” (Moskowitz et al., 2005, p. 173).

− Consumers are increasingly reflective in matters of health and willing to adopt health-oriented diets (Niva, 2007).

There is a lack of consumer-based development of healthier food products

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Nutritionists study the physiological correlates of dietary patterns

Health psychologists focus on the treatment of illnesses and on health promotion

Consumer behaviorfocuses on the choice (taste, convenience, price, health), use and disposal of foods

Healthy eating….. As defined by different fields of research

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Nutritionists study the physiological correlates of dietary patterns

Health psychologistsfocus on the treatment of illnesses and on health promotion

Consumer behavior focuses on the choice (taste, convenience, price, health),use and disposal of foods

Design of this study (1)Possibilities for integration?

Liking

Health orientation

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Design of the study (3)Target groups and product categories

Senior citizens

Aged 55-70

Adolescents

13-15-year-olds

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Design of the study (3)Three segments

Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3

During the last year they have

succeeded inchanging their eating habits

(increase of F&V, decrease of animal

fat/soft drinks)

During the last year they have tried but not succeeded in

changing their eating habits (increase of F&V, decrease of animal fat/soft

drinks)

During the last year they have not tried to change

towards healthier eating habits

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Study 1: Focus groups

Two adolescent groups (aged 10-14) and two groups with people around retirement (aged 55-70)

Group dynamics was facilitated by recruiting participants with different experiences and intentions with regard to healthy eating

Some insights: − General satisfaction with current diets− Misconception of healthiness of current diets− Important not to seem too health oriented − When assessing the outcomes of healthy eating

time perspectives are short− Adolescents perceive parents as a barrier to as

well as a facilitator of healthy eating

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Study 2: Quantitative study

Survey with peopleaged 55-70

Survey with adolescents(13-15-year-olds)

N = 1214•Phone recruitment (based on past behaviour)•Self-administered paper questionnaire sent by post• Changing behaviour:

N = 934•9 schools in various regions in Denmark •Self-administered paper questionnaire filled in class•Changing behaviour:

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The survey: conceptual framework

Outcome expectancies

Outcome expectancies

Perceived control

Perceived control

Subjective norms

Subjective norms

Food choice criteria/

preferences

Food choice criteria/

preferences

Perceived health status

Perceived health status

Change experiences

Change experiences

Change intentionsChange

intentions

Innovativeness/ food neophobiaInnovativeness/ food neophobia

Health consciousness

Health consciousness

InformationInformation

Current Consumption

Current Consumption

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PRELIMINARY RESULTSIntention to eat healthier

,128**,133**,117**,229**Dummy: tried to change and failed

,152**,145**,252**,326**Dummy: tried to change and succeeded

-,103**,053-,112*,065Current consumption (frequency)

-,114*-.104Satisfaction with well-being (body, health, life)

-,079-,098*-,030-,077Satisfaction with food-related life

,021,139**Preference for naturalness in food choice

,229**,080,220**,170**Preference for healthiness in food choice

-,043,048,106**,143**Subjective norms

,081,145**Expected effort required to change

,118**,139**Perceived self control

-,080-,004-,095*-,109**Negative outcome expectancies

,238**,170**,197**,193**Positive outcome expectancies

Intention to eat less animal fat (adj. R

square ,282)

Intention to eat more F&V (adj. R

square ,219)

Intention to drink less soft drinks (adj. R

square ,400)

Intention to eat more F&V (adj. R square

,402)

Senior citizensAdolescentsTarget groups & dependent variables

Independent variables

Asterisks after regression coefficients indicate significance levels of p < 0.05 (*) and p < 0.01 (**).

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PRELIMINARY RESULTS In other words…

Intention to eat healthier

Strong beliefs in positive

outcomes of change

Health orientationin food choice and

in general

Non-satisfaction with health, body, food related life…

Family’s support/pressure (esp. for adolescents)

Past Behaviour

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Three segments…who are they?

Health achievers Health aspirers Hedonists

During the last year they have

succeeded in changing their eating habits

(increase of F&V, decrease of animal

fat/soft drinks)

During the last year they have tried but not succeeded in

changing their eating habits (increase of F&V, decrease of animal fat/soft

drinks)

During the last year they have not tried to change

towards healthier eating habits

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⇒They care less about healthiness and more about taste

⇒They report relatively fewer health problems

⇒They are more satisfied with their health-related life

⇒They think that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables are health freaks

⇒Equal number of men and women

⇒~61% of the population

⇒They have good intentions, but they have cravings for unhealthy food

⇒They are less satisfied with their food related life

⇒They are less satisfied with their health

⇒~20% of the population

⇒They care much more about healthiness in the food choice

⇒They are more health oriented

⇒They report more health problems

⇒There are more women in this category

⇒~16-18% of the population

Health achievers

Health aspirers

Hedonists

Characteristics of the different groups of senior citizens

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Characteristics of the different groups of adolescents

⇒Their parents are less health promoting

⇒They care more about tasteand convenience, less about healthiness

⇒They are the most satisfied with their bodies

⇒They do less sports

⇒More boys

⇒~40-50% of the population

⇒They care about healthiness in food choice (but less than achievers)

⇒They are the least satisfied with their health& bodies

⇒ Equal number of boys and girls

⇒~20% of the population

⇒Care much more about healthiness in their food choice

⇒They think that their parents buy enough fruits and vegetables

⇒They are less satisfied with their bodies (BMI is not higher)

⇒They do more sports and exercising

⇒More girls

⇒~30-40% of the population

Health achievers

Health aspirers

Hedonists

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Implications: Positioning

Health achievers

Health aspirers

Hedonists

Sat

isfa

ctio

n w

ith h

ealth,

body,

food

rela

ted life Satisfied

Unsatisfied

Dominant food choice criterion

Healthiness Taste/Convenience

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Implications: what do they want? (1)They want different things…

Health achievers

This is healthy? I want it!

Health aspirers

This is tasty? And healthy?? I want

it!

Hedonists

Don’t show me the healthy stuff, I want the tasty

one!!

Sat

isfa

ctio

n w

ith h

ealth,

body,

food

rela

ted life Satisfied

Unsatisfied

Dominant food choice criterion

Healthiness Taste/Convenience

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Implications (2): Longer term, social marketing

Happy & healthy

Sat

isfa

ctio

n w

ith h

ealth,

body,

food

rela

ted life Satisfied

Unsatisfied

Dominant food choice criterion

Healthiness Taste/Convenience

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Implications (3):Adolescent health achievers and aspirers

Develop convenient solutions for change maintenance

Build self confidence (”just eat it”)

Make it trendy and socially acceptable

Focus on fitness, sports and body image

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Implications (4): Greying health achievers and aspirers

Develop solutions that improve ”food related well-being”

”Life” rather than ”death” marketing

Make it ”natural”

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!