Healthy eating attitudes reveal east-west divide

Nearly seven in 10 (68%) of the 600 Asian consumers surveyed said they were ‘very interested’ in nutrition and healthy eating. This compared with just 38% of 700 people in the western hemisphere, plus Australia and New Zealand.

Only 36% of respondents in the UK and 26% in Australia said they were very interested in a healthy diet, although in the US the figure was 71%.

Highest level of interest​

India had the highest level of interest, where 82% said they wanted to eat healthily, followed by the Philippines (71%).

There was also a clear difference concerning meat consumption. In Asia, 39% of respondents believed eating less meat was important in achieving a healthy diet, but only 25% of westerners felt the same way.

Meanwhile, a vegetarian or vegan health claim is nearly three times more likely to influence a consumer to buy a product in Asia (28%) than it is a consumer in the west (10%).

‘East and west are worlds apart’​

“When it comes to healthy eating, east and west are worlds apart, even in this era of globalisation,”​ said Richard Clarke, director of Ingredient Communications, the PR firm that commissioned the research.

“Nutrition businesses need a clear strategy that taps into worldwide mega-trends, but they must remain agile enough to adapt their approach in individual markets as required.”​

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