The UK’s war on obesity

Will Britons support it?

The UK has had a long struggle with its obesity problem, one that has only been exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. With the government proposing a slew of measures to tackle the issue head-on, this report delves into the actions and reactions of Britons to this growing health problem. Government, brands, and retailers can leverage this data in their decision making.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has waged war on obesity as part of his ambitious Public Health England campaign called ‘Better Health.’ This urgent initiative coming right in the middle of the pandemic comes amid mounting COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations, and potential long-term complications from the virus, particularly involving overweight people. From banning junk food adverts to tightening in-store promotions, the government is mulling several measures to contain the problem which may come into effect soon.  Piplsay polled 12,100 Britons nationwide to understand what Britons think about these plans. Here’s a summary of what we found:

Other Insights

• 52% of Gen Zers and Millennials think tight control over promotions and calories labels will encourage them to make healthier choices
• 53% of men believe obesity is a factor in increasing coronavirus cases as compared to 47% of women
• 19% of Gen Zers believe calorie labels will be most effective in tackling obesity while 18% Gen Xers think ad bans will be the best solution

Survey Methodology: This Piplsay survey (powered by Market Cube) was conducted nationwide in the UK from September 11-12, 2020. We received 12,100 online responses from individuals aged 18 years and older.