They Know They Ought to, So Why Don t They? Breaking Down the Barriers to Healthier Eating Laura Staugaitytė & Tino Bech-Larsen

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1 They Know They Ought to, So Why Don t They? Breaking Down the Barriers to Healthier Eating Laura Staugaitytė & Tino Bech-Larsen MAPP MAPP KONFERENCE Aarhus School of Business Middelfart University of Aarhus

2 Dias 2 Agenda Research background Research design Research results Implications Questions!

3 Dias 3 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)

4 Dias 4 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

5 Dias 5 Healthy eating.. As defined by different fields of research Nutritionists study the physiological correlates of dietary patterns Health psychologists focus on the treatment of illnesses and on health promotion Consumer behavior focuses on the choice (taste, convenience, price, health), use and disposal of foods

6 Dias 6 Design of this study (1) Possibilities for integration? Nutritionists study the physiological correlates of dietary patterns Health psychologists focus on the treatment of illnesses and on health promotion Health orientation Liking Consumer behavior focuses on the choice (taste, convenience, price, health), use and disposal of foods

7 Dias 7 Design of the study (3) Target groups and product categories Senior citizens Adolescents Aged year-olds

8 Dias 8 Design of the study (3) Three segments Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 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

9 Dias 9 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

10 Dias 10 Study 2: Quantitative study Survey with people aged 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 = schools in various regions in Denmark Self-administered paper questionnaire filled in class Changing behaviour:

11 Dias 11 The survey: conceptual framework Outcome expectancies Innovativeness/ food neophobia Subjective norms Perceived control Change experiences Current Consumption Change intentions Food choice criteria/ preferences Information Health consciousness Perceived health status

12 Dias 12 Independent variables PRELIMINARY RESULTS Intention to eat healthier Target groups & dependent variables Intention to eat more F&V (adj. R square,402) Adolescents Intention to drink less soft drinks (adj. R square,400) Intention to eat more F&V (adj. R square,219) Senior citizens Intention to eat less animal fat (adj. R square,282) Positive outcome expectancies,193**,197**,170**,238** Negative outcome expectancies -,109** -,095* -,004 -,080 Perceived self control,139**,118** Expected effort required to change,145**,081 Subjective norms,143**,106**,048 -,043 Preference for healthiness in food choice,170**,220**,080,229** Preference for naturalness in food choice,139**,021 Satisfaction with food-related life -,077 -,030 -,098* -,079 Satisfaction with well-being (body, health, life) ,114* Current consumption (frequency),065 -,112*,053 -,103** Dummy: tried to change and succeeded,326**,252**,145**,152** Dummy: tried to change and failed,229**,117**,133**,128** Asterisks after regression coefficients indicate significance levels of p < 0.05 (*) and p < 0.01 (**).

13 Dias 13 PRELIMINARY RESULTS In other words Strong beliefs in positive outcomes of change Health orientation in food choice and in general Non-satisfaction with health, body, food related life Past Behaviour Intention to eat healthier Family s support/ pressure (esp. for adolescents)

14 Dias 14 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

15 Dias 15 Characteristics of the different groups of senior citizens Health achievers 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 aspirers 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 Hedonists 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

16 Dias 16 Characteristics of the different groups of adolescents 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 Health achievers ~30-40% of the population Health aspirers 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 Their parents are less health promoting They care more about taste and convenience, less about healthiness They are the most satisfied with their bodies They do less sports More boys Hedonists ~40-50% of the population

17 Dias 17 Implications: Positioning Satisfaction with health, body, food related life Satisfied Unsatisfied Dominant food choice criterion Healthiness Health achievers Taste/Convenience Hedonists Health aspirers

18 Dias 18 Satisfaction with health, body, food related life Implications: what do they want? (1) They want different things Satisfied Unsatisfied Dominant food choice criterion Healthiness Health achievers This is healthy? I want it! Taste/Convenience Hedonists Don t show me the healthy stuff, I want the tasty one!! Health aspirers This is tasty? And healthy?? I want it!

19 Dias 19 Implications (2): Longer term, social marketing Satisfaction with health, body, food related life Satisfied Unsatisfied Dominant food choice criterion Healthiness Taste/Convenience Happy & healthy

20 Dias 20 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

21 Dias 21 Implications (4): Greying health achievers and aspirers Develop solutions that improve food related wellbeing Life rather than death marketing Make it natural

22 Dias 22 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!