Views Toward Nutrition and Healthful Eating Among Millennials
Published in: Education
Transcript
- 1. Views Toward Nutrition and Healthful Eating Among Millennials November 2013 INTERNATIONAL FOOD INFORMATION COUNCIL FOUNDATION 1
- 2. 2 1 INTRODUCTION AND KEY FINDINGS
- 3. 3 Introduction: Objectives Objectives This report presents the results of six focus groups with Millennials about their nutrition knowledge and behavior. The research was conducted on behalf of the IFIC Foundation by Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc. The main objective was to gain an understanding of Millennials’ current eating habits as well as their views toward nutrition and healthful eating in order to help them balance their food and drink consumption and activity. In particular, IFIC Foundation wished to learn: What influences Millennials' decisions about what to eat? What are the barriers to more healthful eating patterns? From what sources do they receive information about nutrition and balancing caloric intake with physical activity? Whom do Millennials trust for nutrition information? In addition, a key objective was to test six messages for their effectiveness in motivating Millennials to achieve more healthful nutrition and activity levels consistent with the Dietary Guidelines. The messages tested were: Know your number. Learning how many calories you should consume in a day is a critical first step in managing your weight. Fun stuff counts as exercise! Get active with the family or friends whether it's soccer in the park, dancing to music, or taking a walk in your neighborhood. Take charge of your weight. Balancing the calories you eat and drink with the calories you burn through physical activity puts you in control. Small steps = big changes. Serve smaller portions to help curb calories and keep your weight on the right track. Base your plate on nutrient-rich foods that offer beneficial nutrients and fewer calories. Choose fruits and vegetables, whole and enriched grains, lean meats, beans and nuts, and low-fat and fat-free dairy foods more often. Splurge sensibly. Enjoy smaller amounts of the foods and drinks you love to satisfy your taste buds and avoid overdoing it.
- 4. 4 Introduction: Methodology Methodology Six focus groups were held, including two in Little Rock, AR on October 23, 2013 and four in Baltimore, MD on October 29 and 30. The groups lasted two hours. Two of the groups were comprised of individuals with high educational levels, defined as college grads and higher, and two were with individuals with no more than a high school education. These groups all included a mix of men and women. In addition, there was one female-only group of mixed educational levels, and one such male-only group. The group locations were as follows: Little Rock Baltimore High education X X Low education X X Males only, mixed education X Females only, mixed education X All participants were born between 1983 and 1993, and accessed the internet at least several times per week. Other screening criteria included: • No participants lived their with parents. There was were a mix of other living situations, including those living alone, with a spouse or partner, or with roommates. • If they did live with a spouse or partner, that individual could not have more than a small influence on what the participant eats. • Participants were of varying weights, from low/normal to overweight and obese, based on body mass index. • There was a mix of self-reported healthfulness of eating patterns as well as influence of nutrition on diet. • There was a mix of frequency of exercise. • No participants had studied nutrition or diet after high school. • None of the participants had a diet that was greatly restricted, although some were vegetarian or do avoid lactose. The research was conducted by Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc.
- 5. 5 Key Findings: Current Eating Habits Millennials' Current Eating Habits Most Millennials acknowledge the importance of eating healthfully, but all admit they do not always eat as healthfully as they would like. While most picture a healthful meal as consisting of lean meats and a starch along with fruits, vegetables, or a salad, many Millennials say their actual meals are more likely to consist of red meats or fried foods, with few or no vegetables or produce. Accordingly, the average grade they give the healthfulness of their eating is a C+. Challenges to Eating More Healthfully Few admit that a lack of knowledge is a barrier to eating healthfully, although there do appear to be gaps in what Millennials know about nutrition, including what an appropriate serving size is, and how many calories per day is appropriate for them. Besides their knowledge limitations, there are two key barriers to eating healthfully: Lack of time, and a need to eat things “on the go." Millennials are looking for foods that are quick for them to obtain and that require minimal or no time to prepare. Even food packaging that facilitates eating on the run is helpful to them. They have difficulty fitting healthful cooking into their lifestyle. Lack of money. There is a strong perception among young consumers that it is more expensive to eat healthfully. Even though they are likely spending more than they need to on premade and convenience foods, as well as dining out, they see bargain packaged goods and fast foods as ways to get full inexpensively. Millennials do a lot of their eating with friends, so it is not surprising that social dynamics present a challenge to more healthful eating as well. Millennials describe restaurant menus as having fewer healthful options, and they also say they are tempted to eat what their friends are eating when they are together. Difficulty exerting will power to exercise good choices and keep portion sizes moderate is another challenge.
- 6. 6 Key Findings: Information Sources Information Sources Millennials obtain information on nutrition from internet searches and internet-based news sources they read. Social media—including Pinterest and Instagram—and mobile apps are also sources they use. In addition, Millennials encounter nutrition related information on TV talk shows, in popular magazines, and in food-related documentaries. Only a few say health professionals have provided them nutrition information. Broadly, Millennials are highly skeptical of nutrition information from any source. The key cause of their skepticism seems to be a belief that the information itself, or the way it is portrayed, will have been influenced by corporate interests. A key factor several seem to weigh is whether a neutral third party has produced and/or confirmed the information. Even government agencies focused on food and nutrition (USDA and FDA in particular) are not immune to this skepticism, as many Millennials fear that special interest groups have too great an influence on their research. The key factors in whether Millennials will believe nutrition information they come across are whether it makes sense to them and whether it can be found from multiple sources. In addition, a number say they would be highly likely to believe nutrition information if it came from someone they know—especially if they could see how it "worked“ for a friend or family member. And while few actually receive nutrition information from health professionals or independent universities with specific knowledge of the area, these would also be trusted sources for nutrition information.