According to UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), pretty small amount of people in the UK are aware what a healthy diet really is. A recent study has shown that about 80% of modern British population can not correctly identify the types of the foods which they need to consume on an everyday basis in the framework of a balanced healthy diet. Those are the findings of a new survey, Food and You, which is carried out every two years by the FSA specialists together with the experts from the University of Westminster and the Policy Studies Institute (PSI).

Andrew Wadge, one of the chief scientists in the FSA, talks about the importance of this survey as to determining social tendencies and social awareness about the problems related to healthy nutrition. He says: “Food and You was designed to help us understand what influences people’s behaviour in relation to food and to chart whether people follow government advice. Subsequent waves will enable us to assess food behaviour changes over time, which will be extremely useful to the Agency as we think about the areas of our work that we need to prioritise.”

The study was based on analyzing the opinions of about 3,000 participants which were selected randomly and interviewed within a 6-month period of time. The survey revealed that only every two of ten people know what a healthy diet is and what foods should be and should not be included in a healthy diet plan. In addition, only one in ten people is aware that in terms of a healthy diet, the daily intake of such product as salt should not exceed 6 gram.

At the same time, there were positive tendencies in public awareness about what a balanced healthy diet and nutrition are. 99% of the participants said that eating more of fresh fruit and vegetables is the most important factor defining a healthy diet. 94% of the respondents revealed that in terms of a healthy diet it is very important to keep salt consumption low, and 92% of the participants underlined the importance of such factor as consuming less foods rich in saturated fats for those who follow a healthy lifestyle. 84% of the participants admitted that they always wash their hands before cooking the meals, and 41% said that they have a habit of washing raw meal and poultry prior to cooking it.

 Loading ...

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

One Response to “FSA Study: People Do Not Know What A Healthy Diet Is”

1. Healthy Eating Foods Says:
   September 3rd, 2013 at 7:35 am

   Teach teens to eat slowly; it takes twenty minutes before
   feeling full.