Welsh public backs healthier food choices, survey finds

Nearly three-quarters of adults surveyed in Wales support prioritising healthier food and drink in advertising and special offers, even if it means fewer promotions for unhealthy products.

The Public Health Wales survey found 72% backed that approach, with 18% indifferent and 8% opposed.

Support rose to 77% when respondents were asked about making healthier products the default focus of advertising, special offers and price promotions without specifying a reduction in unhealthy food promotions.

The findings come from the June Time to Talk Public Health survey, which gathered responses from 1,421 people aged 16 and over across Wales.

It also found that 81% supported making healthier food and drink the default option in publicly funded places.

That could include offering non-sugary drinks and healthier accompaniments as standard with meals, changing portion sizes and providing more options lower in calories, fat, sugar and salt.

More than 90% supported healthier options being the default in schools, childcare settings and hospitals. Support exceeded 80% for other healthcare settings, leisure centres, sports facilities and swimming pools.

Dr Ilona Johnson, consultant in public health at Public Health Wales, said: “Making a healthy choice shouldn’t be difficult, particularly in the public places and services we all use.

“These settings have an important role to play in making healthier choices easy to find, understand and choose.”

The survey also found widespread support for providing nutritional information about food and drink prepared outside the home.

For food, 70% said this information should always be available, while 24% wanted it available on request. For drinks, the figures were 66% and 27% respectively.

Steve Adie, head of standards policy at the Food Standards Agency in Wales, said: “These findings show that people in Wales want clear information to help them make informed choices about the food they buy and eat away from home.”

He added: “While decisions about the food offered sit with businesses and public bodies, clear, accurate and accessible labelling has an important role to play in helping consumers understand their options and choose what is right for them.”

The survey was carried out between June 1 and June 30 through a panel broadly representative of Wales’ adult population by age, sex, deprivation, ethnicity and health board.