BY UE STUDIO
Updated Tuesday, February 20, 2024-12:06
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"We are what we eat"
.
This phrase that has transcended generations seems to have been as true as it was important over time.
Our diet
not only
influences our physical health,
but also
our mental
and
emotional health.
Unfortunately, this maxim does not seem to resonate with the new generations of our country, where the importance given to maintaining a healthy diet is considerably less among young people.
In a context marked by the penetration of social networks and the importance of public image, aspects such as taking
care of our diet
do not seem to be among the priorities of those
under 30 years of age.
Childhood and adolescence, the prelude to adulthood, is
a vital stage for the development of healthy eating habits
that will last a lifetime and to influence the
consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables;
However, families still do not seem to be aware of the importance of this problem and their role as educators.
Households with children 'fail' from practicing a balanced diet
To once again place the focus on
the silent 'epidemic' of childhood obesity
in our country and put figures on the
eating habits of families,
the
consulting firm GfK
has presented
a recent study on consumer trends,
promoted by Plátano de Canarias within its
European Program for the Promotion of the Consumption of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables of the European Union PROPER DIET 2022-24,
in which
the fruit and vegetable consumption habits of Spanish households with children up to 12 years old are analyzed.
The
results
of the study reveal that
only 25.3% of adults under 30 years of age consider it necessary to adopt balanced eating habits;
a figure that contrasts strongly with
the 48.4% of those over 45 years of age who do consider this habit important to take care of themselves.
Almost double... but it doesn't end there.
Although
38.7% of households with minors consider that eating a balanced diet is important to take care of themselves, only 32.9% acknowledge doing it to take care of themselves.
A paradox that is repeated when asked about
the WHO recommendation to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per person per day:
the majority of these households
(87.6%) are aware of this recommendation,
although only
52 .8% barely implement it
in their daily routine.
Convenience: the reason that remains most stable for the brake on consumption
Without a doubt, the data match the figures of a country in which
4 out of 10 children are overweight,
a risk that is even greater in low-income homes, where children are twice as likely to develop obesity.
Without a doubt, the circumstance of the
price of the shopping basket has added one more problem
in the context of inflation that has been affecting families in the last two years. The
GfK
and
Plátano de Canaria
study
reflects that, in the last measurement carried out, 47.7% of families with children point
to
price as the main reason why they have not consumed more fresh fruits and vegetables in 2023
. Consumers spend more, but they take fewer products home and this results in habit.
However, if we isolate the widespread effect that the increase in the cost of food is currently having, the brake on consumption that seems to remain more stable over time is the pace of life we lead.
In 2022, only 17.6% of households mentioned price; while 37% indicated that they did not eat more fruits and vegetables more frequently due to inconveniences such as lack of time, eating away from home or laziness.
Even the fact
that there are people who do not like the taste of these foods
appeared last year as a
more relevant factor (23.2%) than the price.
The lost 'battle' of communication
In addition to the demands of the current pace of life that families must face and the increase in prices, there is also another barrier:
the advertising of unhealthy brands.
Children,
increasingly exposed to advertising with the penetration of screens, receive a
daily number of advertising messages for unhealthy foods
that are also 'disguised' behind eye-catching messages and deceptive
packaging
that show images of fruits.
The need for
large doses of pedagogy and communication and promotion campaigns for healthy fresh foods
that counteract the large number of 'unhealthy' advertising is essential.
Funded by the European Union. The opinions and points of view expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Made by UE Studio
This text has been developed by UE Studio, the creative branded content and content marketing firm of Unidad Editorial, forPLÁTANO DE CANARIAS.