According to the new research from the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), 43% of adults surveyed admit that they find it difficult to find reliable information on healthy diets, with changing information, messages and advice from media and experts being the biggest causes of confusion (76% and 61% respectively).
The survey conducted as part of BNF Healthy Eating Week, questioned almost 500 adults across the UK and found that social media platforms (37%) are the most common reported source for nutritional information for adults. Under a third (30%) of respondents said that they use the NHS website, a quarter visit other health websites and 14% said they gather nutritional information from a doctor, hospital or health clinic.
Roy Ballam, BNF’s Managing Director and Head of Education, said: “With two thirds of adults overweight or obese, the UK is in the middle of an obesity crisis – and a lack of consumer knowledge and reliable information on healthy eating is a huge cause for concern. In the digital age, with growing concerns about the trustworthiness of information in the media, many are confused about which online sources are reliable – unsurprising when there is so much conflicting advice available. The public need to receive more consistent messaging about diet and nutrition if we are to stand a fighting chance of changing these worrying health statistics”.
Source: BNF's press release