According to a survey carried out in February 2022, **********************************, **********************, and *************** were some of the most stated changes in eating behavior compared to a year ago amongst surveyed undergraduate students in the UK. Around ********* of respondents had made at least one of these changes to their eating habits.

According to the Statista Global Consumer Survey carried out between October 2024 and September 2025 in the United Kingdom, members of the baby boomer generational cohort were the most likely to agree with the statement that they actively try to eat healthy. The younger the respondents, the less likely they were to agree with the statement. For more countries, the results of prior surveys, and a variety of other topics, please visit our Global Consumer Survey web page.

Dietary habits among millennials in the UK The millennials are the largest generational cohort in the UK, with more than ** million people. In 2019, millennials surpassed the baby boomer generation as the largest generation for the first time. The most popular type of diet among millennials in the UK is the flexitarian diet, which consists of eating mostly plant-based foods while occasionally eating meat and fish. Approximately ** percent of millennials are flexitarians. Moreover, around ** percent of millennials follow a low- or no-carb diet. As compared to other generations, a relatively high share of millennials either do not eat meat or intend to go meat-free in the future. Only Generation Z has a higher share of people who either follow a meat-free diet already or intend to do so in the future. The impact of price increases on healthy eating in the UK Being able to eat healthy is one of the most common food-related concerns among consumers in the UK, as stated by about ** percent of British consumers. The top food-related concern, however, is the food price. Starting in August 2021, food prices in the UK have increased rapidly. In March 2023, the food inflation peaked at **** percent. Prices have declined since. The increase in the cost of living in the UK has also impacted the healthy eating habits of consumers. Approximately ** percent of consumers state that they eat less healthy to save money, while ** percent state that they work more hours and have thus less time to cook.

In 2020, approximately ** percent of participants from a survey conducted in the United Kingdom (excluding Scotland) stated that they have eaten out less during the last 12 months. Moreover, approximately ** percent stated that they have eaten fewer take-out food.

This report presents information on obesity, physical activity and diet drawn together from a variety of sources for England. More information can be found in the source publications which contain a wider range of data and analysis. Each section provides an overview of key findings, as well as providing links to relevant documents and sources. Some of the data have been published previously by NHS Digital. A data visualisation tool (link provided within the key facts) allows users to select obesity related hospital admissions data for any Local Authority (as contained in the data tables), along with time series data from 2013/14. Regional and national comparisons are also provided. The report includes information on: Obesity related hospital admissions, including obesity related bariatric surgery. Obesity prevalence. Physical activity levels. Walking and cycling rates. Prescriptions items for the treatment of obesity. Perception of weight and weight management. Food and drink purchases and expenditure. Fruit and vegetable consumption. Key facts cover the latest year of data available: Hospital admissions: 2018/19 Adult obesity: 2018 Childhood obesity: 2018/19 Adult physical activity: 12 months to November 2019 Children and young people's physical activity: 2018/19 academic year

A survey conducted in 2020 revealed that a combined ** percent of the respondents aged between 18 and 24 years old in the United Kingdom (UK) agreed overall that a healthy diet was an important part of their life, compared to * percent of the 65 year-olds or older respondents. Nearly a ***** of the respondents within the 55 to 64 years old category strongly disagreed with this statement.

This statistical report presents a range of information on obesity, physical activity and diet, drawn together from a variety of sources. The topics covered include: Overweight and obesity prevalence among adults and children Physical activity levels among adults and children Trends in purchases and consumption of food and drink and energy intake Health outcomes of being overweight or obese. This report contains seven chapters which consist of the following: Chapter 1: Introduction; this summarises government policies, targets and outcome indicators in this area, as well as providing sources of further information and links to relevant documents. Chapters 2 to 6 cover obesity, physical activity and diet and provides an overview of the key findings from these sources, whilst maintaining useful links to each section of these reports. Chapter 7: Health Outcomes; presents a range of information about the health outcomes of being obese or overweight which includes information on health risks, hospital admissions and prescription drugs used for treatment of obesity. Figures presented in this report have been obtained from a number of sources and presented in a user-friendly format. Some of the data contained in the chapter have been published previously by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Previously unpublished figures on obesity-related Finished Hospital Episodes and Finished Consultant Episodes for 2012-13 are presented using data from the HSCIC's Hospital Episode Statistics as well as data from the Prescribing Unit at the HSCIC on prescription items dispensed for treatment of obesity.

As of 2019, Kitchen Stories conducted a survey on the eating habits among people in the United Kingdom (UK). It was found that 40.42 percent of the respondents followed a healthy and balanced diet very often during the period considered. However, 10.28 of the interviewees stated they rarely had healthy food in 2019.

Feeding practices, food consumption and nutrient intakes of infants and young children aged 4 to 18 months and living in private households in the UK Source agency: Health Designation: Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: DNSIYC

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Rolling Programme (RP) began in 2008 and is designed to assess the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population aged 1.5 years and over living in private households in the UK. (For details of the previous NDNS series, which began in 1992, see the documentation for studies 3481, 4036, 4243 and 5140.)The programme is funded by Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency of the Department of Health, and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).The NDNS RP is currently carried out by a consortium comprising NatCen Social Research (NatCen) (NatCen, contract lead) and the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge (scientific lead). The MRC Epidemiology Unit joined the consortium in November 2017. Until December 2018, the consortium included the MRC Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge (former scientific lead). In Years 1 to 5 (2008/09 – 2012/13) the consortium also included the University College London Medical School (UCL).Survey activities at the MRC Epidemiology Unit are delivered with the support of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (IS-BRC-1215- 20014), comprising the NIHR BRC Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory and NIHR BRC Dietary Assessment and Physical Activity Group. The NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre is a partnership between Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge, funded by the NIHR. The NDNS RP provides the only source of high quality, nationally representative UK data on the types and quantities of foods consumed by individuals, from which estimates of nutrient intake for the population are derived. Results are used by Government to develop policy and monitor progress toward diet and nutrition objectives of UK Health Departments, for example work to tackle obesity and monitor progress towards a healthy, balanced diet as visually depicted in the Eatwell Guide. The NDNS RP provides an important source of evidence underpinning the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) work relating to national nutrition policy. The food consumption data are also used by the FSA to assess exposure to chemicals in food, as part of the risk assessment and communication process in response to a food emergency or to inform negotiations on setting regulatory limits for contaminants.Further information is available from the gov.uk National Diet and Nutrition Survey webpage. The last national survey of diet and nutrition in adults was the Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults carried out in 1986/87 (held at UKDA under SN 2836). The changes in eating habits and lifestyles noted in that survey have continued throughout the intervening years. Increasing numbers of people are travelling and taking holidays abroad, and with increased multi-culturalism this has led to a greater variety of foods available. Increasing demands on people's time and longer working hours have led to greater demand and availability of pre-prepared and convenience foods. There has also been an increase in eating outside the home. There was a need, therefore, to assess the impact of such changes on diet and nutrition among adults, to update the findings of the 1986/87 Adults Survey and to complete the NDNS cycle by conducting a survey on adults aged 19 to 64 years.

The survey of adults aged 19 to 64 years aimed to collect data on diet through a questionnaire and a seven-day weighed intake record for a nationally representative sample living in private households in Great Britain. The study also included a seven-day bowel movement record, a seven-day physical activity diary, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, a 24-hour urine sample and a blood sample. The Food Standards Agency nutrient databank, which is used to convert food weights into nutrient intake, has also been deposited with this study. There are two groups of datasets included in the study: primary datasets containing data in the format originally collected, and derived datasets.

The primary data includes dietary data from the food diary at four levels: person level, day level (seven days were collected per diary), container level (this is a group of foods consumed together at the same serving) and food item level. Also included are data from the seven-day physical activity diary for and the keyed anthropometric and blood pressure data. There is also a file of blood and urine analyte data and a copy of the Food Standards Agency nutrient database which is used to convert food weights into nutrient intake.

Note 09/05/2013 A presentation error has been identified in the data in tables 7.1 and 7.2 originally included in this publication. The tables have been republished with corrected figures. The accompanying errata note provides more detail. The Health and Social Care Information Centre apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. Summary: This statistical report presents a range of information on obesity, physical activity and diet, drawn together from a variety of sources. The topics covered include: Overweight and obesity prevalence among adults and children Physical activity levels among adults and children Trends in purchases and consumption of food and drink and energy intake Health outcomes of being overweight or obese. This report contains seven chapters which consist of the following: Chapter 1: Introduction; this summarises government policies, targets and outcome indicators in this area, as well as providing sources of further information and links to relevant documents. Chapters 2 to 6 cover obesity, physical activity and diet and provides an overview of the key findings from these sources, whilst maintaining useful links to each section of these reports. Chapter 7: Health Outcomes; presents a range of information about the health outcomes of being obese or overweight which includes information on health risks, hospital admissions and prescription drugs used for treatment of obesity. Figures presented in Chapter 7 have been obtained from a number of sources and presented in a user-friendly format. Some of the data contained in the chapter have been published previously by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) or the National Audit Office. Previously unpublished figures on obesity-related Finished Hospital Episodes and Finished Consultant Episodes for 2011/12 are presented using data from the HSCIC's Hospital Episode Statistics as well as data from the Prescribing Unit at the HSCIC on prescription items dispensed for treatment of obesity.

According to the Statista Global Consumer Survey carried out between July 2023 and June 2024 in the United Kingdom, around ** percent of millennial survey respondents stated that they followed a low- or no-carb diet. For more countries, the results of prior surveys, and a variety of other topics, please visit our Global Consumer Survey web page.

The survey was designed to meet the aims of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) programme in providing detailed information on the current dietary behaviour and nutritional status of those aged 65 and over. The NDNS of people aged 65 and over was based on a sample of approximately 1,300 people living in the community and approximately 400 people living in institutions in Great Britain. Source agency: Office for National Statistics Designation: Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: The National Diet and Nutrition Survey

This statistical report presents information on obesity, physical activity and diet, drawn together from a variety of sources. The topics covered include: Obesity related hospital admissions Prescription items for the treatment of obesity Adult obesity prevalence Childhood obesity prevalence Physical activity levels among adults and children Diet among adults and children, including trends in purchases, and consumption of food and drink and energy intake Each section provides an overview of the key findings from these sources, as well as providing sources of further information and links to relevant documents and sources. Some of the data have been published previously by NHS Digital. Update 25/04/17: A new data visualisation tool at the link below allows users to select obesity related hospital admissions data for any Local Authority (as contained in Excel tables 3, 7 and 11 of this publication), along with time series data from 2013/14. Regional and national comparisons are also provided. Obesity data visualisation tool This tool is in Microsoft PowerBI which does not fully support all accessibility needs. If you need further assistance, please contact us for help.

The Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC) was commissioned by the Department of Health (DH) and Food Standards Agency (FSA). The programme was carried out by a consortium of four organisations: Medical Research Council (MRC) Human Nutrition Research, based in Cambridge, NatCen Social Research, based in London, MRC Epidemiology Unit, based in Cambridge and the Human Nutrition Research Centre at Newcastle University. Fieldwork in Northern Ireland was carried out by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

The aims of the DNSIYC were to:

• provide detailed, quantitative information on the food and nutrient intakes, sources of nutrients, and nutritional status of a representative sample of infants and young children aged 4 to 18 months from the UK population, as a basis for developing government policy and measuring progress towards other government objectives
• provide detailed, quantitative information on breast milk and breast milk substitutes consumed
• describe the characteristics of participants with intakes and/or status of specific nutrients that are above and below national reference values, and evaluate the diet of this population compared to current national recommendations
• produce a database of food consumption to provide the basis for the calculation of likely dietary intakes of natural toxicants, contaminants, additives and other food chemicals for risk assessment
• provide length (height), weight and other body measurements and examine their relationship with dietary intake and status, and health and social factors
• examine the extent to which feeding practices adopted by carers differ from national policy for infant health
• provide some information on the dietary habits of the mother (and other key family members) and link this to the nutrient intakes and nutritional status of this population group
• carry out stable isotopically-labelled water assessment in sub-samples of the survey group in order to estimate breast milk intake and body composition in children consuming any breast milk, as well as fluid intake and body composition in non-breastfed children
• measure blood indices that give evidence of nutritional status and relate these to dietary, physiological and social data

This study can be used alongside data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (available from the UK Data Service under GN 33275), which covers adults and children of all ages from 18 months, to provide a fuller picture of the diet, health and food safety of the nation.

October 2013: temporary embargo ended and new edition released
For the second edition (October 2013), new versions of the day-level, food-level and person-level dietary data files were deposited. The person-level dietary file was corrected because food group values had been found to be totals from the first day, and not the mean value. It was also found that in some circumstances, water used to make up foods and formulas had not been assigned to the relevant food group (food or formula). This was corrected, which meant that the total consumption of the food groups ‘COMMERCIALTODDLERSFOODSWATER’ and ‘INFANTFORMULAWATER’ were then reduced to zero; these variables have therefore been removed from both the person-level file and the daily food groups file. The documentation variable listing has been amended accordingly. A single coding error that caused changes to the food, person-level and day-level foods has also been corrected. The user guide has also been updated.

Note August 2011: A number of errors have been identified in Table 7.5 - GHQ 12 score by body mass index (BMI) and gender, 2006 on page 164 of the Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England, 2009 report. The errors also affect the corresponding table in the accompanying Excel workbook. The commentary in the pdf report is unaffected. Please see the errata note for further information and corrected figures. The NHS IC apologises for any inconvenience this may have caused. Summary: This publication presents a range of information on obesity, physical activity and diet, drawn together from a variety of sources. This publication also summarises government plans and targets in this area, as well as providing sources of further information and links to relevant documents and key sources. This, our third report on obesity, physical activity and diet includes: overweight and obesity prevalence among adults and children physical activity levels among adults and children trends in purchases and consumption of food and drink, and energy intake and health outcomes of being overweight or obese. For the first time, the report provides information on attitudes towards and knowledge about leading a healthy lifestyle for both adults and children. This includes information on how much physical activity should be done, barriers towards doing more physical activity, knowledge of the recommended daily number of portions of fruit and vegetables and attitudes towards a healthy diet.