How do we get people to be more physically active? Along with an excess in energy intake, physical inactivity is an important contributor to the ever-increasing levels of overweight and obesity. Dr John Kearney, Scientific Director of the Institute of European Food Studies, reports on a recent European study (1):

From a public health perspective, the potential benefit from increasing population levels of physical activity (especially among those who are currently sedentary) is enormous in terms of stemming the growing rise in the obesity epidemic.

As with other lifestyle factors - smoking and diet - bringing about a sustained change involves a knowledge of peoples' attitudes and perceptions. In a recent pan-EU survey of 15,339 consumers, (approximately 1,000 adults from each member state) the Institute of European Food Studies (IEFS) assessed their attitudes towards physical activity, body-weight and health as well as activity levels, and body weights and heights (all self-reported).

Weight loss is best achieved by combining changes in eating habits with increased amounts of physical activity. Physical activity is thought to be more effective in the prevention of overweight and obesity than in its treatment. Yet, results from this survey suggest that consumers perceive food to be far more important in preventing weight gain than physical activity. Similarly, when asked about the most important influences on health, nutrition ranked much higher than physical activity.

Consumers also perceived smoking and stress as more important health influences than physical activity. Furthermore, a quarter of the EU sample believed that unless physical activity resulted in weight loss, they were not really benefiting from it. These results suggest a need to increase consumers' awareness of the health benefits of a physically active lifestyle and weight maintenance.

This latest study on 'Consumer Attitudes towards Physical Activity' contrasts somewhat with results from an earlier survey of consumer attitudes to food, nutrition and health. That survey showed EU consumers to be generally aware of what defines healthy eating (as evidenced by their definition of healthy eating) and perceived it as an important influence in food choice. Despite this, 69% of them felt no need to alter their diets, believing them to be already healthy enough.

Some results from the IEFS physical activity survey illustrate the wide geographical variability in attitudes towards physical activity and actual existing activity levels. Finns rank physical activity as the most important influence on health, while Greeks rank it seventh. Such positive attitudes towards physical activity were reflected by the 92% of Finns participating in some physical activity versus just 60% of Greeks. The high level of awareness of the health benefits of physical activity together with the high participation rates may well reflect recent concerted efforts to increase population levels of physical activity in Finland.

Despite the huge variation in attitudes and activity levels between Finland and Greece, a similar proportion of consumers in both countries believe that their level of physical activity is sufficient. When compared to the Finns, the Greeks seem a degree over-optimistic. Over-optimism and complacency towards diet and physical activity represents one of the biggest challenges for those trying to stem the growing rise in obesity. Nonetheless, the Finnish data in this survey suggests that such a challenge can be met and that their promotional efforts to improving diet and increasing physical activity appear to be successful. This is encouraging for those involved in similar promotional efforts throughout the rest of Europe.

Data from this survey, the obstacles, the benefits and consumers' stage of readiness towards becoming more physically active, will help develop more focused strategies targeted at specific subgroups in the population and taking into account socio-demographic and geographical factors.

Participation in physical activity/exercise and Attitudes towards physical activity in some European countries
	Perceive physical activity to be an important influence to health	Participated in some physical activity in a typical recent week	Agree that they do not need to do any more physical activity than they already do
Finland	44%	92%	35%
France	13%	65%	44%
Germany	20%	70%	57%
Greece	9%	60%	38%
Italy	9%	62%	30%
Portugal	11%	40%	55%
Spain	15%	63%	49%
United Kingdom	25%	77%	47%

1) IEFS, A Pan EU Survey on consumer attitudes to physical activity, body weight and health.
Published by the European Commission (1999). Directorate V/F.3

FOOD TODAY 05/1999