The primary driver behind healthy eating in the UK remains lowering fat intakes and preventing obesity. Trends towards healthy eating are well-established, driven by a widening awareness of the relationship between diet and health and the deleterious effects of consuming too much fat, salt and sugar.

Retail sales of healthy foods are expected to record a 12.5% rise in current value between 2000 and 2005, which is greater than the rise in value anticipated for the markets as a whole.

About the market…

The primary driver behind healthy eating in the UK remains lowering fat intakes and preventing obesity. Trends towards healthy eating are well-established, driven by a widening awareness of the relationship between diet and health and the deleterious effects of consuming too much fat, salt and sugar.

Retail sales of healthy foods are expected to record a 12.5% rise in current value between 2000 and 2005, which is greater than the rise in value anticipated for the markets as a whole.

Sales of ‘healthier’ yogurts and sugar-free confectionery have performed outstandingly, whilst sales of healthier crisps and snacks have significantly out-performed the sector as a whole.

About Mintel’s research…

Fusing together the latest consumer research, market analysis and most sort-after trend data, Mintel's new report offers you all the insight and inspiration you need for designing clever, creative and profitable marketing strategies. Use Mintel's research to:

Understand what drives the healthy eating market in the UK

Pin point market potential before your competitors

Learn about consumer attitudes and behaviour towards healthy eating

Find out how to best reach key audiences with the most effective marketing communications

Discover the fastest developing sectors of the healthy eating market

Develop the next big idea in healthy eating.

Intriguing findings include…

27% of British adults confess to eating ‘a lot’ of desserts – men are bigger culprits than women and the dessert habit is strikingly prevalent amongst the very youngest consumers.

More than 40% of Britons often snack between meals and this is very much a young habit – the under 20s are more than three times as likely to snack as the over 65s, but all ages under 35 are strongly over-represented.

Some 11% of Britons eat dietetic products and are more likely to be women than men.