A quarter of Spanish adolescents are overweight, but Spanish families seem reluctant to adopt healthy eating habits. Only 38.7% of Spanish households with children up to 12 years old believe that following a balanced diet is important, and only 32.9% of households with minors claim to follow this healthy habit.
Things are no better among young adults. According to a study of consumption trends carried out by GfK within the framework of the EU's Program to Promote the Consumption of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables PROPER DIET 2022-24, people under 30 are the age group that gives the least importance to following a balanced and varied diet.
Only 25.3% of young people under 30 consider that eating a healthy diet is an important habit to take care of themselves, i.e. almost half the number of adults over 45, the age group most in favor of eating a balanced and varied diet (48.4%).
The data, which was extracted from more than 2,000 interviews conducted in Spanish homes with children up to 12 years old, was presented today at Casa de Canarias in Madrid by Carlos Mínguez, representative of GfK; Sergio Cáceres, from Plátano de Canarias; Emilia Gómez, an expert in nutrition and health, and Álvaro Fernández, a TikToker that focuses on nutrition and health. The interviews also highlight that there is a clear 'deviation between beliefs and habits.'
Age, but also gender, are decisive factors. Women give more importance to maintaining a balanced diet than men (44.5% compared to 32.8%).
The 'epidemic of the 21st century'
According to the World Health Organization, a person should consume a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
87.6% of Spanish households with minors are aware of this recommendation but only 52.8% follow it in their day-to-day lives. The almost 35 points in difference is staggering.
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