‘Stop the Spread’ Benchmark Study

Topline Charts Prepared for: safefood

April 2011

41110781 VB/BG

2.

Research Objectives

The main objectives of this benchmark research are:

– To understand how the public perceive their own weight– Ascertain to what extent the public see a causal link between

weight and health– Ascertain to what extent the public believe that being

overweight increases the likelihood of family and friends also being overweight

– Evaluate all aspects of waist measurement in the context of obesity

3.

Research Method

Face-to-face in-home surveys (island of Ireland; IOI)

• Representative sample of adults aged 15+ years living ROI

• Nationally representative sample of adults aged 16+ living in NI.

• This study was conducted among a sub sample of adults aged 18+

• Quota controlled in terms of gender, age, social class and region, to reflect the actual demographics of the adult population in both ROI and NI.

Interviews were conducted at 107 IOI sampling points

Sample size: 1,948 from 107 IOI sampling points.

Fieldwork dates: ROI: 16th – 30th March 2011

NI: 21st – 26th March 2011

4.

A lot 8680

12 1115

1 1 14

85

* - 112

A littleNot a lot

NoneDon’t know

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

Q.1 How much impact, if any, do you think being overweight has

on a person’s health?

(Base: All Adults, n=1,948)

Majority agree that being overweight impacts health

96%

2%

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

97%

1%

94%

2%

5.

Heart disease, high BP, diabetes are most top of mind as health conditions

likely to occur in the overweight

Q.2 Which, if any, health conditions are you aware of that are

more likely to occur in someone who is overweight?

82

54

52

35

13

8

5

5

12

1

2

Heart disease

High blood pressure

Type II diabetes

Stroke

Cancers

Problem sleeping

Gallstones

Fertility problems

Don’t know

None

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

83

55

52

34

12

9

6

6

13

1

1

80

52

51

37

13

5

4

3

12

1

5

Other

(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

6.

One in every two IOI adults feel they do not need to lose weight or never think

about their weight; almost 3 in 10 are losing weight or trying to lose weight

Q.3 With regard to weight, which ONE of the following statements

most applies to you?

37

21

20

15

7I am losing weight and have

been for six months or more

I do not need to lose weight

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

39

21

19

13

7

32

22

21

18

6

I am trying to lose weight

I believe I should lose weight,

but I don’t know how or have

not made it a priority

I never think about my weight, and

I have no intention of changing

(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

7.

3742

57 59 51

3 34

1 1 2

38

Just over a third of IOI adults admit to being overweight – higher in NI

Overweight

About the right weight

Underweight Don’t know

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

Q.4 Given your height, which ONE of these statements do you

feel best describes your own weight?

(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

8.

Concern about health is main motivator for losing weight

Q.6 What are your main reasons for attempting to lose

weight?

I was feeling ill

My spouse/partner/friend was doing it

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

Wanted more energy

Improve my figure

Concern about my health

I had a significant birthday/reached a milestone in my life

Advice from doctor/health professional

To feel better about myself

Wedding/holidays/other big event

Stop the Spread

Safefood

No particular reason

I wanted to get back to my normal weight

Other

60

38

27

24

12

9

6

3

3

2

1

1

1

8

2

60

39

26

23

13

10

5

3

3

3

1

1

1

9

3

61

34

28

25

11

8

7

2

2

1

2

-

7

-

*

Don’t know

(Base: All Respondents Who Have Attempted to Lose Weight, n=546)

(Base: n=281) (Base: n=265)

9.

GP and own knowledge are most used sources of information on

weight loss

Q.7 Where do you source help or information for losing weight?

29

26

14

13

13

11

8

5

3

1

1

1

10

10

2

Slimming club

Magazines/books/leaflets

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

29

25

10

15

13

12

9

5

3

2

1

1

12

11

3

29

26

24

10

15

9

7

3

3

-

-

5

7

-

*

Dietitian/Nutritionist

Your own knowledge

Doctor

TV/Radio

Internet

Social media (Facebook/Twitter)

Weigh2Live

Partner

Relative/Friend

I have never sourced

Safefood

Other

(Base: All Respondents Who Have Attempted to Lose Weight, n=546)

Don’t know (Base: n=281) (Base: n=265)

10.

How clothes feel and the weighing scales are key indicators for becoming

overweight

Q.8 How would you know if you were overweight?

64

34

15

12

7

7

5

3

8

2

Scales/weigh myself

Body Mass index (BMI) over a certain level

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

68

32

15

12

7

8

6

3

8

2

54

38

15

13

7

6

3

4

8

4

Up a trouser size

Up a dress size

Clothes feeling too tight

Outside medically recommended range for age and height

Waist measure

Up a new notch on my belt

Other

Don’t know

(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

11.

-

61

38

6 in 10 IOI adults claim to know their waist measure – higher in ROI and among

men

Yes

No

Don’t know

%

%

Yes

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

Total 61 65 52

Male 77 79 73

Female 46 52 33

U35 63 67 52

35+ 61 64 53

ABC1 60 62 55

C2DE 61 66 50

Base n=975 n=973

Q.9aDo you know what your current waist measure is?

(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

12.

The vast majority of adults would measure their waist in inches

Q.9b Would you measure your waist measurement in

Centimetres or Inches?

7 5

77 74 82

17 1913

6Centimetres

Inches

Don’t know

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

13.

A minority of men claim to be in the danger zone of 102cm+

Q.9c Please tell me what your waist measure is?

% YesIOI

%ROI%

NI%

<24 inches (<60 cm) - - -

25-26 inches (61 – 65cm) * * 1

27-28 inches (66 – 70cm) 2 1 2

29-30 inches (71 – 75cm) 7 6 9

31-32 inches (76 – 80cm) 24 25 21

33-34 inches (81 – 85cm) 30 32 24

35 –36 inches (86 – 90cm) 18 18 19

37-38 inches (91 –95cm) 9 9 10

39-40 inches (96 – 100cm) 4 3 5

41-42 inches (101 – 105cm) 3 3 5

43-44 inches (106 – 110cm) 1 2 1

45-46 inches (111 –115cm) 1 1 1

47-48 inches (116 – 120cm) * * -

49-50 inches (121 –125cm) * * *

50+ inches (125+cm) - - -

Don’t know * - *

Refused 1 1 1

(Base: All Male Respondents that know their waist measure, n=694)

(Base: n=375) (Base: n=319)

14.

Most women claim to be within the recommended 80cm

% YesIOI

%ROI%

NI%

<24 inches (<60 cm) 7 7 5

25-26 inches (61 – 65cm) 11 10 13

27-28 inches (66 – 70cm) 16 15 18

29-30 inches (71 – 75cm) 18 17 21

31-32 inches (76 – 80cm) 12 12 11

33-34 inches (81 – 85cm) 12 11 14

35 –36 inches (86 – 90cm) 8 9 3

37-38 inches (91 –95cm) 4 4 4

39-40 inches (96 – 100cm) 3 3 1

41-42 inches (101 – 105cm) 1 2 1

43-44 inches (106 – 110cm) 1 1 -

45-46 inches (111 –115cm) - - -

47-48 inches (116 – 120cm) 1 1 -

49-50 inches (121 –125cm) - - -

50+ inches (125+cm) * * 1

Don’t know 3 3 3

Refused 4 3 6

Q.9c Please tell me what your waist measure is?

(Base: All Female Respondents that know their waist measure, n=431)

(Base: n=255) (Base: n=176)

15.

Jeans/trouser size most referenced as indicator of waist measurement

Q.10 How did you learn what your current waist measurement

is?

65

22

10

7

1

1

Know from other clothes

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

Know from my jeans/trousers

Was professionally measured

Measured it myself

Other

Don’t know

(Base: All Respondents That Know Their Waist Measure, n=1,125)

65

23

9

8

1

1

68

22

14

3

1

2(Base: n=630) (Base: n=495)

16.

A range of practices emerge for measuring waist size

Q.11 If you were given a measuring tape to measure your waist,

around which area would you put the tape?

37

33

20

3

8

Other

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

38

31

20

3

8

34

37

19

1

9

Where trousers/jeans sit

Around my bellybutton area

The thinnest part of my waist

Don’t know

(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

17.

Most men feel a waist measure of between 76 and 90cm is healthy for a man

Q.12b Looking at these ranges, can you tell me what you think a

healthy waist measurement for a man should be?

% Yes IOI%

ROI%

NI%

<24 inches (<60 cm) - - -

25-26 inches (61 – 65cm) * * *

27-28 inches (66 – 70cm) 1 1 1

29-30 inches (71 – 75cm) 7 8 4

31-32 inches (76 – 80cm) 22 23 22

33-34 inches (81 – 85cm) 33 33 33

35 –36 inches (86 – 90cm) 16 15 18

37-38 inches (91 –95cm) 4 4 5

39-40 inches (96 – 100cm) 3 3 1

41-42 inches (101 – 105cm) 1 2 -

43-44 inches (106 – 110cm) 1 1 -

45-46 inches (111 –115cm) - - -

47-48 inches (116 – 120cm) - - -

49-50 inches (121 –125cm) - - -

50+ inches (125+cm) - - -

Don’t know 12 11 16

(Base: All Male Respondents, n=912)

(Base: n=471) (Base: n=441)

18.

Most women feel that a waist measure between 66 and 80 cm is healthy for a

woman, but high levels of ‘don’t know’ responses prevail

% YesIOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

<24 inches (<60 cm) 2 3 2

25-26 inches (61 – 65cm) 11 9 14

27-28 inches (66 – 70cm) 16 14 20

29-30 inches (71 – 75cm) 22 22 22

31-32 inches (76 – 80cm) 18 21 10

33-34 inches (81 – 85cm) 9 10 6

35 –36 inches (86 – 90cm) 3 3 2

37-38 inches (91 –95cm) 2 3 -

39-40 inches (96 – 100cm) * * -

41-42 inches (101 – 105cm) - - -

43-44 inches (106 – 110cm) - - -

45-46 inches (111 –115cm) - - -

47-48 inches (116 – 120cm) - - -

49-50 inches (121 –125cm) - - -

50+ inches (125+cm) - - -

Don’t know 17 13 24

Q.12a Looking at these ranges, can you tell me what you think a

healthy waist measurement for a woman should be?

(Base: n=504) (Base: n=532)

(Base: All Female Respondents, n=1,036)

19.

Wide range of estimates as to % of adults who are overweight or obese, with

most underestimating the true incidence

3 2

20 2216

1719

14

2221

25

2634

3 3 27

8 7

2

28

Q.13 What percentage of adults on the island of Ireland do you

think are overweight or obese?(Base: All Respondents, n=1,948)

0-19%

20-39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-79%

80%+Don’t know

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

20.

2 thirds of IOI adults believe that being overweight has a negative impact on

family/partner weight

2519

44 44

43

13 1117

8 96

57

7 6 9

23

6

Very likely

Quite likely

Neither/Nor

Quite unlikely

Very unlikely

Don’t know

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

Likely

67%

Unlikely

14%

Q.14 If someone is overweight, how likely to do you think it is

that their family/partner will also be overweight?

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

Likely

69%

Unlikely

14%

Likely

61%

Unlikely

13%

(Base: All

Respondents,

n=1,948)

21.

Opinion is polarised regarding the negative impact on friends’ weight

Q.14b And how likely do you think it is that their friends will also

be overweight?

(Base: All Adults, n=1,948)

7 3

23 24

19

26 25

29

20 1920

1517

10 9 12

6

15

Very likely

Quite likely

Neither/Nor

Quite unlikely

Very unlikely

Don’t know

IOI

%

ROI

%

NI

%

Likely

29%

Unlikely

35%

(Base: n=975) (Base: n=973)

Likely

32%

Unlikely

34%

Likely

22%

Unlikely

37%

22.

IOI adults UNDERESTIMATE the true PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY.

There is widespread DENIAL about being overweight, and COMPLACENCY about

proactively addressing weight problems.

The correct way to MEASURE WAIST SIZE is NOT UNDERSTOOD.

While there is good understanding of how obesity can spread to family/partner,

spread within the SOCIAL CIRCLE is vastly UNDERESTIMATED.

PUBLIC INFORMATION campaign is ESSENTIAL.

Summary/ Conclusions