Information on the perceived difficulties in trying to eat a healthier diet is important in assisting those in nutrition education devise more effective programmes. The objective of this study was to determine the main perceived barriers that people have in trying to eat a healthy diet in the 15 member states of the European Union (EU). A cross-sectional study in which quota-controlled nationally representative samples of approximately 1000 adults (15 years upwards) from each member state completed a face-to-face interview-assisted questionnaire. The most frequently mentioned perceived barriers to healthy eating concerned time and taste factors. Time-related factors were more important for younger respondents and those with a higher level of education, who appear to regard taste as being compromised by healthy eating. Variation exists both between member states and between demographic groups in the frequency of barriers mentioned. A lack of knowledge about healthy eating was not selected by many as an important barrier. A major obstacle to nutrition education is the fact that 70 % of EU subjects believe their diets are already healthy. It may be that nutrition educators should concentrate on showing consumers how to evaluate their own diet appropriately in terms of fat, fibre, and fruit and vegetables. Food-based guidelines may be useful in this endeavour.

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Objective: To identify the most important motivations for food choice from the point of view of the consumer in the Irish population, and to characterize those subjects who do and do not regard nutrition as a signi®cant consideration in food choice. Design: As part of a pan-European Union (EU) survey on consumer attitudes to food, nutrition and health, a quota-controlled, nationally representative sample of Irish adults (n = 1009) aged 15 years upwards, completed an interview-assisted, closeended questionnaire. Subjects selected three factors, from a list of 15, which they believed had the greatest in¯uence on their food choice. Setting: The interviews for the survey were conducted in subjects' homes. Results:`Quality/freshness of food' was the most frequently selected food choice factor (51%) followed by`taste' (43%) and`trying to eat a healthy diet' (36%). Female gender, increasing age and higher levels of education were found to be independent sociodemographic factors affecting the selection of`trying to eat a healthy diet' as an important factor in food choice. Conclusions: Although included in the top ®ve most frequently selected factors affecting food choice, nutrition/healthy eating does not appear to have top priority for the majority of Irish adults. There are differences between the various sociodemographic groups within the population; males and younger subjects appear to require speci®c nutrition promotion messages.

Objective: The purpose of conducting this survey was to identify data on consumer attitudes towards and beliefs about physical activity, body weight and health among the 15 countries of the EU. Design: A cross-sectional study to get a picture of the attitudes to physical activity, body weight and health in the EU. For this, it was considered important that samples be nationally representative so that inferences drawn from the data could be applied to the population in each country as well as to the EU population as a whole. Using a non-probability sampling method employing quota controls (and the national weight) we obtained large sample sizes from each country which were nationally representative in terms of the variables age, sex and regional distribution. To ensure samples were truly nationally representative a national weight was used when analysing the data using the same characteristics as those used to define quotas. When examining pooled estimates for the total EU sample a population weight was applied. Results: In total, 15 239 subjects aged 15 years and upwards in the EU completed the survey. This article gives details on the methods used in carrying out the survey from design of the questionnaire to sample selection, questionnaire administration and analysis of the data. The methods and their limitations are discussed. Keywords Cross-sectional survey Sampling analysis European UnionThe purpose of conducting this survey was to identify data on consumer attitudes towards, and beliefs about, physical activity, body weight and health among the 15 countries of the EU. Data on the sociocultural and demographic differences in such attitudes will help those involved in the promotion of physical activity in the general population to develop more focused and effective campaigns. This article gives details on the methods used in carrying out the survey from the design of the questionnaire to sample selection, questionnaire administration and analysis of the data, all of which were similar to those used in an earlier pan-EU survey of consumer attitudes to food, nutrition and health 1 . Subsequent articles covering different issues from the survey will provide more details on the specific questions and their particular analyses. Questionnaire designA project management group developed the questionnaire. This group consisted of scientists from each member state and representatives from the food industry along with members of the Institute of European Food Studies (Appendix 1). A workshop was held to design the questionnaire firstly by reviewing existing studies on attitudes and secondly reviewing the methodology for measuring physical activity in large population surveys. The specific objectives of this pan-EU survey were as follows.X To identify the main attitudes to physical activity/ exercise, body weight and health in different countries in the EU and among different sociodemographic groups. X To examine the motivating factors and perceived barriers to participating in physical activity/exercise. X To d...

Adipose tissue levels of linoleic acid were determined from biopsies of subcutaneous abdominal fat of normal healthy controls (n 40) and from two patient groups with endoscopically evaluated non-ulcer dyspepsia (n 40) or peptic ulcer disease (n 38). The level (g/lOO g) of adipose tissue linoleic acid in the normal healthy controls (150 (SD 4.1)) was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than that in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia (12.8 (SD 3.5)) and in patients with peptic ulcer disease (11.7 (SD 2.7)). A dietary history revealed a lower intake of linoleic acid and a significantly (P < 0.05) lower intake of dietary fibre (g/d) for both the non-ulcer dyspepsia (15.9 (SD 6.2)) and peptic ulcer disease (15-2 (SD 7.8)) patients compared with normal healthy controls (20.2 (SD 11.2)). Adipose tissue linoleic acid tended to increase with indices of increasing socioeconomic status, although the differences between patient and controls were not confounded by socioeconomic status. Patients with dyspepsia reported more foods causing symptoms (onion, fried foods, alcohol, citrus fruits and spices) and more foods giving relief (milk, bread) compared with control orthopaedic patients.