What is healthy eating? A qualitative exploration

Mete, Rebecca; Shield, Alison; Murray, Kristen; Bacon, Rachel; Kellett, Jane

doi:10.1017/s1368980019001046

Cited by 51 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(112 reference statements)

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“…In agreement with previous studies on lay perceptions of healthy eating, the conceptualisation of healthy food was mainly focused on food characteristics (30,31) . Healthy foods were defined in relation to their effects in body functioning, specific food groups (fruits, vegetables and meats), specific nutrients (e.g., vitamins, low fat content), production or processing (e.g., not processed, organic and not GM) and lack of specific ingredients (e.g., preservatives and colourings) (6,7,16,17,30,31) . Emphasis was placed on the consumption of natural foods, and particularly on fruits and vegetables, in contraposition to highly processed foods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the information they receive, people create a rich store of generic knowledge and preconceptions about food healthiness or 'knowledge structures' that provide the basis for making judgements (15) . Healthy foods tend to be defined, sometimes incorrectly, in relation to specific food groups (e.g., fruit, vegetables and meat), specific nutrients (e.g., low in fat, low salt content and rich in vitamins and minerals), preparation or production methods (e.g., organic, home-made and natural) or the absence of potentially hazardous substances (e.g., toxins, pesticides and additives) (6,7,16,17) .…”

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confidence: 99%

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The heuristics that guide healthiness perception of ultra-processed foods: a qualitative exploration

Machín

Antúnez

Curutchet

et al. 2020

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To explore the conceptualisation of healthy food by citizens and how they judge the healthiness of ultra-processed foods. Design: Four focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured discussion guide. Focus group discussions were held about the concept of healthy food, what characterise a healthy product and healthiness perception of ultra-processed products. Transcripts of the focus groups were analysed following an inductive coding approach. Setting: Uruguay, one of the Latin American countries with the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity. Participants: Fifty-two adult Uruguayan participants, diverse in terms of gender, age, educational level and socio-economic status. Results: In agreement with previous studies on lay perceptions of healthy eating, the conceptualisation of healthy food was mainly focused on food characteristics. Although participants regarded lack of processing as a cue for healthiness, they did not categorise all ultra-processed products as unhealthy. Albeit some product categories were automatically regarded as unhealthy, participants considered that other categories could include healthy and unhealthy products. In such cases, they explicitly referred to several simplified cognitive strategies to judge whether an ultra-processed product is healthy or not. Results showed that participants tended to rely on simple cues, such as label design, nutrient claims, brand, price and country of origin as indicators of product healthiness. Conclusions: Healthiness perception of ultra-processed products seems to be largely influenced by heuristics, which stresses the need to implement policies that make the potential negative effects of ultra-processed products salient.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The heuristics that guide healthiness perception of ultra-processed foods: a qualitative exploration

Machín

Antúnez

Curutchet

et al. 2020

Public Health Nutr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Existing research has emphasised the importance and complexity of influences that contribute to the development of consumers' healthy food choices (Cao et al, 2020;Crawford, 1980;Kelly, 2016;Mete, Shield, Murray, Bacon, & Kellett, 2019;Osman & Nelson, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers' perceived value of healthier eating: A SEM analysis of the internalisation of dietary norms considering perceived usefulness, subjective norms, and intrinsic motivations in Singapore

Kervenoael

Schwob

Hasan

et al. 2020

J of Consumer Behaviour

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Consumers' internalisation of social norms is at work when they make routine, healthier food choices in everyday contexts. We investigate the dynamics of this phenomenon in Singapore, where over 98% of consumer food products are imported. To study this, we propose, through a consumer perspective (n = 316) via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), a model that establishes a positive relationship between perceived usefulness, subjective norms, and intrinsic motivations and the perceived value of healthier food. Subjective norms are themselves found to be a function of perceived barriers, facilitating conditions and personal innovativeness. Our framework contributes to establish a shift in the drivers of healthier food choices toward a more socio-culturally grounded decision-making approach that is particularly relevant to understand food consumption. We show that daily food routines (opposing the exceptional healthy food item) are encapsulated in perceived value of healthier eating. The data indicates further that to support healthier food product consumption, both policy makers and food providers must facilitate imported foods that meet quickly changing lifestyle requirements.

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“…These results also suggest a need to promote social media literacy, which was identified as the top source of information for “clean” eating among our respondents. Indeed, social media is an important source of information about healthy eating (e.g., Facebook and Instagram are used to guide nutrition-related decision-making; [ 29 ]), but it is easy to imagine how social media promotion of “clean” eating can be harmful. For instance, one participant in a qualitative investigation described this process as follows: “Twitter and Instagram are filled with celebrities and health bloggers attributing their glowing appearance to eating ‘clean’… but in trying to emulate them, I became so obsessed with eating the perfect diet that it took over my life” (p. 598) [ 6 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“It’s Healthy Because It’s Natural.” Perceptions of “Clean” Eating among U.S. Adolescents and Emerging Adults

et al. 2020

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Definitions for the culturally trendy “clean” eating phenomenon vary: whereas some characterize it as natural and healthy, others adopt more restrictive, moralizing, and affectively-laden definitions that may reflect disordered eating. We examined levels of familiarity with “clean” eating, sources of information, and perceptions of this dietary trend among a large, diverse sample of U.S. adolescents and emerging adults recruited from the National MyVoice Text Message Cohort (n = 1266; ages 14–24 years). Participants answered five questions assessing knowledge of “clean” eating, definitions, perceived healthiness vs. harm, and willingness to adopt “clean” eating, and responses were coded by three trained researchers. Results indicate that 55% of respondents had previously heard of “clean” eating, most commonly through social media, other online sources, and peers. Definitions were heterogeneous, with 40% offering “non-processed” or “whole foods” and 13% noting “non-GMO” or “organic” components. Few respondents (0.6%) expressed outright skepticism about “clean” eating, but many (30%) identified dietary avoidance and restriction as part of the definition. Overall, 71% characterized “clean” eating as a healthy approach, whereas 6% flagged it as “unhealthy”, and 18% noted elements of both healthfulness and harm. Notably, 41% reported they “probably would” try “clean” eating themselves, with greater willingness to try “clean” eating among cisgender women. Present findings highlight high levels of awareness and positive attitudes toward “clean” eating among young people in the U.S., with little recognition of the potential risks of dietary restriction. Further research should examine actual dietary behaviors to clarify potential risks of “clean” eating and related trends and thus inform strategies for eating disorder prevention.

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What is healthy eating? A qualitative exploration

Cited by 51 publications

References 56 publications

The heuristics that guide healthiness perception of ultra-processed foods: a qualitative exploration

The heuristics that guide healthiness perception of ultra-processed foods: a qualitative exploration

Consumers' perceived value of healthier eating: A SEM analysis of the internalisation of dietary norms considering perceived usefulness, subjective norms, and intrinsic motivations in Singapore

“It’s Healthy Because It’s Natural.” Perceptions of “Clean” Eating among U.S. Adolescents and Emerging Adults

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