2.1 Recommendations vs real life

There is a large gap between nutrition recommendations and what people in the UK actually eat. Less than a third of adults are currently meeting the ‘five a day’ target for fruit and vegetables. Many individuals are consuming higher than recommended amounts of sugar, saturated fat and salt, and lower than recommended levels of fibre and other key nutrients.

This is why there has been concern and government action on Foods High in Fats, Salts and Sugars (HFSS). Communities with diverse ethnicity are disproportionately affected by poor diet-related health outcomes.

Meeting nutrient as well as calorie needs each day is crucial, as is bearing in mind that the body will need more nutrients when physical activity is added into an existing routine. Under-eating can hamper muscle maintenance and growth, leading to muscle loss over time.

People who have a physically active lifestyle have a 20-35% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke compared to those who have a sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical activity is also associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and colon/breast cancer and with improved mental health. In older adults, physical activity is associated with increased functional capacities.

About two-thirds of people aged 16 years and over in England are ‘physically active’, doing 150 minutes or more of moderate intensity exercise a week. However, there is striking variation across local areas, from below 50% to over 80%.

Rates are highest for people in managerial and professional occupations (72%) and lowest for long-term unemployed people (45%). People from the Asian, black, and ‘other’ ethnic groups are less likely to be physically active than the national average. However, people from mixed ethnic backgrounds are the most likely out of all ethnic groups to be physically active.