IFIC Spotlight Survey: Making Changes Stick: Consumer Research On New Year’s Diet Resolutions
February 19, 2020
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You could say we’re intrigued by people’s attitudes, habits and perceptions about food here at IFIC. And while the start of a new year is often thought of as a fresh opportunity for change, we’ve begun to wonder: How many people actually adopt diet-related changes at the start of a new year? If they do, what changes do they adopt, and are they able to maintain them?
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned an online research survey with consumers based in the US to measure adherence, challenges, and motivations affecting respondents’ New Year’s diet resolutions. One thousand adults aged 18+ years completed the survey from February 3-4, 2020, and responses were weighted to ensure proportional results.
Key findings include:
- 58% of respondents did not make dietary changes at the start of the New Year.
- Of those (42%) who reported making dietary changes at the start of the year, the top change reported was avoiding or limiting sugar (23%), followed by “clean eating” (19%), a weight loss plan or program (16%), a low-carb diet (15%) and mindful or intuitive eating (13%).
- Of those (58%) who did not make dietary changes, 31% said it’s because they have no interest in changing their current habits, 26% said they don’t make lifestyle changes at the start of the year, and 24% believed they already have healthy habits.