@ BXconference #BX 2015 Acceptable behaviour? Government intervention on unhealthy foods Bobby Duffy, Ipsos MORI
@BXconference #BX2015
Acceptable behaviour? Government intervention on unhealthy foodsBobby Duffy, Ipsos MORI
• Asked people about the acceptability of different types and levels of government intervention on unhealthy foods
• Updates study run in 2010• Based on an on an online survey of 16,259 across 22 countries• Approximately c500 -1,000 individuals participated on a country
by country basis, aged up to 64 • Conducted 24 July to 7 August 2015• Data are weighted to the population profile of each country
The study…
We looked at four degrees of Government intervention – and also asked about interventions in business practice
FOR
CE O
F IN
TERVENTIO
NInformationi
Provide information about changing behaviour
IncentivesProvide incentives to change behaviour
! Restrictions
Ban outright
Make behaviour more expensive or difficult
Ban behaviour
Make companies act to change behaviourCompanies
Thinking about what people choose to eat. What, if anything, do you think government should do?
Slight shift in opinion from 2010 – but mostly just all types of intervention being less appealing
2010
53%
60%
88%
82%
90%85%
77%
53%
55%
82%
Provide information about healthy eating
Provide incentives, such as health food vouchers
Make companies promote healthy choices
Make unhealthy foods more expensive
Ban unhealthy foods
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 and November 2010 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
Government should provide information to people on how to eat more healthily
Providing information is widely supported – although still a 20 percentage point range…
TurkeySouth Africa
AustraliaMexico
IndiaSouth Korea
CanadaGreat Britain
BrazilSpain
GermanyHungary
ArgentinaItaly
RussiaPoland
BelgiumJapan
Saudi ArabiaSweden
USAFrance
95%91%91%
90%89%
88%87%87%
86%86%86%
85%85%85%
84%84%
83%81%
79%79%
78%75%
I N F O R M AT I O N
Tend to support / strongly support
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
Government should provide incentives, such as money off vouchers for healthy foods to encourage people to eat more healthily
Broad support for incentives, but Sweden a very notable exception…
MexicoHungary
South AfricaBrazilIndia
ArgentinaItaly
Saudi ArabiaRussiaSpain
AustraliaCanadaBelgiumPoland
South KoreaGreat Britain
GermanyFranceJapan
USASweden
89%87%
85%85%
84%84%84%
83%81%
79%76%76%76%76%
72%72%72%
66%66%66%
44%I N C E N T I V E S
Tend to support / strongly support
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
Government should introduce laws to make it more expensive to eat unhealthy foods
Support decreases for more interventionist policy using price mechanisms, with much wider range between countries (48 ppts)
IndiaTurkeyRussia
Saudi ArabiaMexico
SpainItaly
JapanBrazil
South AfricaArgentina
PolandHungary
Great BritainSouth Korea
AustraliaBelgiumSwedenCanada
GermanyFrance
USA
79%72%
70%63%63%
60%56%
55%53%53%
52%51%
49%49%
48%47%47%
44%43%
42%39%
31%R E S T R I C T I O N S
Tend to support / strongly support
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
Government should introduce laws to ban unhealthy foods
And there is a massive cultural divide on outright bans: 60ppt range
TurkeyIndia
RussiaSouth KoreaSaudi Arabia
MexicoJapanSpain
ItalyArgentina
PolandSouth Africa
BrazilHungaryGermany
FranceAustralia
Great BritainCanadaBelgium
USASweden
87%83%
80%79%
72%70%
68%67%
64%63%
58%51%
50%48%
44%38%
37%37%
36%34%
28%27%
B A N O U T R I G H T
Tend to support / strongly support
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
Government should not get involved in what people choose to eat
People are not consistent in their views: significant proportions also say that government should not get involved in what people choose to eat…
USAPolandJapan
ArgentinaBelgium
IndiaMexico
HungaryFranceRussia
BrazilSouth Africa
SpainTurkey
CanadaAustralia
Great BritainItaly
SwedenSaudi ArabiaSouth Korea
Germany
71%65%
63%61%61%
60%59%59%59%
58%56%
55%55%
53%53%53%53%
51%50%
44%44%
43%
N O G O V E R N M E N T I N V O LV E M E N T
Tend to support / strongly support
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
68% agreed that “government should introduce laws to ban unhealthy foods OR should introduce laws to make it more expensive to make unhealthy foods”
56% agreed that “government should not get involved in what people choose to eat”
35%
…one third of people agree that both government should not get involved and that they should ban unhealthy food/increase their price
Government should make food producers and shops promote healthy choices (e.g. through special offers on healthy foods or labelling which makes it clear which food is healthy)
Government intervention in business generally popular, less so in the US
TurkeyIndia
RussiaSouth Africa
BrazilItaly
Great BritainMexicoFrance
AustraliaPoland
GermanyHungary
ArgentinaBelgium
SpainCanada
Saudi ArabiaJapan
SwedenSouth Korea
USA
95%88%88%
87%86%86%86%
85%85%
84%84%84%
83%82%82%
81%80%
79%77%
74%70%
62%
C O M PA N I E S
Tend to support / strongly support
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
What, if anything, do you think government should do?
Countries that support price mechanisms also tend to support outright bans – although some exceptions, eg Sweden and South Korea
25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80%25%
35%
45%
55%
65%
75%
85%
ARGENTINA
AUSTRALIA
BELGIUM
BRAZIL
CANADA
FRANCE
GERMANY
UK
HUNGARY
INDIA
ITALY
JAPAN
MEXICO
POLAND
RUSSIASAUDI ARABIA
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH KOREA
SPAIN
SWEDEN
TURKEY
UNITED STATES
R2 =0.722
PRICE INCREASES
BA
N O
UTR
IGH
T
LIBERALISM
PATERNALISM
Strongly support/tend to support policy
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
What, if anything, do you think government should do?
Authoritarians and incentivisers – some correlation although some clear preferences between cultures
40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
ARGENTINA
AUSTRALIA
BELGIUMBRAZIL
CANADAFRANCE
GERMANY
UKHUNGARY
INDIA
ITALYJAPAN MEXICO
POLAND
RUSSIA
SAUDI ARABIA
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH KOREA
SPAIN
SWEDEN
TURKEY
UNITED STATESR2 =0.341
BANNING OVER INCENTIVES
INCENTIVES OVER BANNING
Tend to support/strongly support
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
PRICE INCREASES
BA
N O
UTR
IGH
T
Government should introduce laws to ban unhealthy foods
Prevalence of obesity does not appear at all related to support for banning unhealthy foods
R2 = 0.60
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 3620%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
ARGENTINA
AUSTRALIABELGIUM
BRAZIL
CANADAFRANCE
GERMANYUK
HUNGARY
INDIA
ITALYJAPAN MEXICO
POLAND
RUSSIA
SAUDI ARABIA
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH KOREA
SPAIN
SWEDEN
TURKEY
UNITED STATES
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
PRICE INCREASES
BA
N O
UTR
IGH
T
Government should introduce laws to ban unhealthy foods
Countries with a higher inequality of power more supportive of prohibitive legislation
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor; Hofstede Cultural Dimensions
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10020%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
INDIA
RUSSIA
TURKEY
MEXICOITALY
SOUTH KOREA
POLANDARGENTINA
BRAZIL
JAPAN
SOUTH AFRICA
HUNGARY
CANADA
SPAIN
AUSTRALIA
FRANCE
BELGIUMUK
GERMANY
SWEDEN
UNITED STATES
R2 = 0.5369
POWER DISTANCE INDEX
STR
ON
GLY
SU
PPO
RT/
TEN
D T
O S
UPP
OR
T
• Public acceptability and permission are key challenges for the application of behavioural science in public policy
• Survey provides encouragement – and cause for caution/need for nuance
• Relatively widespread support for government intervention – maybe more than would expect?
• …but this varies significantly between countries: cultural context important
• …and it doesn’t mean people are consistent: we can hold contradictory views as individuals as much as in aggregate - doesn’t devalue opinion, need sensitive, tailored response
Conclusions
Base: c.1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, August 2015 | Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor and DWP
@BXconference #BX2015
Thank [email protected]