Half of Spaniards say that the general rise in food prices has changed the way they eat. At least that is what emerges from the VI Health and Life Study prepared by the insurer Aegon, which reveals how some fresh foods have been falling from the shopping baskets of many citizens, especially those who have lost their jobs, They are in an ERTE (temporary employment regulation file) or their economic situation has worsened.
Furthermore, 45% of the 1,600 people surveyed by Aegon claim that, after months of widespread and sustained increase in food prices, they have stopped consuming some products for this reason. Those that have most frequently stopped entering the shopping basket or do so less frequently are fish (mentioned by 52.5% of those who have given up some food due to its price), followed by meat (35%). %) and fruit (18%), as well as cereals (17%) and dairy products (12%).
The study confirms that, beyond those who have economic problems, women and those under 40 years of age are the groups that have readjusted what they eat the most due to the price that some foods have reached. According to data from the INE, the shopping basket has been increasing in price by over 10% for seventeen consecutive months, and the price of some products such as oil, sugar, potatoes, dairy products or pork, has skyrocketed. .
And although this increase is generalized, it does not affect all territories equally. According to the data collected by Aegon, the Canarians are the ones who have changed their eating habits the most due to inflation (66.4% of respondents), followed by those from Extremadura and Navarrese. At the other extreme are the Galicians. Only 37% of the citizens of that autonomy consulted say that prices have affected their diet.
Despite these readjustments in the diet and changes in the shopping basket, only 6.4% of Spaniards believe that their diet has gotten worse in the last year, although the percentage is higher among women (8 .1%) and young people (11.8%). However, the study detects a certain subjectivity when assessing whether one eats better or worse: those who consider having a good diet say that they have increased positive habits, while those who believe they do not eat well also declare that this year the quality has worsened. of their diet.
Fruit and vegetables are the foods that are consumed most frequently (55% say they eat fruit almost every day and 34% eat vegetables). In the case of meat, it is men, young people and people without children who eat it the most: several times a week. Fish consumption, on the other hand, increases as one ages and 87% of those over 65 years of age eat it at least once a week. In the case of junk food, it is most consumed among young people and people without children. In the 26 to 40 age group, there are 3.3% of respondents who claim to take it almost every day.
Another relevant fact revealed by the VI Health and Life Study is the significant increase in the number of people who have followed some type of diet or regimen in the last year: 27.9% of those surveyed (they were 21.6% in 2022). Dieting is more common among young people (44% of those between 18 and 25 years old have done one in the last year) and in two out of three cases it is done to lose weight or improve physical appearance.
There is another 62% of the population that goes on a diet to improve their diet and health, 11.6% for economic reasons and another 10.4% for environmental awareness.
The majority of people who decide to go on a diet do not follow a specific diet, but rather they mostly choose to eliminate some specific food or foods or reduce the amount they eat. And more than half (57%) do so without any professional follow-up or supervision.