Possibilities and Barriers for new, healthy concepts in the fast food sector
The YoungHealth network's point of departure is that people today, and youth in particular, would eat healthier if they had easier access to affordable healthy food options in the public sphere.
A major public health threat in today's Nordic societies is the increasing rates of overweight and obesity, especially among children and the young. The fast food sector, which constitutes a main site where young people eat outside the home, is thus an important arena to study in order to open up for changes in this trend.
Innovative concepts
By establishing cooperation between consumer research institutions, authorities and businesses, the Nordic YoungHealth network aims to produce new knowledge on the personal, socio-economic and structural determinants influencing Nordic youths' food practices and preferences in the fast food sector. The aim is to translate this new consumer knowledge into innovative concepts that can lead to better fast food products and menus, and, secondly, to stimulate effective policies which can make healthier choices more easily available for young people.
To be able to develop concepts, we aim to listen to the ‘Voice of the consumers' for the specific user group aged 15-29 years.
Targets
- Develop common guidelines, grid and questionnaire regarding web survey, field work and testing of new healthier food product.
- Data collection. Develop common Nordic guidelines and web survey questionnaires. Analyze findings.
- Field Work. Develop common guidelines & grids. Analyze findings.
- Testing of new product. Identify new and healthy food concept. Testing of product on young people.
Project team
Project manager: Kjersti Lillebø, SIFO, Norway
Project participants:
Helene Brembeck, Center for Consumer Science (CFK), Sweden
Johanna Mäkelä, National Consumer Research Centre (NCRC), Finland
National Food Institute, Department of Nutrition, Denmark
Margit Velsing Groth og Mette Rosenlund Sørensen fra DTU, Danmark
Øydis Ueland, Nofima Mat AS, Norway
Alfons Ramel, Landspitali-University Hospital, University of Iceland
Unit for Nutrition Research, Iceland
