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Survey on health perceptions in China by daxue consulting
A survey conducted in March 2021 by Daxue Consulting explored health perceptions among 747 Chinese respondents, primarily young individuals from urban areas. The survey revealed varied opinions on food and nutrient healthiness, with milk and fiber viewed positively, while trans fats and salads received more neutral perceptions. Additionally, the study highlighted the influence of traditional Chinese medicine on dietary choices and the growing interest in health trends such as meal replacements and diets like keto among younger consumers.
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Introduction to health perceptions survey in China with 747 respondents, focusing on health beliefs.
Survey reveals nutrients perceived as healthy like protein and fiber. Milk and fruits rated healthy by respondents.
Top five unhealthy food perceptions identified, highlighting low health ratings for specific items.
Breakfast is deemed most important yet often skipped; COVID-19 had minimal impact on dietary habits.
TCM's significance in health beliefs, with an increasing market interest after COVID-19.
Emergence of meal replacements and keto diets, their popularity and consumer targeting in China.
Consumer purchase factors for snacks and drinks, emphasis on flavors, health perceptions, and aspirations.
Background of Daxue Consulting focused on the Chinese market, service offerings, and presence.
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Survey on health perceptions in China by daxue consulting
- 1. Survey on health perceptionsin China March 2021 © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- 2. The aim ofthe survey is to understand what Chinese people believe is healthy In a world with a wealth of information on the internet, some of it accurate, some of it not, much of it conflicting, there is a myriad of ideas about what is healthy. Our aim is to understand not just whether Chinese consumers are making healthy lifestyle decisions, but what they actually consider to be healthy. Who were our 747 respondents? 84% under 30 years old 72% from Tier 1 and 2 cities About our survey… © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- 3. What nutrients and fooditems are considered “healthy”? © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- 4. Q Daxue consultingsurvey of 747 Chinese people What is your perceived health level of the following nutrients? Very unhealthy Unhealthy Neutral Moderately healthy Very healthy Unfamiliar Protein 0.1% 1.1% 11.2% 56.0% 30.3% 1.3% Added sugars 3.5% 19.1% 43.8% 28.0% 4.3% 1.3% Fat 1.6% 14.1% 39.9% 37.1% 5.9% 1.5% Trans fat 19.8% 31.1% 24.8% 8.4% 2.1% 13.8% Omega-3 0.9% 3.5% 32.0% 24.2% 8.4% 39.9% Caffeine 2.8% 18.7% 47.4% 25.7% 3.2% 2.1% Fiber 0.1% 0.9% 5.9% 58.8% 33.2% 1.1% Carbs 1.1% 6.2% 30.1% 49.7% 12.3% 0.7% Added sugar, something that is widely recognized as unnecessary to the diet in the west, has a relatively neutral perception in China Trans fats are recognized as a dietary hazard in the west, as the body cannot burn it. However, around 35% of our Chinese survey respondents saying they believe Trans fats are either neutral or healthy. It is likely that many people have heard of trans fats, but are unaware of how they impact the body. Fat vs. carbs are often pit against each other as culprits of weight gain. Low fat diets were trending globally in the 90’s, while low carb diets are trending today. The survey shows that Chinese have a more favorable view towards carbs than fat. © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
- 5. Q Daxue consultingsurvey of 747 Chinese people 92.10% 72.56% 66.93% 68.54% 36.14% 96.25% 80.46% 61.85% Milk Nut-milks Plant-based protein milk Yogurt products Lactobacillus drink Fruit Nuts Salad Do you consider the following food healthy? More people believe milk is healthier than plant-based or nut milks, despite the high prevalence of lactose- intolerance in China. Salads are not perceived as positively in China as in the west, as hot food is often preferred for health (as the section on TCM will confirm). © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 5
- 6. Q Daxue consultingsurvey of 747 Chinese people 98.93% 98.80% 98.66% 95.05% 86.35% Do you consider following food unhealthy? Top 5 foods with least healthy perceptions © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 6
- 7. Daxue consulting survey of747 Chinese people Which meal do you believe is the most important to your health? 63.6% 32.1% 4.3% 55.7% 37.9% In which meal do you eat the most abundantly? 6.0% Breakfast Lunch Dinner 62.9% 29.0% Which meals do you often miss due to being too busy? 10.0% 24.6% None Chinese perceptions on the importance of each meal While most believe breakfast is the most important for health, it is the most skipped meal, and eaten the least abundantly © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7
- 8. Q Daxue consultingsurvey of 747 Chinese people How did your habits change due to the COVID-19 pandemic? The impact of COVID-19 on eating habits, daily routine and health awareness is not as significant as expected. Most reported no change in their habits, however few reported that their daily habits got less healthy. 10.3% 69.4% 20.3% Daily routine 10.8% 81.4% 7.8% 43.1% 55.2% 1.7% Eating habits Health awareness © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 8
- 9. TCM in modernChina © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- 10. Daxue consulting survey of747 Chinese people Yes Believe hot food is healthier than cold food? 36.0% 51.8% 12.1% 64.7% 28.0% Believe cooked food is healthier than raw food 7.0% 59.7% 31.7% Believe the balance of Yin and Yang foods is important 8.3% 50.0% 38.3% Believe in TCM and use it in daily life 11.2% Neutral No Do you… Chinese perceptions of TCM’s impact on health A majority of Chinese believe or somewhat believe in traditional Chinese medicine concepts when it comes to food. For example, most believe that cooked food is healthier than raw food. Hence, only 62% of Chinese believe salads are healthy. © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- 11. The ancient TCMmarket is rebounding, COVID-19 re-kindled interest © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 115 159 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Turnover value of TCM in China (in billion RMB) The TCM market has been on the rise since 2016, and as a preventative medicine, searches for Chinese medicine spiked during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in China Chinese medicine Western medicine Approximate COVID-19 lockdown period (varies by city) Baidu search trends of Chinese medicine vs. western medicine Sept. 2019 to Sept. 2020 *Search index does not represent actual search amount 11
- 12. Old TCM fornew generations: A TCM brand targeting young consumers © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED A trending brand based on the TCM concept In 2018, YU SUM TONG officially launch its TCM products – the Food & Medicine Homology and Physique Conditioning collections. It specializes in using ingredients associated with TCM and its marketing emphasize TCM-related concepts such as Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内经). Target consumers are young, urban, white-collar women, products include tea, dietary supplements, essential oils and more. Consumers on Xiaohongshu “Addicted to YU SUM TONG” “I’ve loved this ‘TCM brand’ since I got to know it! From food to external-use products, their products are must-haves for physical wellness (养生).” “The best tea for 养生 girl” “Goji berry, chrysanthemum, jasmine, citrus peel, mulberry leaf, licorice (Tea’s TCM ingredients), they are good for 理气、平肝、解郁 (TCM cures).” Following the trend of physical wellness (养生) among younger generations, brands targeting younger Gen-Z and Millennials have started exploring TCM. 12
- 13. Diet trends inChina © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- 14. Daxue consulting survey of747 Chinese people Prevalence of meal replacement and the Keto diet in China Meal replacement is a time-efficient diet where smoothies and drink mixes provide a meal’s worth of nutrients. The Ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low carb diet meant to get the body to burn fat instead of carbs, causing fat loss. Have you heard of it? N=747 Meal replacement: 94.0% Keto diet: 45.7% Do you think it is healthy? Meal replacement (N=710): 41.6% Keto diet (N=341): 26.1% Have you ever tried it? Meal replacement (N=710): 44.4% Keto diet (N=341): 18.2% Do you believe it is/would be effective? Meal replacement (N=710): 13.3% Keto diet (N=341): 41.1% Meal replacement Keto Meal replacements have been trending on Chinese social media like Xiaohongshu. While popular in the west, the keto diet goes against common Chinese diet practices, such as having rice or noodles with every meal. © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 14
- 15. Meal replacement productsare more than just protein drinks Brands introduce different categories of products with innovative flavors © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Instant meals Meal replacement brands introduce instant food that resemble conventional meals with healthier ingredients (low calories/high protein content). Most brands sell their products as packages to save consumers’ time for choosing their meals. Brands • MissZero 超级零 • Sharkfit 鲨鱼菲特 • Diutang 丢糖 Beverages Meal replacement beverages include smoothies, powders and juice, and provide protein and other types of nutrition. While traditional dietary supplement brands like Herbalife stick to conventional flavors, many brands introduce popular Chinese flavors like milk tea and barley water. Brands • Herbalife 康宝莱 • SMEAL • WonderLab Energy bars Brands in China emphasize high protein and low sugar concentration to target consumers intending to lose weight or gain muscle. Brands produce a wide variety of unique flavors such as matcha and yoghurt. Brands • MUSCLETECH 肌肉科技 • IDEAL FUEL 理想燃料 • DGI Rather than sticking to their main product category, meal replacement brands are now expanding across categories. In general, most brands at least offer products in the categories mentioned above. 15
- 16. Meal replacement targetconsumers: Young, urban bodybuilders and dieters © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 10.2% 51.4% 29.1% 1.9% ≤ 19 20-29 30-39 ≥ 50 Gen Z + Millennials East coast residents High Low Weight Control “44.9km | Love this meal replacement energy bar!” • “0 sugar” • “high fiber content” Intermittent fasting “All-purpose meal replacement smoothies, burn fat and relieve constipation | intermittent fasting diet” • “burn fat” • “relieve constipation” • “detox” Fitness “Shandong hank | workout and meal replacement energy bar” • “high protein content” • “low calories” • “tasty” Consumers on Xiaohongshu Meal replacement powder consumer profile Based on Baidu index (Feb. 2021) 55% female 16
- 17. Meal replacement marketing:From niche markets to general population © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED In order to appeal to more consumers (gender, purpose, age group) both brands Promote their products as: • Suitable for both weight control and muscle building • Low calories, carbs, sugar + high protein • Easy to consume Implement more gender-neutral marketing: • Less gender-stereotyped packaging • Product description with both male and female images • Both female and male KOLs • Weight control • More towards female customers Low calories > High protein “Calories reduction in 3 days = 11.5 hours of jogging” • Fitness • More gender-neutral High protein > Low calories Protein intake required: General population = 0.8- 1g/kg Bodybuilders = 1.5-2g/kg Brands aim to target a wider consumer range with both low calorie and high protein 17
- 18. The global intermittentfasting trend fights an up-hill battle in China While more people are questioning necessity of breakfast, main stream society still holds the opinion that breakfast is essential for one’s physical wellbeing, often citing TCM concepts. 早上吃好 午饭吃饱 晚饭吃少 “For breakfast eat like a king, for lunch eat till you’re full, for dinner eat only a little” - Chinese saying © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED “Eating breakfast is good for your stomach… You can’t protect your viscera if you don’t eat breakfast. Not eating breakfast is like a car without gas.” “Zhong Nanshan (a respected Chinese doctor) said that 30% of daily calories intake should be from breakfast” “Breakfast is actually an invention for marketing. From the perspective of health, it’s not necessary. The biggest problem of our regular breakfast is its high carbs and sucrose content.” “Refuting the rumor: not eating breakfast helps weight control: it’s wrong. Not eating breakfast slows your metabolism, so you are more likely to gain weight. Eating breakfast is essential and a balance diet is important.” For skipping breakfast Against skipping breakfast 18
- 19. Reaching Chinese health-conscience consumers © 2021DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- 20. Q Daxue consultingsurvey of 747 Chinese people What are the most important factors when buying snacks & drinks? Packaging and brand are more important for drinks than snacks Flavor and price are unsurprisingly the most important factors © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 93.8% 64.7% 37.5% 37.2% 32.3% 14.1% 18.2% 2.3% 92.5% 58.2% 44.9% 33.5% 26.9% 23.3% 18.5% 2.3% Flavor Price Brand Nutritional value Convenience Packaging Recommendations Others Drink Snack Respondents chose top three 20
- 21. Q Daxue consultingsurvey of 747 Chinese people Q Do you believe you need to lose weight? Very unhealthy/ weak Unhealthy/ weak Neutral Moderately healthy/ Strong Very healthy/ Strong Daily routine 11.0% 38.2% 29.6% 17.4% 3.6% Eating habits 2.4% 19.3% 46.2% 28.1% 3.8% Health awareness 1.2% 11.2% 39.0% 42.0% 6.3% How would you evaluate the health-level of your habits? 17.7% 32.8% 15.1% 9.6% 10.7% 9.7% 72.7% 69.7% 75.2% All Men Women No Don't care Yes While self-evaluation questions do not indicate actual health level, they do show areas where respondents desire to improve. Marketing to where consumers desire to improve is key for aspirational consumers. According to a government report, in 2020 more than half of Chinese were overweight. However, China’s threshold for ‘overweight’ is only a BMI of 24, less than the global standard of 25. Hence, weight-loss is increasingly a concern in China, especially among women who face very strict societal standards. © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 21
- 22. Takeaways for brandsto reach China’s health-conscience consumers Education is key in marketing. Many Chinese are in the learning stage of understanding nutrition. Therefore, it is important for health brands to communicate to consumers why their product is healthy, what nutrients are in it, and what their purpose is. Convenience is important for young, busy consumers. Most Chinese believe breakfast is the most important meal, yet many skip it due to being too busy. Brands can tap into this by making their products more convenient, or marketing them through videos on how to cook quick meals with them. Understand the role TCM plays in Chinese health perceptions, and how it will impact the views of products. For example, raw food is not perceived as healthy as cooked food, leaving little room for the paleo diet which is centered on raw vegetables. Food temperature is also important. A product that is meant to be served hot, like a soup, may do better than something meant to be served cool, like a salad. Flavor comes first, nearly every one of our survey respondents chose flavor as a top purchasing criteria. While making products healthy and convenient, flavor should not be sacrificed. © 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 22
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- 24. 24 © 2021 DAXUECONSULTING – DOUBLE V CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Who we are Your Market Research Company in China 24 Covered Tier-1 cities Covered Tier-2 cities Covered Tier-3 (and below) cities We are daxue consulting: • A market research firm specializing on the Chinese market since 2010 • With 3 offices in China: in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong • Employing 40+ full-time consultants • Full, complete, national coverage • Efficient and reliable fieldwork execution across China • Using our expertise to draw precise, reliable recommendations • With key accounts from around the world 北京 BEIJING, CHINA Room 726, Building 1, 40 Dongzhong Road, Dongcheng District 上海 SHANGHAI, CHINA (Head Office) Room 504, 768 Xietu Road, Huangpu District
- 25. 25 © 2021 DAXUECONSULTING – DOUBLE V CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Our past and current clients 350+ clients with 600+ projects for the past 7 years 25
- 26. 26 © 2021 DAXUECONSULTING – DOUBLE V CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED A recognized expertise on the Chinese market Regularly featured and quoted in global publications 26 Daxue latest quotations in recent publications
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