October 15, 2026 - 161 views
More than three quarters of people in Wales support making healthier food and drink the default option when eating out, according to a new survey by Public Health Wales.
The findings show that 77 per cent support making advertising, special offers and price promotions focus on healthier products, while 72 per cent back the approach even if it means fewer promotions for less healthy food and drink.
The survey also found that 81 per cent support making healthier options the default in publicly funded settings, including schools, hospitals and leisure centres.
Support was particularly high for schools, childcare settings and hospitals, where more than 90 per cent of respondents said healthier food and drink should be the standard choice.
At least 80 per cent also supported making healthier options the focus of advertising and special offers in schools, colleges, universities, healthcare settings and sports and leisure facilities.
The research looked at what people want to see when buying food and drink away from home, including healthier portion sizes, more options lower in sugar, salt, fat and calories, and non-sugary drinks offered as standard with meals.
There was also strong backing for clearer nutritional information. Seven in ten respondents said information about the nutritional content of food prepared outside the home should always be available, while 24 per cent said it should be provided on request.
For drinks, 66 per cent wanted nutritional information to be available as standard, with a further 27 per cent saying it should be available on request.
Dr Ilona Johnson, Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales, said the findings showed people wanted healthier choices to be easier to make when eating away from home.
She said public places and services had an important role in making healthier options easy to find, understand and choose.
Steve Adie, Head of Standards Policy at the Food Standards Agency in Wales, said clear, accurate and accessible labelling could help people understand their options and make informed decisions about what they buy and eat.
The findings come from the latest Time to Talk Public Health survey, which questioned adults aged 16 and over across Wales. The panel is designed to broadly reflect the population in terms of age, sex, deprivation, ethnicity and health board.
The full survey findings are available on the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health and Wellbeing website.
