--- title: Only a Third of People Consider Their Diet Healthy, Study Says description: Only 34% of people involved in a recent U.K. study say they consider themselves to have a healthy diet canonical: https://time.com/3934342/diet-healthy-eating/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-26T14:54:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:48.986Z article:section: Health og:title: Only a Third of People Consider Their Diet Healthy, Study Says og:description: Only 34% of people involved in a recent U.K. study say they consider themselves to have a healthy diet og:url: https://time.com/3934342/diet-healthy-eating/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a11489099a5a6c3/69885833e53abadd834de565/veggies.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1254 og:image:height: 705 og:image:alt: Fresh Vegetables og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Only a Third of People Consider Their Diet Healthy, Study Says twitter:description: Only 34% of people involved in a recent U.K. study say they consider themselves to have a healthy diet twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a11489099a5a6c3/69885833e53abadd834de565/veggies.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Only a Third of People Consider Their Diet Healthy, Study Says > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Should I Eat Pizza? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Eat Pizza?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NvpgAWn5.m3u8) (1:39)  _Published 2015-02-12. You might be surprised that four out of five health experts give pizza the thumbs up. But don’t be fooled: these are not greasy thumbs._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 26, 2015 2:54 PM UTC  Fresh Vegetable On Vintage Garden Table Fresh Vegetable On Vintage Garden Table Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 26, 2015 2:54 PM UTC In a [recent U.K. study](http://futurethinking.com/consumers-are-confusing-sugar-and-fat/), only 34% of people said they consider themselves to have a healthy diet. Although most people in the study didn’t view their diets as healthy, that figure is still 5% more than last year, according to the 2015 Grocery Eye survey, which was released this month by the market research company Future Thinking. The findings are based on data from more than 2,000 consumers. Even though there’s been more attention paid to the high sugar content in foods and drinks, 56% of people who answered the survey said they haven’t changed their eating habits because of that information. The research also revealed that when consumers want to purchase healthy food, a third of them will look at the fat content. 22% look at the amount of sugar and 20% use calories as a reference. Cost may also be a factor when it comes to adopting healthy eating habits, the research suggests. The survey shows that 65% of the consumers believed that eating healthy was more expensive than eating unhealthy and that 52% reported they would eat healthier if it was more affordable. “There continues to be confusion as to what being healthy really means and what foods you should and shouldn’t eat,” Claudia Strauss, Managing Director of FMCG and Shopper at Future Thinking said in a statement. “Consumers are bombarded with extensive and often contradictory messages which are leaving them feeling unengaged and helpless. It is clear that sugar is the villain of the piece and will likely remain so for a while but quite how to respond to this news is not yet clear for consumers.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] You might be surprised that four out five health experts are giving pizza the thumbs up. But don't be fooled. These are not greasy thumbs. Delivery is a nutritional minefield. One slice of sausage has 14 grams of fat. Pizza is the number one source. Of solid fat intake for kids. 20 % of the pizza that kids eat comes from school cafeterias. Which is pretty much equal to the fast food kind in fat finds a study by Jennifer Poti. Beware the fatty, salty topping. Things warns Lisa Powell. Here 2015 study found that on days when kids eat pizza they take in more calories, saturated fat, and sodium then usual. The trick here is rethinking the pie. Pizza can be as harmless as an open faced sandwich filled with vegetables whole grains and even fruits says Adam Drewnowski. It has a lot going for it. Tomato sauce packs more antioxidants than raw tomatoes, found one 2015 study from the University of Barcelona. In one recent study, Emily Combet developed a nutritionally perfect pizza, with less saturated fat. Less sodium and more fiber. 81 % of kids liked it as much as the regular kind, and 77 % agreed. So yes, by all means eat it, but let your love for pizza be your excuse to cook more. 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