A
global study of consumer attitudes towards health found evidence
for the “empowered consumer” hypothesis, that greater access to health
information online is making people better advocates for and custodians of
their own health.
The study, by HAVAS' Euro RSCG Worldwide, found a greater sense of control and
responsibility for health among consumers in general, and particularly among a
vanguard group that the agency calls “prosumers.”
“Today's consumers are far better informed and engaged in their health than
were consumers in the past,” said Euro RSCG New York chief strategic
officer Tom Morton. “They are looking for brand partners to play a supportive
role in their wellness quests, offering them not only effective and convenient
products and tools but also little ‘nudges' that push them in a healthier
direction every day.”
Over half of the survey's 7,213 respondents – 56% -- said they have some or a
lot of control over diseases in general, saying they could control, for
example, whether they became obese, contracted a sexually transmitted disease
or developed depression. Four in ten said employers should not be required to provide
health coverage to employees who smoke, and 66% agreed with the statement “food
is as effective as medicine in maintaining one's overall health,” while 63%
said they're much more aware than they used to be of the nutritional value and
health effects of the foods they eat.
Not that this is good news for the food industry, as only 37% said they trust
food companies to provide them with healthful food and seven in ten expressing
concerns about food safety.
Perhaps having absorbed recent findings about the placebo effect, four in ten
respondents agreed that “most illness is psychosomatic,” and six in ten agreed
that “powerful thoughts can help heal a person.”
Euro's VP, BETC Euro RSCG Marianne Hurstel said “Health is a category marked by
tension. On one hand, Prosumers think that everyone is responsible for taking
care of their own health and that most diseases, including cancer, diabetes and
obesity, can be prevented through smart lifestyle choices. On the other hand,
thanks to our ongoing financial insecurity and escalating healthcare costs, the
financial consequences of irresponsible behaviors are increasingly scrutinized,
from both an individual and a public perspective. Individuals who are sick pose
a burden not just to themselves but very often also to their communities. This
creates more pressure to pay attention to what you eat and how you live …. This
is a new life approach that changes the way you think about yourself and
provides more of a sense of solidarity with others. It blurs the frontier
between individual freedom and public obligations, influencing people's
decisions with regard to their health.”