Survey on health perceptions in China by daxue consulting

Survey on health
perceptions in China
March 2021
© 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED

The aim of the 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…
RESERVED

What nutrients and
food items are
considered “healthy”?
RESERVED

Q Daxue consulting survey
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.
RESERVED
4

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).
RESERVED
5

98.93%
98.80%
98.66%
95.05%
86.35%
Do you consider following food unhealthy?
Top 5 foods with least healthy perceptions
RESERVED
6

Daxue consulting survey
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
RESERVED
7

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
RESERVED
8

TCM in modern China
RESERVED

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.
RESERVED

The ancient TCM market is rebounding, COVID-19 re-kindled interest
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

Old TCM for new generations: A TCM brand targeting young consumers
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

Diet trends in China
RESERVED

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.
RESERVED
14

Meal replacement products are more than just protein drinks
Brands introduce different categories of products with innovative flavors
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

Meal replacement target consumers: Young, urban bodybuilders and dieters
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

Meal replacement marketing: From niche markets to general population
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

The global intermittent fasting 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
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

Reaching Chinese
health-conscience
consumers
RESERVED

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
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

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.
RESERVED
21

Takeaways for brands to 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.
RESERVED
22

24
© 2021 DAXUE CONSULTING – DOUBLE V CONSULTING
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Your Market Research Company in China
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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
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• Full, complete, national coverage
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• Using our expertise to draw precise, reliable
recommendations
• With key accounts from around the world
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