The announcement comes following the publication of a new report which found that 45% of the UK population are only proactive about their health when something goes wrong. Commissioned by Holland & Barrett (H&B) and conducted by Ipsos, the report also found that 74% of UK adults aged 16-75 believe that establishing good health and wellbeing habits is key to preventing illness in the future.
However, accessing preventative healthcare presents a significant barrier. With mounting pressure on GP surgeries and hospitals, the report states that many are unable to turn intention into action. H&B says there is therefore a ‘clear opportunity’ for trusted high street brands to help people access earlier, community-based support outside traditional clinical settings.
“What we’ve been really successful at over the past few decades is extending lifespan, but we’ve not been so great at extending healthspan,” Dr. Ben Green, head of science at H&B told attendees during an event hosted by the retailer in London on April 8.
“Forty percent of the public disagree that the government is helping them be proactive with their health, and that gap between the government’s prevention ambition and the public’s ability to act is what we’re calling the ‘implementation gap.’ We don’t feel the NHS can fill that gap alone – we feel that they need some partners to really work together to make that prevention ambition a reality.”
Introducing Wellness Check-Ins
Last July, the UK government published its 10-year health plan for England, Fit for the Future, which set out plans to move from sickness to prevention. This includes promoting ‘neighbourhood’ health services for early diagnosis, tackling lifestyle diseases such as smoking and obesity, and investing in mental health and community services.
However, the IPSOS report revealed just 45% of the UK population believe it is easy to access healthcare services.
To tackle this issue, Holland & Barrett is introducing Wellness Check-Ins – a free service targeting consumers under the age of 40 who are not eligible for the 40+ health check offered by the NHS.
The retailer’s trained experts will be able to offer consumers advice and support if they are struggling with their sleep, energy, stress levels, gut health or immunity. For an additional fee, consumers will also be able to access diagnostic services to measure nutritional deficiencies through a new partnership with Randox Health.
“I think one of the biggest access points we’ve got is this readily built national prevention network within Holland & Barrett,” Dr. Green said. “What I mean by that is that we’ve got a shop on every high street, and those shops have accredited experts. [This] allows the public to tap into that trusted side of their expertise which is critical, I feel, to shifting that perception of reactive repair, where people are only going to their GPs when something is wrong, to being a lot more proactive.”
The decision to focus on these key areas was led by the report’s findings, which revealed that sleep, nutrition, mental health, and regular movement are top priorities for consumers. However, 42% said they have experienced trouble sleeping in the past 12 months (with women disproportionately affected), only half are regularly exercising and eating high-fiber foods, and only 42% are eating five portions of fruit and veg a day.
Nutrition is a particularly important aspect to focus on, according to Carrie Ruxton, a dietitian who contributed to the report and spoke at the recent H&B event.
She said the retailer’s new service will allow people to access much-needed dietary advice – something that is particularly important for the younger generation.
“If you look at the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, the group with the worst diets by far are the 11- to 18-year-olds,” she said. “They’re the ones with the biggest vitamin and mineral gaps. Only 6% of them eat oily fish on a regular basis, so they’re not getting those valuable omega-3s for brain development and supporting their heart as they get into adulthood, and less than 10% are having their five a day. So there’s these awful habits that are starting in the teenage years and then they’re going onto early adulthood.”
Ruxton highlighted data from the same survey which shows around a third of the UK population is deficient in vitamin D, and many are low in minerals such as iron, iodine, selenium, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Dietary supplements could therefore help to fill this gap, she said.
“There’s been a lot of negativity around supplements over the years, but supplements have to be part of the solution because not everybody can get absolutely everything they need from their diet,” she said. “The report showed that only about 40% of people are taking supplements, so that’s 60% missing out.”
The Back Your Body campaign
In response to the report’s findings, Holland & Barrett is also launching its ‘Back Your Body’ campaign, which aims to shift the nation’s reactive approach to a proactive one, encouraging people to prioritize their health and wellbeing and avoid illness.
This is supported by a new a TV advert and brand campaign to help people understand what their bodies are asking for, and an annual investment of £1.5 million into health and wellness training.
“As the UK’s leading health and wellness retailer, accessible on almost every high-street and online, we are ideally placed to help back the nation’s bodies,” said Anthony Houghton, Group CEO. “We are continuing to invest in our stores across the UK and Ireland enhancing our destinations for accessible wellness solutions and proactive, personalized health advice that work – from products that are rooted in science alongside 150 years of trusted expert advice, helping make health and wellness accessible for everyone.”
