UK Attitudes towards Health Management: 2026
73% of British adults consider themselves at least somewhat physically healthy, but there is a signifcant risk of overconfidence.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook for health management
- Opportunities
- Workday wellness revolution
- Affordable wellness wins
- Promote fitness today to secure health in the future
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THE MARKET
- Ongoing cost-of-living concerns are a major barrier to health improvements
- Gyms benefit from an increase in health spending
- Many fail to recognise weight issues
- Graph 1: overweight and obesity prevalence, by age, 2024
- Rising long-term sickness is a strain on businesses and the economy
- Graph 2: percentage of economically inactive people aged 16-64 who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, by gender, 2019-25
- Health reviews are focusing on access and health inequalities
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THE CONSUMER
- State of physical and mental health
- The majority of Brits are positive about their health
- Physical health declines with age, but most over-65s feel healthy
- Graph 3: self-reported description of physical health, by age, 2025
- Financial pressures harm all aspects of health
- Graph 4: proportion of consumers who consider themselves physically and/or mentally healthy, by financial situation, 2025
- Three quarters have experienced a health condition in the last year
- Focus on improving mental wellbeing upon British women
- Graph 5: experience of selected health issues in the last 12 months, by gender, 2025
- Promote a holistic, positive approach to wellbeing to prevent a range of issues
- Effort put into health management
- Brits are getting out what they put into their health
- Graph 6: self-reported description of physical health, by effort put into being healthy, 2025
- Educate hard-up consumers on budget-friendly steps to good health
- Graph 7: effort put into being healthy, by financial situation, 2025
- Exercise, diet and socialising lead efforts to improve wellbeing…
- …but it’s easy for consumers to overestimate their level of commitment to health
- Parents of young children represent a keen market for sleep solutions
- Health management products and priorities
- Avoiding illness is the primary focus
- Product choices reflect the emphasis on strong immune systems
- Graph 8: most common products/services used to manage health in the last 12 months, 2025
- Medical weight loss solutions continue to grow
- Speak to concerns about ageing to maximise investment in health now
- Work and health management
- Failures in work-life balance are a major strain on workers’ health
- Graph 9: response to the statement “My work life gets in the way of me having a more healthy lifestyle”, by age, 2025
- Help get workers active with age-targeted sessions
- Get workers moving to improve health and cohesion…
- …throughout the work day
- Reduce the mental strain of work with balance and support
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APPENDIX
- Report scope
- The consumer
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Repertoire analysis methodology
- UK generation groups
- Other data source methodologies
- Snoop SpendMapper methodology
- Abbreviations
"Most UK consumers feel good about their health, but money and overconfidence remain barriers to improvement. Brands can appeal to concerns about the future to boost engagement now."
Rich Shepherd, Associate Principal - Consumer Insights
73% of British adults consider themselves at least somewhat physically healthy, but there is a significant risk of overconfidence. Only 8% self-identify as obese, despite NHS England finding that 30% meet the medical definition. This reveals a potentially dangerous gap in self-perception, with many unaware of health risks and likely to miss opportunities for early intervention.
As the recovery from the cost-of-living crisis continues, Brits are able to put more focus on their health. Increased spend on fitness is indicative of this as more consumers prioritise wellbeing. However, cost-of-living constraints still present a significant barrier, particularly for lower-income groups. Affordability remains a key consideration across the health and wellness space to provide healthy options for consumers regardless of financial situation.
Addressing work-related health issues is a major opportunity for brands and employers, given the high productivity cost of sick days in the UK. 48% of UK workers say their work life gets in the way of having a more healthy lifestyle, pointing to a need to help people develop and maintain healthier routines during and around their work day.
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