Similarly, almost a third of the survey respondents (32%) believed supplements to be necessary for balanced nutrition, while 30% said they would want to take supplements or meal replacements to achieve their nutrition goals.
These findings were revealed in Herbalife’s Asia Pacific Balanced Nutrition Survey, which sought to understand the health and nutrition-related attitudes and habits of consumers aged 18 and above.
A lack of hydration and exercise appeared to be the main issues affecting nutrition and health, with over 50% of consumers admitting to being plagued by said issues.
The significant percentage of respondents being receptive to supplements and personalised nutrition can be attributed to their reasons for not maintaining an ideal healthy lifestyle: lack of time (46%), motivation (41%) and money (40%).
Asian traction
Indeed, a push in the right direction from certified nutritionists and dietitians may be just what consumers need to keep themselves informed and improve on their own nutrition and health.
While the personalised nutrition trend has caught on in Europe and the US, it is only now beginning to gain traction in the Asia region.
At our Food Vision Asia 2017 summit in Singapore last week, Tan Mei Yi, medical officer of the Singapore-based Imagene Labs, elaborated on the potential for personalised nutrition in Asia.
The company’s methods involve genetic testing aimed at producing customised nutrition solutions for consumers in Asia, based on their individual genetic profiles.
The company launched in Singapore and has since expanded to Thailand.