Those aged 16 to 34 (53%) are considerably more likely to be deterred by a tax than those aged 45 and over (42%).
Meanwhile, by region, Londoners (53%) are most likely to be deterred by a tax; this compares to the 38% of consumers living in Scotland.
Three quarters (75%) of consumers say that easier to understand nutritional information on product packaging would encourage them to cut down on unhealthy food and drink, rising to 81% of 25 to 34s.
Meanwhile, 73% claim rewards for making healthy choices (e.g. supermarket reward points) would encourage healthier eating. Over half (56%) of Brits say they would cut down on unhealthy products if there were tighter restrictions on advertising unhealthy food.
Over the last two years, the proportion of consumers who strive to eat healthily most of the time has risen by four percentages points, up from 48% in 2015 to 52% in 2017. Overall, 63% of adults try to eat healthily all or most of the time. Only 11% strive to eat healthily all of the time.
Some 41% of Brits admit that wanting to cheer themselves up is likely to push them towards eating or drinking unhealthily, rising to 57% of female under-25s. Just under four in ten (37%) Brits are likely to eat unhealthy food and drink to reward themselves, while a third (33%) stray towards unhealthy food and drink when they are tired, according to the survey.
Emma Clifford, associate director, Food & Drink, said: “It’s encouraging that Brits are making more of an effort to eat more healthily, though they continue to enjoy permissible indulgences. However, there is potential for this overarching healthy eating trend to be undermined by consumers’ incomes being squeezed, together with the perception that healthy food is expensive.”