Buying healthier food reduces the likelihood of becoming obese by 13%, Vitality research shows; Vitality enhances HealthyFood rewards

Johannesburg, September 1, 2024- Discovery Vitality’s latest research shows that regularly purchasing healthy food can lead to a 13% reduction in the risk of becoming obese.

“Purchasing behaviours have a profound influence on our dietary habits, which are linked to dietary risk factors that contribute to over 7 million deaths globally per year. Our latest research underscores the health risks associated with poor dietary choices, highlighting that unhealthy food purchases not only contribute to these risks but are also made more accessible by the relatively high cost of healthier options,” says Vitality CEO, Dinesh Govender.

“By incentivising and rewarding healthy food purchases, Vitality effectively makes healthy food more affordable. Our data reveals that our most engaged members purchase 11pp more healthy food than less engaged members and have a 14% lower risk of hospitalisation due to cardiometabolic diseases.”

In addition to welcoming Checkers as a Vitality HealthyFood retail partner, Vitality has enhanced the benefit to now offer members more convenience and flexibility in making healthier choices with the option to choose online delivery and instore partners.

Our diets are not healthy enough

There is a significant discrepancy between recommended dietary guidelines and actual eating habits worldwide. According to a Global Burden of Disease collaboration study, global consumption of most healthy foods and nutrients fell short of optimal levels, while the intake of unhealthy foods far exceeded the recommended limits.

Discovery Vitality’s new research emphasises that the choices we make in the grocery aisle not only influence what we eat but can also have a great impact on our overall wellbeing and health outcomes. Vitality's latest research expands on previous findings about healthy food choices. It shows that members who received 25% cash back ate an average of nearly four servings of fruits and vegetables per day, compared to just over three servings for those without cashback. Additionally, members with a 10% discount on healthy food added about 140 more servings of fruits and vegetables to their diet each year, while those with a 25% discount added over 230 more servings per year.

The data also shows that Vitality members who consistently purchase HealthyFood items experience a 55% reduction in the likelihood of having high-risk blood glucose levels.

In the past three years, Vitality members have purchased over 220 million HealthyFood items and earned more than R1 billion in rewards through the HealthyFood benefit.

Some of the top items purchased included over:

• 4.5 million bags of tomatoes
• 3.4 million packs of bananas
• 2.9 million cucumbers
• 2.9 million bags apples
• 2.7 million cans of tuna

“Vitality is committed to helping our members lead healthier, longer lives. By offering greater nutritional awareness and affordability through rewards, we are removing the barriers to accessing nutritious food,” says Dr Mosima Mabunda, Vitality’s Chief Clinical Officer.

Read more about the Vitality research insights here.

An enhanced Vitality HealthyFood programme

Vitality members can now get up to 25% on HealthyFood items, boosted up to 75% with Discovery Bank, and can now earn Vitality HealthyFood rewards at Checkers and Woolworths. For more information on the HealthyFood benefit updates, click here.

"As we continue to face rising obesity levels, the importance of promoting healthier food choices cannot be overstated," says Govender. "Our partnerships bring us closer to making healthy eating a reality for more South Africans. The increased monthly spend limits within the programme ensure that healthy options remain both accessible and affordable."

ENDS