Consumers, retailers and healthcare providers all have a role to play in improving public health outcomes, a panel at The Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit has discussed.
Subtitled The Future of Health and featuring Frans Muller, president and CEO, Ahold Delhaize, Brian McNamara, CEO, Haleon, and Sharon Bligh, health and sustainability director, The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), the session focused on the growing pressures facing health systems as populations age, health needs evolve and environmental factors influence present and future health challenges.
As Muller explained, lasting change depends on creating habits rather than encouraging temporary adjustments. Understanding consumer needs and remaining relevant to them is central to this effort.
“It’s about how [retailers] can be relevant to you with the offers we have, how we can give you suggestions, and how we can provide recipes,” he said. “If you’re vegetarian, for example, we won’t come to you with a hamburger recipe. It’s about being very close to you and helping you.
“We see that this helps customers get better ideas, and change their lifestyle – because a lot of these changes are often short-term improvements before people fall back into old behaviours. We have to turn these changes into habits, not one-day or one-year improvements, because that is not enough.”
The role of technology
Technology was another major focus of the discussion, with McNamara noting that advances in diagnostics, AI and health monitoring tools create opportunities to identify risks and improve prevention. However, misinformation is also a core concern, with recent research indicating that around two fifths of consumers are concerned they cannot trust the health information they receive, and 60% of Generation Z consumers consult AI tools before seeking professional medical guidance.
“I think we have a huge role to play here, because there’s a massive trust placed in information and, frankly, in making sure that people are getting the right information, so they can make the right choices,” he said. “So, it’s about the CGF coming together and asking how we can collectively address things like health literacy and education.”
Weight management
The discussion also touched on the growing use of GLP-1 medications, with panellists discussing consumers’ needs and expectations when taking said medications. However, a larger question involves why so many people need such treatments in the first place, with panellists arguing that prevention remains the most effective long-term solution.
“With GLP-1s, there’s a level of understanding, when you’re on them, what your nutritional deficiencies are and what kind of diet you should have,” said McNamara. “There are side effects that need to be managed, because if you don’t deal with those side effects, you’re not going to stay on GLP-1s and get the benefit. There’s also the process of coming off them and figuring out how you maintain the results.
“But maybe more importantly, why do so many people need a GLP-1 in the first place? That’s the fundamental root cause. That’s the main thing we have to tackle.”
Elsewhere, Bligh stressed the importance of personal responsibility, noting that individuals are effectively the “chief executives of their own health”.
The Consumer Goods Forum Summit runs until 26 June in Vienna. For more information, visit www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.
