Healthy Stadia: a case study of match day food at an English Premier League football club

The University of Liverpool has released a report examining the diet choices available at matches in English football stadia. The research found that there is a demand for healthier food options (and a wider choice of food and drink in general), which may also provide an economic opportunity for stadium and catering managers.


In 2004, the ‘Healthy Stadia’ programme began to explore how sports stadia could be used in the context of promoting healthy lifestyles to local communities. Considering the large number of citizens who regularly attend sporting events, stadia offer important opportunities for reaching people in order to potentially improve public health and reduce inequalities.

Programme researchers identified football stadia as potential settings for health promotion interventions, and they developed a case study methodology to identify and consider the attitudes of supporters to the food served at the stadium of an English Premier League football club.

The study found that there were significant gender differences between supporters with regard to expectations of healthy food. However, both genders agreed that the quality of food available was poor. The study also found that supporters were concerned about the range of choice available for children.

Another key concern was the contradiction between the high level of physical fitness displayed on the football pitch and the unhealthy food options on display in the stadia, coupled with high-profile, branded sponsorship by fast food and drinks manufacturers.

The study suggests that football clubs – which exert possibly the biggest sporting influence on the lives of young people – should be encouraged to reflect on their status within their communities and demonstrate social responsibility in the food and drink supplied to their supporters. Furthermore, greater consultation with supporters is needed, taking into account the diverse views of both women and men. The study concludes that there should be a healthier choice of food and drink available.

The full report is available here.

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Last modified on January 27 2010.