Aimed at getting Brits to listen to their bodies, Holland & Barrett is now sponsoring celebrity body parts, signing deals with Team GB’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s right calf and 87-year-old East End icon Margie “Grime Gran” Keefe’s bicep.
The move comes as new research reveals Brits are stuck in a “fix it when it breaks” approach to health, with just 18% of UK adults saying they regularly listen to their body and 45% only paying attention when something goes wrong.
From Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift’s famously insured legs to rumours about Jennifer Lopez insuring her buttocks, celebrity body parts have long captured attention. But instead of focusing on appearance, Holland & Barrett is putting the spotlight on the body parts we often take for granted until something goes wrong.
Bringing this to life, the wider ‘body squad’ includes disability advocate Mesha Moinirad’s brain, TikTok stars Helen Humphrey-Taylor’s gut and Luke Vernon’s legs.
Ben Green, Head of Science at Holland and Barrett, said: “We are surrounded by celebrity sponsorships, but behind every performance is a body doing extraordinary work. Our bodies are always talking to us, yet many of us only listen when something goes wrong. This is about recognising and supporting the parts that make physical and mental wellbeing possible and encouraging people to look after their bodies every day.”
The study of 5,000 Britons also reveals the nation is stuck in a cycle of ‘reactive repair’, with young adults struggling with health proactivity more than any other age group. Almost half (47%) of 16 to 34 year olds say they find it difficult to be proactive with their health, compared to 35% of over 45s. One in eight (12%) of 16 to 24 year olds say they are confused about which sources of healthy lifestyle information they can trust.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Double World Heptathlon Champion and Olympic Silver Medal winning Heptathlete said: “A serious right calf injury at Tokyo 2020 changed everything for me. I used to skip proper warm ups and just crack on, but now it is non negotiable. The biggest shift is that I actually listen to my body. My calf tells me when something is not right and I do not ignore it anymore.”
Alongside the campaign, Holland and Barrett is rolling out 300,000 free Wellness Check-Ins each month, available in stores and online, aimed particularly at younger adults who are not eligible for the NHS 40 plus Health Check.
Only 11 percent of 16 to 24 year olds strongly agree that the government is actively helping people “like me” to be proactive about their future health and wellbeing. The check-ins, delivered by trained Wellness Champions, offer personalised advice to help people better understand their bodies and take simple steps to support their everyday wellbeing.
