Adults aged 50 and over accounted for 34% of the total UK population in 2007. Official forecasts indicate that the number of UK residents aged 45 and over will increase by 7.7% between 2008 and 2013, meaning that the over-50s are an increasingly important group for companies to target.

This report takes an in-depth look at the lives of those aged 50 and over. In particular, it looks at the behaviour and attitudes of this important demographic group in relation to: health, diet and appearance; home, work and finance; and leisure time and holidays.

An exclusive consumer survey commissioned by Key Note for this report found that health is an important issue for the over-50s, with a significant minority of respondents agreeing that they worry `a lot' about their health. Appearance is also high on the list of over-50s' priorities, with the vast majority of respondents claiming to take pride in their appearance.

Looking after relatives is fairly common among consumers in this age group, with many respondents still having children living at home and/or regularly spending time caring for older relatives. Despite these responsibilities, few of those questioned had paid for help with their household chores.

The importance of holidays to this age group is highlighted by the fact that a significant minority agree that they take more holidays and short breaks now than they did 10 years ago. However, very few have been on a trip organised by a company that specialises in travel for those aged 50 and over.

Overall, respondents seem content with their quality of life, with more than half of those aged 50 and over telling Key Note that they are happier with their quality of life now than they were in their 20s and 30s.

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