Almost two-thirds of people do not know how many calories the average person needs to maintain a healthy weight, according to new research.

Diabetes UK, The British Heart Foundation and Tesco commissioned the YouGov survey of 2,025 people to gauge existing awareness ahead of the trio’s new partnership that aims to improve the health of the nation.

The research found that just 35 per cent of respondents knew the average man needs to consume 2,500 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight, while only slightly more, (37 per cent) could pinpoint 2,000 calories as the equivalent for women.

Awareness was found to be even lower among older people, with just a quarter of those aged 55 and over knowing the recommended daily calorie intake for each sex.

With an estimated 62 per cent of UK adults overweight and the nation facing a physical inactivity epidemic, the new findings highlight a worrying lack of dietary awareness. The YouGov survey also flagged widespread underestimates in the amount of calories contained in popular foods, while half of respondents are failing to achieve the minimum recommended amount of physical activity.

“These figures are deeply concerning and highlight our confusion about calories,” said British Heart Foundation CEO Simon Gillespie.

“Eating too much of any food increases the chances of becoming obese, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, which is the UK’s single biggest killer. We all must pay more notice to what and how much we are eating and drinking to maintain a healthy weight and heart.”

As part of the new partnership, the three organisations aim to raise £30m over the next three years to be spent on a series of initiatives that will help people better understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

As one of the first activities of the partnership, Tesco stores around the country are offering free health checks for 40,000 individuals this January. This includes a blood pressure check, a cholesterol test, a Type 2 diabetes test and a BMI (weight) check and takes about 20 minutes.

The latest healthy living push from the supermarket giant highlights an increasing commitment towards health and fitness. Having previously paired up with Xercise4Less to offer an instore gym, and later provided a community yoga space at the Tesco Extra store in Watford, the supermarket chain also recently launched low-fat food range My Fit Lifestyle.