Studie - Weight Management Trends & Behaviors: Beyond Dieting & Obesity

Introduction

Weight management is a core consumer and industry issue, especially in light of the high and growing prevalence of overweight/obese individuals worldwide. With the topic influencing consumer behavior and social policy, it is essential that the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry is seen to be making proactively positive contributions
Scope

* Detailed insights and analysis on the drivers and inhibitors of weight management. Includes strategic conclusions and actionable recommendations
* Country-specific data on obesity/overweight prevalence and quantitative insight about the relative importance consumers place on weight management
* Gauge the health of the industry: ascertains consumer trust in the weight management industry and the implications for brand development
* Covers 20 major markets across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Delivered as a full report and an abridged ppt. brief

Highlights

Almost a quarter (24%) of consumers deem 'maintaining an ideal weight' to be 'very important'. Approaching half (48%) also consider this to be an 'important' priority. Quite simply, majorities across the 20 countries covered believe in an 'ideal weight', and that it is something to strive towards

Weight loss is by far the most pronounced weight management intention in spite of weight gain continuing to be the prevailing reality across countries. Across the 20 countries surveyed by Datamonitor in July/August 2010, nearly half (49%) felt that 'trying to lose weight' best describes what they are doing about their weight

Much of a product's eventual success hinges on its credibility and how trustworthy its motives and claimed benefits are deemed. However, consumers are highly untrusting towards the motives and credibility of the weight management industry with weight loss' claims deemed even less trustworthy than 'general health and nutritional claims'
Reasons to Purchase

* Consumer understanding: obtain an understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviors towards weight management with detailed, evidence-led insight
* Market understanding: detailed country specific data outlining consumers' weight categorization and their weight management intentions & approaches
* Ideation: gain inspiration for innovative formulations and positioning capitalizing consumers' desire for effective weight management products

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview 1

Catalyst 1

Summary 1

THE FUTURE DECODED 15

INTRODUCTION: Weight management is a major consumer priority and therefore an industry defining issue15

TREND: Weight loss is by far the most pronounced weight management intention in spite of weight gain

continuing to be the prevailing reality across countries 21

INSIGHT: Consumers are more introspective about weight management and overall health, but this does not

always lead to better outcomes 47

INSIGHT: Exercise rates are marginally growing with consumers appearing less engaged with physical

fitness than other aspects of wellbeing 71

INSIGHT: Weight management approaches vary in line with conflicting consumer priorities 84

INSIGHT: Although less common, intentions to maintain and gain weight should not be overlooked in the

weight management space 117

INSIGHT: Consumers are highly untrusting towards the motives and credibility of the weight management

industry 124

INSIGHT: The implications of alcohol consumption and weight are becoming more prominent consumer

considerations 139

ACTION POINTS 150

ACTION: Carefully determine where a product and brand fits on the health and indulgence continuum 150

ACTION: Provide consumers with salient education/information necessary to make informed decisions that

form part of a reliable weight management strategy 151

ACTION: Ensure that trust-enhancing marketing tactics drive weight management marketing efforts 155

ACTION: Relentlessly follow ingredient trends and research developments to maximize product relevancy 160

APPENDIX 163

Supplementary data 163

Report methodology 189

Further reading and references 191

Ask the analyst 194

Datamonitor consulting 195

Disclaimer 195



TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Weight management is a multi-faceted issue 15

Figure 2: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a commonly used measurement to assess weight boundaries16

Figure 3: Approaching three-quarters of consumers across 20 countries deem maintaining an

'ideal weight” to be important 18

Figure 4: The weight management market is shaped by a myriad of drivers and inhibitors 20

Figure 5: Weight management is still more heavily associated with weight loss than weight gain 21

Figure 6: A relatively high degree of consistency is apparent across countries regarding

consumers’ weight management intentions, including the overarching inclination to

lose weight 24

Figure 7: The emphasis on weight loss is reflected by consumers’ weight management food

strategies 27

Figure 8: Obesity is hugely prevalent in the US, but far less so in parts of Asia 29

Figure 9: Obesity is growing faster in China than anywhere else worldwide, albeit from a low base30

Figure 10: Women tend to encounter weight problems more so than men in many countries as

evident in this global/regional snapshot 33

Figure 11: Obesity increases with age, but ongoing growth in childhood obesity is a major societal

concern 34

Figure 12: Indian and Middle Eastern consumers are most likely to admit compromising their

health/nutrition in order to manage their weight 36

Figure 13: Poorly-chosen marketing messages face considerable consumer backlash given the

intensifying societal sensitivity to eating disorders 39

Figure 14: Despite being highly focused on weight loss, many factors inhibit consumers’

intentions 40

Figure 15: The powerful influence of sensory attributes—and the associated desire to indulge—

makes it challenging for many consumers to achieve their weight management goals 43

Figure 16: Consumers are actively seeking food and drinks that are both tasty and enjoyable at the

same time 44

Figure 17: Consumers are placing more emphasis on choosing healthy and tasty products

simultaneously 45

Table of Contents

Weight Management Trends & Behaviors: Beyond Dieting & Obesity DMCM4760/ Published 09/2010

© Datamonitor. This brief is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied Page 4

Figure 18: Consumers are becoming more introspective about weight management and health

more generally 47

Figure 19: Very few people across countries claim to be very satisfied with their body weight and

shape 49

Figure 20: Only 20% of obese US consumers correctly identified themselves as being extremely

overweight 51

Figure 21: Compared to body weight, satisfaction with general health is more in line with the

attentiveness people show towards it 53

Figure 22: On average, consumers are making more conscious attempts to eat healthily in 2010

than in 2009 55

Figure 23: Europeans are the least likely to try and read up/find out about maintaining good

general health 58

Figure 24: Around half of global consumers are interested in hearing the relationship between food

and weight 59

Figure 25: Mapping the indulgence space: indulgence has multiple connotations in terms of

impetus and occasion, all of which can potentially compromise consumers’ weight

management goals 62

Figure 26: Orthorexia nervosa is a condition that reflects the ‘food stress’ that results from the

intense interest in healthy eating 63

Figure 27: Personal branding is a manifestation of the pervasive influence of the ‘visual culture’

trend 64

Figure 28: Improved physical appearance is the top motivator driving weight loss intentions in the

US 65

Figure 29: Physical appearance commands a high amount of attention for around half of global

citizens, but notable country nuances are apparent 66

Figure 30: There has been little change recently in the global consensus regarding the link

between diet and appearance 68

Figure 31: Limited growth in time spent exercising is influenced by limited value/emphasis being

placed on physical fitness by consumers 72

Figure 32: Americans primarily exercise with the intention of losing weight, whereas for Europeans

this is less of a consideration 73

Figure 33: Less than half of citizens across countries are highly attentive towards their own

physical fitness, and even fewer express satisfaction with their level of physical fitness 75

Figure 34: Many consumers adopt a ‘debit-credit’ approach to diet and exercise, which is all about

balance 77

Figure 35: Generally, consumers cannot claim to be making adequate efforts to get enough

exercise a majority of the time 79

Figure 36: The emphasis on weight loss is reflected by consumers’ approaches to weight

management 84

Figure 37: Weight management approaches vary in line with sometimes conflicting consumer

priorities 85

Figure 38: Consumers were more likely to report following a specific diet plan in 2010 than they

were in 2009 86

Figure 39: Consumers are divided as to the effectiveness of dieting as a means of long-term

weight loss 90

Figure 40: Formal and organized weight management regimes have benefits for both consumers

and manufacturers alike 91

Figure 41: In keeping with the wider FMCG industry, established weight management programs

such as Jenny Craig may face an intensifying private label threat via retailer-branded

schemes 93

Figure 42: The demise of the ‘Atkins diet’ had a dramatic effect on 'low/no carb’ launches 94

Figure 43: Consumers respond better to positive messages: too often weight management

products focus on what is being lost which is inherently negative 96

Figure 44: Weight management is dictated by the continuum of healthy eating that has emerged,

which also means that functional ingredients often work in synergy with dieting efforts 98

Figure 45: Majorities of consumers consider themselves to be at least ‘fairly well’ informed about

the amount of calories to be consumed daily, but far fewer feel ‘very well informed’ 100

Figure 46: Western consumers are less attentive than those from elsewhere when it comes to both

the amount of food they consume and the amount of calories they consume 103

Figure 47: There has been a sizeable increase in the percentage of consumers looking to employ

portion control when eating and drinking in 2009-10 106

Figure 48: A recent decline is apparent in the percentage of food and beverages touting ‘low’ or

‘no’ fat, while equivalent claims focusing on calories have remained broadly similar

since 2002 111

Figure 49: Satiety reflects the language of the industry and not that of consumers 114

Figure 50: Products touting satiety benefits are appearing in new and interesting formats 114

Figure 51: Consumers claim to be interested in satiety but a large proportion are not actively

buying products which claim such benefits 115

Figure 52: Although less common, intentions to maintain and gain weight should not be

overlooked in the weight management space 117

Figure 53: The vast majority of consumers believe that they understand what constitutes a

balanced diet 120

Figure 54: Skeptical Consumerism: there are four reasons why trust and ethos based branding are

of increasing importance 124

Figure 55: Consumers are untrusting towards the motives and credibility of the weight

management industry 125

Figure 56: Europeans tend to be less trusting in general health and nutritional claims made by

manufacturers 126

Figure 57: With a few exceptions, consumers are inherently skeptical of food and beverages

claiming weight loss benefits 128

Figure 58: Consumers are often exposed to negative media messages about the failings/limitations

of weight management products 131

Figure 59: Fewer than a quarter of consumers believe in the motivations of the weight loss

industry 132

Figure 60: Consumers believe recommendations from nutritionists to hold much more credence

than claims from manufacturers within the weight loss industry 134

Figure 61: Only a tiny fraction of consumers completely trust food and beverage products that

claim to assist in the burning of calories 137

Figure 62: Consumers do not consider skincare products touting weight loss credentials to be

credible 137

Figure 63: Health has some influence over consumers’ alcoholic drinks choices 139

Figure 64: The long-term negative health implications of drinking alcohol is important to a large

segment of drinkers in most countries, more so than the potential weight gain of

drinking too much 140

Figure 65: Few drinkers consider themselves highly informed of the calorific content of alcoholic

beverages 141

Figure 66: Just over one-in-four drinkers is attentive to the weight gain ramifications of drinking

alcohol, although this outlook varies considerably by country 143

Figure 67: There has not been much change in drinkers tendency to opt for alcoholic beverages

with a lower calorific content 145

Figure 68: Beers have tended to take on a 'light' positioning to convey better-for-you benefits, but

without conveying the message that taste has been compromised, as can occur with

'low calorie' claims 148

Figure 69: The desire for health AND indulgence leads to a continuum of product development

platforms 150

Figure 70: The creation of mobile phone applications is one of the newest ways in which weight

management companies are engaging with consumers 152

Figure 71: Food ranking systems such as the NuVal system make it more imperative than ever that

products are formulated to be as healthful as possible 153

Figure 72: Crowdsourced ideas, whereby consumers share information among themselves, has

the potential to increase brand engagement for weight management offerings

embracing this tactic 154

Figure 73: Professional nutritionists are deemed more credible than the overall weight loss

industry, which suggests that they are potentially important in shaping more positive

consumer expectations 155

Figure 74: Exclusivity agreements with reputable retailers can automatically add authenticity to an

otherwise unknown weight management brand 156

Figure 75: Authenticity is strongly aligned with the need to create more compelling and distinctive

brand auras to help achieve marketplace differentiation and added credibility 158

Figure 76: In recent years, a spate of campaigns have highlighted the relationship between animal

farming and climate change 159

Figure 77: Three important commonalities represent the crossover between ethical/environmental

consumerism and authenticity 160

Figure 78: Ingredients/formulation can be aligned with the wide range of consumer approaches to

tackle weight management 162

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