Introduction
 
In their quest to find a weight-loss plan that can keep off the pounds, consumers continue to shift toward an overall ``moderate`` lifestyle. Dieting Trends provides a comprehensive analysis of European and US dieting and exercise habits, quantifying the impact of dieting trends on food and drinks products and suggesting ways in which consumer companies can benefit from the shift toward moderation.
 

 
Scope
 
Current size and details, along with projections for dieting, exercising, and overweight/obese segments in the US and Europe (2003-2008)
 
US and Europe 1998-2003 dieting industry, with 2003-2008 forecasts of the diet carbonates, bakery, dairy, confectionery, and spreads categories
 
Analysis of shifts in consumption induced by diet and moderate lifestyles, including emerging trends such as the glycemic index and slow carb diet
 
Suggestions for effectively targeting the opportunities created by an increase in dieting, moderate activity, and healthy living
 
Highlights
 
By 2008, about 170 million Europeans and 154 million US adults will be overweight or obese. As consumers grow larger, they are increasingly recognizing the role of exercise and portion control in weight loss and healthy living. With activity levels on the rise, 70 million US and European consumers are expected to be health club members by 2008
 

 
Dieters are moving toward a more moderate lifestyle that is easy to maintain. Many are also relying less on the media for weight loss cues and are making dieting decisions based on self-perceptions and personal relationships. Their shifting consumption patterns will drive a US$17bn increase in spending on diet food and drink products by 2008
 

 
Increasing consumer awareness of the role of activity and smaller portion sizes in weight loss and healthier living provide opportunities for innovative manufacturers. To succeed, products must be tailored around key dieting and activity needs and the constraints generated by more hectic lifestyles, personal relationships and self-perceptions
 

 
Reasons to Purchase
 
Discover the extent of dieting and exercise through hard to find data on the size and prevalence of dieting and activity levels among weight groups
 
Understand how social influences and personal relationships affect consumer choices
 
Assess the impacts on retail dietetic food and drinks products in financial terms

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
 
Hot topic 3
 
The future decoded 3
 
Action points 6
 
CHAPTER 2 THE FUTURE DECODED 13
 
Introduction 13
 
The overweight and obesity epidemic 13
 
Rates of overweight and obesity in Europe will reach 53% by 2008 13
 
Overweight and obesity among children is on a rapid rise 21
 
Consumers’ perceptions of the “ideal” body type are shifting 24
 
An analysis of shifting consumer behaviors for weight loss and dieting 28
 
The cyclical nature of dieting 29
 
Dieters are turning to groups and social networks for support 29
 
Trends in dieting and weight loss 31
 
Dietetic market size 31
 
The importance of dieting 42
 
Emerging trends in dieting 46
 
The consumer groups influencing the dieting and healthy lifestyle markets 53
 
Health and dieting population profile 53
 
Exercise will become an integral part of weight loss and maintenance over the next five years as health club memberships continue to increase 56
 
Moderate exercise will be the key to appealing to consumers as Healthy Lifestylers and Weight Loss Dieters look to “get moving” 60
 
Conclusions 62
 
Successful innovations must take into account consumers’ shifting attitudes about weight and the ideal body type 62
 
Exercise occasions are the key: focusing on getting consumers moving will be crucial 63
 
Healthy, Moderate Lifestylers and Weight Loss Dieters possess important differences 64
 
CHAPTER 3 ACTION POINTS 65
 
Introduction 65
 
Appeal to consumers’ self-perceptions through empathetic advertisements 65
 
Create characters with which consumers can identify 66
 
Tap into the images with which consumers would like to identify 68
 
Target all consumer groups through unconventional marketing techniques 68
 
Consumers rely on personal relationships when making dieting and purchasing decisions 68
 
Integrate viral and word-of-mouth efforts into marketing strategies 69
 
Strategically seed products within target market segments 70
 
Use the credibility of experts and news sources 71
 
Take advantage of the moderation trend by bundling smaller portion sizes with a healthy “get moving” theme 72
 
Get consumers moving in small ways to improve brand image 72
 
Smaller portion sizes will help consumers on their quest to moderation 76
 
Address individual dieting needs without a “one-size-fits-all” approach 79
 
Targeting Healthy, Moderate Lifestylers 80
 
Targeting Weight Loss Dieters 81
 
The success of current dieting trends provides a window into the future 83
 
CHAPTER 4 APPENDIX 85
 
Measuring the Body Mass Index 85
 
Definitions 86
 
Research methodology 86
 
References 87
 
News sources 87
 
Academic research 89
 
New product research 89
 
How to contact experts in your industry 90
 

 
LIST OF TABLES
 
Table 1: Overweight or obese population by country, (% adults) 2003-2008 14
 
Table 2: Overweight or obese population by country, (millions adults) 2003-2008 14
 
Table 3: BMI distribution, by country, (% adults) 2003 16
 
Table 4: BMI distribution, by country, (millions adults) 2003 16
 
Table 5: Consumers participating in moderate exercise, by weight self-assessment, US and EU (% respondents) 2004 20
 
Table 6: Consumers participating in vigorous exercise, by weight self-assessment, US and EU (% respondents) 2004 20
 
Table 7: Percentage of overweight and obese EU and US children (5-9 year olds), by country, 1998-2008 21
 
Table 8: Millions of overweight and obese EU and US children (5-9 year olds), by country, 1998-2008 22
 
Table 9: Tools used in deciding whether to start a weight loss diet, US and Europe (% respondents), 2004 31
 
Table 10: Overall diet market by country, (US$m) 1998-2008 32
 
Table 11: EU diet market by segment, (US$m) 1998-2008 33
 
Table 12: US diet market by segment, (US$m) 1998-2008 33
 
Table 13: Diet bakery market by country, (US$m) 1998-2008 34
 
Table 14: Diet product introductions, bakery category, by country 35
 
Table 15: Diet carbonates market by country, (US$m) 1998-2008 35
 
Table 16: Diet product introductions, carbonate category, by country 37
 
Table 17: Diet confectionery market by country, (US$m) 1998-2008 37
 
Table 18: Diet product introductions, confectionery category, by country 39
 
Table 19: Diet dairy market by country, (US$m) 1998-2008 39
 
Table 20: Diet product introductions, dairy category, by country 40
 
Table 21: Diet fats and spreads market by country, (US$m) 1998-2008 41
 
Table 22: Diet product introductions, fats and spreads category, by country 42
 
Table 23: Adult population on a diet , US vs. EU (% adults), 2004 43
 
Table 24: Adult population on a diet, US vs. EU (m adults), 2004 43
 
Table 25: US adults on a weight loss diet, by BMI, 2002 44
 
Table 26: Health club membership, by country, (% population aged 6+) 2002-2008 57
 
Table 27: Health club membership, by country, (millions, aged 6+) 2002-2008 57
 
Table 28: Growth in dedicated US health club memberships, (m) 1997-2003 59
 
Table 29: US health club membership, by age, (% and m adults), 1987-2003 59
 
Table 30: US health club membership, by gender, (% adults) 1987-2003 60
 
Table 31: Weekly incidence of vigorous physical activity, by EU country, (% respondents) 2002 61
 
Table 32: Weekly incidence of moderate physical activity, by EU country, (% respondents) 2002 62
 
Table 33: Weekly incidence of moderate walking for more than 10 minutes, by EU country, (% respondents) 2002 62
 
Table 34: Importance of marketing that reflects consumers’ personal situation, by country (% respondents) 2004 66
 
Table 35: Percentage of consumers who often see themselves in characters used by advertisers, by country, (% respondents) 2004 67
 
Table 36: Time spent sitting each day, EU adults (% respondents) 2002 73
 
Table 37: Perceived importance of improving health through dietary choices, by country, (% respondents) 2004 79
 
Table 38: Percentage of EU new product introductions making dietetic claims, by claims, 2002-2004 83
 
Table 39: Percentage of US new product introductions making dietetic claims, 2002-2004 83
 
Table 40: Diet category definitions 86
 
LIST OF FIGURES
 
Figure 1: BMI distribution, by country, by gender, (millions adults) 2003 17
 
Figure 2: Dove “As Tested On Real Curves” campaign, Germany, 2004 26
 
Figure 3: Incidence of bariatric surgery in the US, 1992-2004 52
 
Figure 4: Realistic images of body size vs. “ideal” body type, as portrayed in advertising in the UK, 2004 63
 
Figure 5: Kraft Foods’ Nabisco-brand 100 Calorie Packs 78
 
Figure 6: Creating packaging to appeal to Healthy, Moderate Lifestylers – the Hi-Lo frozen dinner 81
 
Figure 7: Creating packaging to appeal to Weight Loss Dieters – Slim Slammers’ slimming dairy drink 82