- SCOPE AND THEMES
- What you need to know
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Obesity and other health concerns shape food attitudes
- Increased interest in cooking is another factor shaping American food attitudes
- Interest in healthier eating on the rise, especially among young adults
- Consider American, Italian and Mexican flavors, especially when targeting cooking enthusiasts
- Many consumers, especially women, change their diet to avoid guilty feelings
- Interest in natural and health claims is high in most segments
- Private label sales on the rise as consumers turn to family and doctors for advice about food and
- nutrition
- MARKET DRIVERS: OBESITY AND OTHER HEALTH-RELATED FACTORS THAT SHAPE ATTITUDES TOWARDS FOOD
- Key points
- Obesity has risen steadily in recent years, but now appears to be leveling off due to increased
- monitoring of caloric intake
- Figure 1: Incidence of overweight and obesity (states, DC, and territories), 1995-2007
- Southern states have a high concentration of obese consumers
- Figure 2: States in which at least 27% of the population is obese, by state, 2007
- 63% of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese (CDC); 64% report that they are at least slightly
- overweight (Mintel’s survey respondents)
- Figure 3: Perception of weight relative to height, by gender, January 2009
- Figure 4: Prevalence of obesity and overweight, by gender and ethnicity, 2006
- Older adults more likely to be overweight and describe themselves as such
- Figure 5: Perception of weight relative to height, by age, January 2009
- Older segments of the population growing rapidly
- Figure 6: Population, by age, 2003-13
- Portion sizes have increased along with obesity rates
- Figure 7: Average daily per capita calories consumed*, by food group, 1970-2004
- Many consume without considering calorie counts
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards calories, July 2007-September 2008
- Exercise increased in recent years as obesity continued to grow
- Figure 9: Prevalence of Americans engaged in recommended and insufficient exercise, 2001-07
- Figure 10: Estimated proportion of Americans engaged in no leisure-time physical activity, 1988-2007
- Losing weight most common reason for watching diet, but heart health also widespread concern
- Figure 11: Reasons for watching diet, by age, July 2007-September 2008
- MARKET DRIVERS: THE HOME COOKING TREND
- Key points
- Cooking at home on the rise as Americans seek ways to save money and improve nutrition
- Figure 12: Food consumption habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by age, February 2009
- Figure 13: Food consumption habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by age, February 2009
- More than half of Americans are casual cooking enthusiasts
- Figure 14: Cooking attitudes of 18-24s, 2003-2007
- Figure 15: Cooking attitudes of 25-34s, 2003-07
- Figure 16: Demographic profile of cooking enthusiast segments, April 2008
- Frugality drives increase in frozen food purchase, switch to less expensive meat
- Figure 17: Food buying habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by age, February 2009
- Affluents less likely to modify their behavior in response to recession
- Figure 18: Food buying habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by income, February 2009
- HEALTHY EATING PERCEPTIONS
- Key points
- Figure 19: Importance of eating healthy, by age, February 2009
- Figure 20: Perception of healthiness of diet, by age, February 2009
- Young adults more likely to state that their diet has improved
- Figure 21: Perception of current diet as compared to diet a year ago, by age, February 2009
- Dietary changes likely to begin occurring between 25 and 34
- Figure 22: Healthy habits, by age, July 2007-September 2008
- Many low-income consumers want to improve their diet
- Figure 23: Importance of eating healthy, by income, February 2009
- Figure 24: Perception of healthiness of diet, by age, February 2009
- AMERICA’S FAVORITE CUISINES
- Key points
- American, Italian, Mexican and barbeque are among America’s favorite cuisines
- Figure 25: Top 10 of 24 cuisines among casual and serious enthusiasts, April 2008
- Serious enthusiasts more likely to prefer healthy gourmet and cuisines closely associated with
- health and wellness
- Figure 26: Less popular cuisines among casual and serious enthusiasts, April 2008
- Young adults more likely to experiment with ethnic cuisines
- Figure 27: Cuisine preferences of casual and serious cooking enthusiasts, by age, April 2008
- PERCEIVED IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FOOD
- Key point
- Nutrition more important to women and mature adults
- Figure 28: Attitudes towards nutrition and vitamins, by gender, July 2007-September 2008
- Importance of vitamin and nutrient content tends to rise with age
- Figure 29: Attitudes towards nutrition and vitamins, by age, July 2007-September 2008
- INGREDIENTS ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH AND WELLNESS
- Key points
- Unprocessed fruits and vegetables most closely associated with healthy eating
- Figure 30: Most important component for healthy eating, by age, February 2009
- 18-24s less concerned about ingredients; preference for fresh highest among mature Americans
- Figure 31: Ingredients, food origins and additives, by age, July 2007-September 2008
- EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTION AND EATING
- Key points
- Avoidance of excess calories motivated in part by the desire to avoid guilt
- Figure 32: Dieting, by gender, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 33: Dieting, by age, July 2007-September 2008
- Most Americans really enjoy eating and are trying to eat a more healthy diet
- Figure 34: Attitudes towards food and food indulgences, by age, February 2009
- SHOPPING FOR HEALTHY FOOD
- Key points
- Women and older adults more likely to look for health markers when shopping
- Figure 35: Attitudes towards personal food buying habits and food consumption, by gender, February 2009
- Figure 36: Attitudes towards personal food buying habits and food consumption, by age, February 2009
- BFY MARKETS RESILIENT IN RECESSION
- Sales growth of natural foods reflects high demand for healthier, less processed foods
- Figure 37: Natural product positioning, by FDM and natural supermarket channels, 2006-08
- Sales of organics expected to dip in 2009, but demand remains strong
- Figure 38: Total U.S. sales and forecast of organic food, at inflation adjusted prices, 2003-13
- INNOVATION AND INNOVATORS
- A case study in innovative private label branding: Safeway’s Eating Right
- Packaged meals: Better-for-you offerings grow in the face of recession
- Packaged salads becoming more gourmet and more like a well-balanced meal
- Nutrient-rich drink mixes meet demand for less expensive alternatives to bottled, enhanced water
- products
- Energy drinks also reflect the desire of many for a quick fix to the problem of fatigue
- ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION
- Key points
- Private label, coupons and circulars are tools consumers commonly use to cope with recessionary
- pressures
- Figure 39: Food buying habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by age, February 2009
- Social networks, doctors and media primary influencers of eating patterns
- Figure 40: Influences on food consumption, by age, February 2009
- Figure 41: Influences on food consumption, by income, February 2009
- Online marketing often emphasizes healthy eating tips and nutritional guidance
- Safeway’s FoodFlex: “Nourish the way you live”
- Albertsons’ nutrition IQ: Providing key information at the point of purchase
- RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
- Key points
- Blacks more likely to watch diet due to concerns about heart health
- Figure 42: Reasons for watching diet, by race/ethnicity, July 2007-September 2008
- Blacks and Hispanics somewhat more likely to report change in diet
- Figure 43: Perception of current diet as compared to diet a year ago, by race/ethnicity, February 2009
- Figure 44: Importance of eating healthy, by race/ethnicity, February 2009
- Blacks more likely to consider vegetables, fruits and less processed foods as critical elements of
- healthy eating
- Figure 45: Most important component for healthy eating, by race/ethnicity, February 2009
- APPENDIX: ADDITIONAL GENDER COMPARISONS
- Figure 46: Importance of eating healthy, by gender, February 2009
- Figure 47: Perception of healthiness of diet, by gender, February 2009
- Figure 48: Attitudes towards calories, by gender, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 49: Food consumption habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by gender, February
- 2009
- Figure 50: Food buying habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by gender, February 2009
- Figure 51: Most important component for healthy eating, by gender, February 2009
- Figure 52: Healthy habits, by gender, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 53: Perception of current diet as compared to diet a year ago, by gender, February 2009
- Figure 54: Ingredients, food origins and additives, by gender, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 55: Ingredients, food origins and additives, by presence of children in the household, July 2007-
- September 2008
- Figure 56: Influences on food consumption, by gender, February 2009
- Figure 57: Attitudes towards food and food indulgences, by gender, February 2009
- APPENDIX: ADDITIONAL INCOME COMPARISONS
- Figure 58: Healthy habits, by income, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 59: Attitudes towards calories, by income, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 60: Food consumption habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by income, February
- 2009
- Figure 61: Perception of current diet as compared to diet a year ago, by income, February 2009
- Figure 62: Nutrition and vitamins, by income, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 63: Most important component for healthy eating, by income, February 2009
- Figure 64: Ingredients, food origins and additives, by income, July 2007-September 2008
- Figure 65: Attitudes towards personal food buying habits and food consumption, by income, February 2009
- Figure 66: Attitudes towards food and food indulgences, by income, February 2009
- Figure 67: Dieting, by income, July 2007-September 2008
- APPENDIX: ADDITIONAL RACE/ETHNICITY COMPARISONS
- Figure 68: Perception of healthiness of diet, by race/ethnicity, February 2009
- Figure 69: Prevalence of high blood pressure and stroke, by gender and ethnicity, 2006
- Figure 70: Prevalence of total cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, by gender and ethnicity,
- 2006
- Figure 71: Prevalence of high total and LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol levels, by gender and ethnicity,
- 2006
- Figure 72: Prevalence of physician-diagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes, by gender and ethnicity, 2006
- Figure 73: Attitudes towards food and food indulgences, by race/ethnicity, February 2009
- Figure 74: Attitudes towards personal food buying habits and food consumption, by race/ethnicity, February
- 2009
- Figure 75: Food consumption habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by race/ethnicity,
- February 2009
- Figure 76: Food buying habits and the current economy compared to a year ago, by race/ethnicity, February
- 2009
- Figure 77: Influences on food consumption, by race/ethnicity, February 2009
- APPENDIX: TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
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