Diet Watchers

Overview

Introduction

Future scenarios for consumer attitudes to dieting

FUTURE DECODED

This chapter examines the Body Mass Index distribution of the European population, discusses the problems caused by this, sizes the diet market and offers a summary of relevant legislation. In addition, the drivers and inhibitors behind consumers' dieting behavior are detailed.

• The European diet industry had a value of - 93 billion in 2002.
• Almost a quarter of Europeans will be overweight or obese by 2007.
• The proportion of dieters achieving permanent weight loss is appallingly low at around 1%.

ACTION POINTS

Take control of the dissemination of nutritional information - The diet industry needs to take control of educating and informing dieters, thereby resulting in a higher success rate for dieters, renewed consumer confidence, which in turn will encourage more potential dieters to take up effective dietary habits. The main message needs to move away from a focus on dieting, and towards one on general healthy eating.

Take advantage of legislation restricting diet supplements and pills - In recent years, dieters frustrated by their lack of success with traditional numbers have turned to diet supplements and pills, often advertised with the aid of claims of miraculous effects. However, several European countries have enacted legislation placing stringent regulations on such advertising. At a European level, an upcoming directive will soon require all herbal supplements and medicines to be subjected to tests as mainstream pharmaceuticals are. This will for a few years reduce the variety of pills and supplements available. This legal climate affords the diet food and drinks industry a valuable opportunity.

Convert 5% of sporadic dieters to permanent dieters by 2007 - If current trends endure, the diet industry will grow from a value of - 101.1 billion by 2007 within the EU. However, if by better educating consumers and regaining their trust, the diet industry can convert just 5% of sporadic dieters to be permanent dieters, the market's value will reach - 107.7 billion by 2007, simply by virtue of the fact that this last group of dieters has a far greater per capita expenditure.