Dive Brief:
- The NPD Group said that consumers are staying away from cookie-cutter diets and gravitating towards more personalized health and wellness plans, according to Food Business News.
- Among the trends that NPD Group expects in 2017 are consumers giving the appearance of wellness, a greater emphasis on fresher foods, more tech support in wellness plans, and supporting brands that have good values.
- Consumer attitudes toward health have evolved past just the diet and exercise sphere and are more focused on specific attributes of food items.
Dive Insight:
For consumers, NPD said appearing to live a healthy lifestyle is just as important as actually following the diet and exercise plan that can improve their wellness. In other words, consumers are buying healthier food, but may not be doing much else.
Numerous studies seem to support this belief, including a Mayo Clinic Proceedings study that revealed fewer than 3% of Americans practice a healthy lifestyle. There's also a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention study that shows just under half of Americans get enough exercise.
A food and health survey by the Institute of Food Technologists revealed that nearly 60% of consumers give a lot of thought to the foods and beverages they consume, while 61% have thought carefully about their levels of physical activity.
Manufacturers of many of the top food products are trying to appeal to those who want to eat healthy or simply appear healthier, by replacing some of ingredients with healthier alternatives and initiating marketing campaigns touting how their products are good for you. According to a 2015 Nielsen survey of 30,000 people, many shoppers are willing to pay more for the added quality and benefits.