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Viewing report
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Diet Foods
Key Note Publications Ltd, Sep 2004
Rising obesity levels are among the factors that have contributed to the current high level of interest in slimming and diet foods.
The May 2004 publication of the findings of the Health Select Committee (Third Report — Obesity), which drew a strong link between diet and health — has focused attention even more firmly on ways of reducing consumption of potentially `undesirable' dietary elements, such as fat and sugar.
Since late 2003, the UK market has been shaken up by the effect of the `Atkins Revolution' — the increasing popularity of the Atkins Diet, which is based on a low-carbohydrate, rather than a low-fat, regime. Many companies have responded by introducing their own low-carbohydrate products.
It is currently impossible to quantify the exact size of the low-carbohydrate foods market, mainly because of difficulties in definition — for example, many foods labelled as low carbohydrate could equally be classified as low sugar — but these foods are clearly having an important impact. However, there are signs in the US that the phenomenon is beginning to run out of steam, and it may be that this is likely to happen sooner rather than later in the UK.
Despite the popularity of low-carbohydrate weight-loss systems, respondents taking part in our original research were nearly twice as likely to agree that it is important to cut down on fat as on carbohydrates.
Nearly half (48%) said that taking more exercise is a more important factor than eating less when one is trying to lose weight. Around a third (32%), however, maintained that exercise alone was not enough and that eating less was also important.
Slimming clubs were endorsed as a good weight-loss method by nearly one in four respondents (23%), while just under one in five (18%) said that products such as slimming meals and drinks could be helpful.
The majority of our respondents (63%) agreed that `it is very important not to be overweight'.
Health and appearance seem to have almost equal importance among respondents in terms of reasons for losing weight, at 27% and 25%, respectively, while rather fewer respondents (19%) felt that weighing less would make them happier.
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