Fewer Diets, More “Better-for-You” Foods

According to a recent press release from The NPD Group, Port Washington, NY, eating “better for you” foods rather than dieting appears to be the current weapon of choice against the battle of the bulge. NPD reports that the number of adults on a diet has decreased by 10% since 1990, while the number of Americans eating healthier has increased.

“While dieting for both women and men remain huge markets, they are not growing markets,” says Harry Balzer, vice president, NPD. “The desire to lose weight really was a ’90s trend. Today, consumers appear to be making healthier food choices.”

NPD data finds that at least once in a two-week period, over 70% of Americans are consuming reduced-fat foods, and over half of them are eating reduced-calorie, whole-grain or fortified foods. In addition to these foods, other “better for you” foods consumed include diet, light, reduced cholesterol, reduced sodium, caffeine-free, sugar-free, fortified, organic and low-carb varieties. The average American has at least two “better-for-you” products a day.

Healthy eating to consumers today tends to boil down to basic mathematics, says Balzer, who has been tracking consumers’ food consumption behavior for 30 years. “A generation ago it was about subtracting bad things from your diet, but today healthy eating is more a matter of addition and subtraction,” he says.

NPD also notes more consumers are looking to add whole grains, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and probiotics as awareness of these nutritional food elements continues to grow. In 2005, 36% of consumers surveyed said they were trying to get more omega-3 fatty acids in their diets, while recent figures show that number increasing to 46%.

The ongoing concern about health appears to be paying off, according to Balzer. Recent U.S. government studies confirm obesity leveling off, and most recently, childhood obesity stabilizing.

Even with concerns about the economic downturn, eating healthy still remains top-of-mind with consumers. According to a recent NPD survey on economic conditions, adults who identify themselves as financially worse-off compared to last year said that eating healthy still had the greatest impact on food and beverages choices. Saving money ranked a close second.