10.24.2003

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For more on The Hartman Group report, Pulse Report: The Low-carb Diet and Today's Consumer, click here...

CLICK FOR MORE... To read more about The Hartman Group's current Pulse Report on the low-carb phenomenon, click here.

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The Future Of Low-carb Diets: Trends Or Fad?

The low-carb market opportunity for manufacturers and retailers is comprised of several distinct consumer groups, according to our latest report, Pulse Report: The Low-Carb Diet & Today's Consumer.

The first group is the Moderates, 67% of the U.S. population, who eat a diet low in carbohydrates, but do not necessarily recognize their diet as specifically "low-carb" in nature. Their eating habits are a reflection of general food preferences and wider trends in eating such as balance and moderation. The Short-termers, 4% of the U.S. population, embrace the "fad" aspects of the low-carb diet and intentionally adopt the diet as a strategy for rapid weight loss. The Long-termers, 1% of the U.S. population, adopt the low-carb diet on a permanent basis, usually because of health conditions such as diabetes. A final group, the Peripherals, 28% of the U.S. population, is not likely to be on a low-carb diet (whether intentionally or not) and display little or no interest in it.

Other key findings of this report include:

• Low-carb diet trends are often based on consumers restricting or eliminating certain food categories rather than adding or substituting new types of food products.
• The likelihood of being on a low-carb diet has little or no affect on the frequency of eating out.
• Most consumers view formal low-carb diet plans with a high degree of skepticism.
• While the strict low-carb diet may be a short-lived fad, it is also an indicator of a wider trend regarding the eating habits of Americans.

To view clips from consumer interviews:

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