08.11.2010

“HartBeat” is The Hartman Group's FREE online newsletter, providing insight, analysis, information and strategy to give business leaders the knowledge and vision to build sustainable brands.

The most comprehensive consumer and shopper exploration of health and wellness motivations, behaviors and trends in the marketplace today.

Two reports tell the story of where wellness consumers and shoppers are at today, how they are evolving and what the future of wellness may look like.

The Crucial Role of Food Culture Inside Weight Management

Despite legislation, food bans, product reformulations, new product introductions, menu adjustments, endless hours of debate and millions of advertising dollars to promote healthier eating, nothing has worked: the majority of America’s consumers continue to be overweight.

WHY?

Companies and policy makers fail to understand the dynamic of FOOD CULTURE and EATING OCCASIONS that absolutely affects change in eating behavior.

HOW America EATS 2010 syndicated study builds on The Hartman Group’s groundbreaking 2004 Obesity in America report providing unique new revelations into the role consumers expect food companies, policy makers and health care providers to play that will help them meet their healthy weight aspirations and goals.

To learn more, contact:

Blaine Becker
425.452.0818, ext 124
blaine@hartman-group.com

Archives »
Click here for an archive of past HartBeat articles

FOLLOW US

Comment »

Print »

E-mail »

Subscribe »

Share »

• digg
• del.icio.us
• facebook
• Linked in
• newsvine
• reddit
• twitter
• friendfeed
• StumbleUpon

E-mail:

Message:

Please write the image text in the given input box:

[ Different Image ]

Wellness 2010: Balance Redefined

Those of you who know The Hartman Group know that we are pioneers in the study of health & wellness in American society.

First published in 1998, Natural Sensibility: A Study of America’s Changing Culture and Lifestyle, was one of the first publications to invoke the term “wellness,” along with the subsequent idea that Americans were adopting wellness lifestyles. Previously, most social and consumer research in the health arena consisted largely of self-reported behaviors, diagnoses and outcomes framed in a disease-state approach. People would become “ill,” visit a physician or medical provider, follow their advice (or not) and (hopefully) recover. And the research followed this pathway with little attention to the context within this behavior was occurring. That so-called “context” is what we commonly refer to now with the ubiquitous phrase “lifestyle.”

Fast forward 12 years and we find that wellness is now a mainstream proposition that has become fully embedded in US — as well as corporate — cultures. This is especially true among food manufacturers and retailers, where wellness is front staged in many experiences and marketing platforms, as well as product formulations and marketing attributes.

But for something that has become so foundational to the CPG and retail arenas, we collectively struggle with our tendency to view wellness as a static body of common sense understandings of consumer behavior.

And as our our fourth health and wellness syndicated study, Reimagining Health & Wellness 2010, demonstrates certain assumptions we ourselves held as self-evident are indeed in flux, if not just plain wrong. These assumptions are simply not supported by our most recent data and they are critically important to all parties with a stake in the world or wellness. Presented below is an example of one such commonly held perspective which has undergone a marked shift over the years.

Balance Redefined

One of the most commonly expressed themes in the world of wellness concerns the notion of balance. Consumers frequently invoke this term as a justification and rationalization when they become self-aware of their indulgent ways:

“It’s all about balance…I figure if I work out at least twice a week, I deserve to treat myself to some greasy pizza…You can’t live life without at least some enjoyment.”

But our most recent research reveals marked changes in the way consumers perceive and act upon the notion of balance. Whereas consumers in previous eras tended to emphasize the work and restraint side of the equation over indulgence, consumers in our most recent study are transitioning into an approach that favors a more sophisticated understanding of indulgence over the work and restraint part of the equation.

In other words, less misery, more pleasure.

Why?

Because of a more general trend emphasizing the more playful side of wellness.

After years of ascetic self-denial eating practices and non-enjoyable exercise regimens, consumers are experimenting with a more relaxed approach to wellness and, by extension, balance. This is not due to laziness or selfishness as it is a growing recognition of the importance of emotional health, happiness and general well-being.

In many instances, the assumed benefits of rigid, dietary eating practices have failed to materialize—or at least be perceived—in any meaningful way. Similarly, our interest in food has become more sophisticated and more “hobby like” — a pursuit that gives many of us great pleasure. Finally, these expressions of playfulness are embedded in the much larger shift toward postmodernism. More likely as we are to take a relativistic view toward life and, by extension, the advice of experts and practitioners, we learn to take everything (including our pork belly) with a grain of salt.

Some of these differences to emerge from the shift in balance are detailed in the chart below:

Implications

Here we see but one instance of what happens when we assume that nothing is as it appears. Much to our surprise, consumers pursuing balance appear to be veering (ever so slightly) away from intense exercise regimens and restrained diets. And they are increasingly opting for more enjoyable fitness programs and indulging in higher quality eating experiences. The result of this transition is that the pendulum has begun shifting in the opposite direction, with consumers increasingly emphasizing indulgence over restraint.

For those in the food business—CPG as well as retail—the implications should be pretty obvious: Consumers will be transitioning away from low-calorie, low-fat foods and moving in the direction of fresh, less-processed foods with an emphasis on flavor. Similarly, the traditional indulgence categories from years past (Candy, desserts, fried foods, etc.) will gradually transform into more complex, comfort experiences driven by higher quality ingredients and flavors.

We are acutely aware that some of these implications are themselves not necessarily groundbreaking. And there are likely some readers thinking to themselves, “Tell me something I don’t know...fresh/less-processed is very on trend”

Yet we would suggest that none of us really knew the why behind that story. And it was only after our most recent research that we began to better understand the role of fresh/less-processed within the complex evolution of the consumer’s approach to wellness. And by getting to the truth about where the consumer has been, as well as where they are today, we are in a much better position to understand the future

But this kind of discussion belies the more important point. Which is that the rewards to be gained from assuming nothing more than compensate for the difficulties of this method. At times it can be a heck of a lot of work—and quite frustrating—to push our researchers into the field with the assumption that wellness simply doesn’t exist.

And yet…

Every time they come back from the field they always arrive with some observations—and usually some truths—that force us to reframe our thinking in ways we never would have expected.

Perhaps that’s why we call it market research.

Comment »

Our Road to Wellness infographic is now available as a limited-edition poster!

We've trekked through the annals of health and wellness to bring you vital dates & fascinating developments. From peanut butter & jelly (1901) to Viagra (1997) and beyond, we've got you covered.

To order, contact:

Blaine Becker
425.452.0818, ext 124
blaine@hartman-group.com