Obesity in America: Understanding Weight Management from a Consumer Perspective

The experts all agree. Obesity is a national health problem of epidemic proportions. Yet, while public health officials, policy analysts, nutritionists, the media, retailers and manufacturers watch the number of overweight and obese individuals increase, they remain unable to answer a very important question. Namely, how is it that most overweight individuals appear unable to address their "problem"?

Questions about how obesity, the problem, affects individuals' day-to-day lives remain largely unanswered. This report addresses that shortcoming with the most comprehensive study to date of consumer behavior in response to the "obesity problem."

For example, we found that:

• Most consumers consider their weight to be fairly average despite the fact that 66% of respondents are considered
overweight or obese according to BMI measurements.
• Most overweight people believe they are physically healthy.
• Most people know and understand that there is a society-wide "obesity problem," but this "problem" does not relate to their day-to-day lives.

This study will allow you to:

• Gain a greater understanding of how obesity could impact your business
• Identify key triggers that will encourage consumers to change their eating and/or exercise patterns
• Understand the eating occasions where consumers think/don't think about obesity
• Make decisions on how to address the obesity issue as it relates to your category