With safety issues and consumer skepticism looming over weight loss pills and metabolism-boosting thermogenic agents—and many waist-watchers, especially Boomers, re-focusing on food-based solutions—super-satiating foods, drinks and natural ingredients have tremendous potential to quickly corner the weight loss market.
Nearly four in 10 (39%) U.S. adults are watching their weight; 29% are trying to lose; and 13% are trying to maintain weight, according to Packaged Facts’ 2010 “Weight Management Trends in the U.S.” More than one-third (36%) of adults bought a functional food for weight loss last year, 33% for weight maintenance and 29% as a meal replacement per Mintel’s 2009 “Functional Food-U.S.” report. Weight loss/management foods/drinks posted sales of $18 billion in mass channels, excluding Wal-Mart, in 2009, reports SymphonyIRI.
Perhaps most important, more than half (55%) of current dieters/weight managers have heard of or read about specific types of foods/beverages that can help them feel fuller longer; four in 10 feel knowledgeable about these foods/beverages—although only 5% claim to be very knowledgeable, according to the 2009 “Gallup Study of Satiety.” The International Food Information Council (IFIC) says 70% of adults believe that specific foods/drinks can provide them with a feeling of fullness for a longer period of time. Four in 10 shoppers are extremely interested in buying/using foods that help keep them feeling fuller longer (HealthFocus, 2009).
Market Potential
According to Sloan Trends’ TrendSense Model, satiety began solidly moving into the Popularization Phase in 2006, indicating that it was a viable market in specialty/health food channels and among very health conscious/condition-specific consumers. Most important, medical/research activity has accelerated throughout the decade. Medical Counts flattened in 2007 and 2008, but are exploding as researchers look for alternatives after the Hydroxycut recall. This reacceleration in Medical Counts will likely continue to push satiety toward Commercialization, signaling a mass market opportunity for satiety in the foreseeable future. It usually takes two years for accelerated medical activity to be reflected in the Consumer Counts.
Conversely, the marketability of appetite suppressants as diet aids and terms including suppress/curb hunger/appetite suppression—have begun to lose favor during the past two years and will likely remain associated with the negative aspects of weight loss pills. Weight control candy/tablets fell 15% in mass channels for the year ended 1/4/2010, reports Symphony IRI.
Marketers should be readying products that deliver satiating results using familiar, natural ingredients that are perceived as real food, e.g., dietary fibers including prebiotics and protein are top of the list. SymphonyIRI reports that low-fat, low calorie, reduced sugar and high fiber/whole grains rank 4 on a 5 point scale for “must have” ingredients in a weight directed product. Sixty-one percent of the population regularly eats a light/lite/low calorie or diet food/beverage per NPD, 2010.