Abstract
Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) is pleased to present its 9th Edition, Health and Wellness Trends Report(tm) (HWTR), our annual report on the health and wellness marketplace and its consumers. This year' s report includes a new expansion of the consumer data across each chapter and 50% more content overall. There is a plethora of information to report on the many dynamics within healthy categories and we' ve expanded the coverage of target groups within each category examined. Twelve chapters cover industry trends: who' s shopping and where; their motivations; attitudes and beliefs toward nutrition, diet, and healthy lifestyles; and the desire for specific ingredients and avoidance issues. In addition, entire chapters have been devoted to females, males, families and kids; alternative healthcare; and an update on key organic trends. As always, three separate chapters provide analysis across the specifics of food and beverages, dietary supplements, and weight management and exercise. This compilation of nine years of annual comprehensive surveys includes trended consumer data gathered from over 26,000 consumers across 20 shopping channels and over 100 product categories.
An overriding theme appeared this year as we considered the top trends affecting the marketplace _ The Dual Society. The bifurcation of our American society across numerous issues was apparent as we gathered data about each trend. It has manifested itself in consumer attitudes toward health with two polar opposite consumer segments that we have been tracking now for 7 years: the WELL BEINGS and EAT, DRINK & BE MERRYS. These two segments drive opposite attitudes toward each trend. As a result, you will note that we have included a "countertrend" within the treatise of each one. Whether we discuss The Culture of Sustainability, Dr. Me, Stop _ I Want Off, or The New Immunity, today' s trends can only be understood by examining those consumers who actively influence each one and those consumers who have chosen an opposite path. We have provided additional background and data as means of explanation and to promote understanding. Included at the end of chapter one are market implications for each trend. We' re confident that you' ll find much "food for thought" here as you consider how these trends will affect your business over the next few years.
Within the health and wellness consumer segmentation, now in its seventh year of tracking, we saw an increase in the number of MAGIC BULLETS, now 19% of the population. This group of consumers will be influential to the wellness marketplace this year, particularly driven by their preferences for supplements and functional foods. They have increased their consumption and overall are becoming more similar to the healthiest segment, the WELL BEINGS. As one-fourth of the general population, WELL BEINGS continue to explore, experiment and adopt new health products and services and their positive attitudes and values influence can be seen across the spectrum from increased usage of healthy categories and alternative healthcare to their influence on environmental issues. The FOOD ACTIVES, who are driven by balance, have continued to revert back to the basics of healthy nutrition, while the FENCE SITTERS, the segment most driven by family dynamics, are seeking more health convenience and are experimenting with new options in healthy foods that taste good too. Lastly, the EAT, DRINK & BE MERRYS continue to be driven by taste and vanity. Regardless of your position in the marketplace _ food marketer, supplement supplier, healthcare provider or other _ understanding the psychographic profiles of these segments will be key to making them believe in the benefits of your product or service.
Brand relationships are undergoing a metamorphosis from that of typical icon brand communications to one of a cultural values experience. Consumers want to relate increasingly on their terms. They want information available to them in easily understood messages that are available at their fingertips when they want it - and not before. The concerns of war and economy have continued to drive some consumers into less consumptive patterns, as they are seeking a simpler lifestyle, less concerns and meaningful relationships. These desires will drive the need for a more creative suite of marketing communication tools. In addition, as marketers appear to be moving the product/idea lifecycle ever faster, the caution will be the discernment of consumers for authenticity. Consumers are researching brand activities at an increasing rate; as they desire to know what brands are doing to protect the environment and their health, they are more discerning.
Chapter six, Females, Males, Families & Kids, contains a new treatise on gender differences across health and wellness issues. As marketers are looking for new opportunities, the attitudinal differences and needs across females and males are sure to present new ideas. Chapter ten, Organic Trends, presents key updates to our 2007 Organic Consumer Trends Report. For anyone in the organic sector, these two treatises provide essential insights into what will drive the organic market in hard economic times. We noted changes in the organic consumer segmentation in chapter ten, including the slight increase in the most integrated organic consumer segment _ the DEVOTEDS. Combined with a decrease in the size of the DABBLERS segment, the implications are good. However, do not miss our data and discussion on frequency and its possible effect on individual categories as we project the trade-offs that could happen in a recession.
Consumers continue to seek multiple ways to enhance their health to prevent disease, and to promote healthy aging. All of these drivers will continue to present opportunities for health and wellness marketers. Categories such as supplements, sports nutrition, and weight management will continue to experience growth through specificity as consumers are seeking products that answer their individual nutritional needs. As such, customization of products and programs will continue to grow. Consumers have also integrated wellness across their lifestyles and are driving new sustainable industries as seen in our LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) research.
This ninth edition of the HWTR is an essential tool for opportunity analysis, new product development, marketing communications, and overall strategic planning as it seeks to analyze the many changes across consumers and the marketplace. NMI' s most comprehensive report on health and wellness, the HWTR, will assist ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, brands, retailers, healthcare providers and others in understanding the interrelationship between drivers of health and wellness, sources of influence, health and medical conditions, health-related attitudinal measures, lifestyle factors, shopping patterns, product usage patterns, and brand purchase patterns, among other topics. Every page offers unique insight with the presentation of charts, graphs, or tables, accompanied by analysis and commentary on associated market elements and key opportunities.
Table of Contents
- Copyright Notice/Contact Information
- Research Methodology
- Abbreviations
CHAPTER 1: TOP TEN TRENDS & INDUSTRY SALES
- Introduction
- U.S. Health and Wellness Industry Sales
- Projected Five-Year Health and Wellness Industry Growth
- TREND #1 The Dual Society
- TREND #2 Generation Zzzzzz
- TREND #3 STOP - I Want Off!
- TREND #4 Dr. Me
- TREND #5 The Culture of Sustainability
- TREND #6 Golden Opportunities
- TREND #7 The New Immunity
- TREND #8 Giving is the New Taking
- Trends
CHAPTER 2: WHO' S SHOPPING? CONSUMER SEGMENTS DEFINED
- NMI' s Health and Wellness Segments
- NMI Health and Wellness Segmentation Methodology
- Segmentation Model Overview
- WELL BEINGS
- WELL BEINGS at a Glance
- FOOD ACTIVES
- FOOD ACTIVES at a Glance
- MAGIC BULLETS
- MAGIC BULLETS at a Glance
- FENCE SITTERS
- FENCE SITTERS at a Glance
- EAT, DRINK & BE MERRYS
- EAT, DRINK & BE MERRYS at a Glance
- Summary Characteristics of the Five NMI Consumer Segments
- Health Concerns: A Driving Motivation
- Leisure and Lifestyle Activities of the Five NMI Segments
- Healthy and Natural Spending Patterns among the NMI Segments
- The Challenges of Eating Healthy
- Food Selection Drivers
- Healthy Diet Choices
- New Product Trial and Early Adoption
- Health Proactivity for Self and Family
- Environmental Stewardship
- Barriers to Organic Use
- Organic Savvy and the Desire for Organic Benefits and Features
- Importance of Organic
- Natural and Organic Product Use and Corporate Influence
- Trends in Organic Food and Beverage Use
- Supplement Brand Loyalty and the Quality versus Cost Trade-off
- Consumer Confidence in Supplement Efficacy
- Popular Supplement Usage By Segment
CHAPTER 3: MOTIVATION, BRANDING AND INFLUENCE
- Motivations to Start Leading a Healthier Lifestyle
- Motivations to Start Leading a Healthier Lifestyle by Segment
- Key Reasons for Continuing to Lead a Healthy Lifestyle
- Importance of Sustainability
- Biotechnology Disclosure
- Environmental-Based Purchase Influence
- Environmentally-Conscious Purchase Decisions
- Regional versus National versus Store Brands
- Brand Loyalty, Image & Appetite for New Products
- New Product Adoption
- Peer Influence
- Price-Driven Purchase Decision
- Sources of Influence
- Sources of Influence by Segment
CHAPTER 4: NUTRITION & HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
- Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle
- Changes toward a More Healthy Lifestyle
- Motivations to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
- Motivations toward Health vis a vis Age
- Healthy Lifestyle Regimens
- Healthy Lifestyle Trends
- Boomers: Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles
- Healthy Eating Attitudes
- Healthy Eating Behaviors
- Food Labels and Selection Criteria
- Positive Food Trends: Fortified and Functional Food
- Role of Vegetarian Diets
- Exercise as a Factor in Healthy Living
- Eating at Home: Importance to Healthy Living
- Stress and the Desire to Simplify
- The Role of Energy in a Healthy Lifestyle
- Food and Beverage Usage for Prevention and Treatment
- Supplement Usage for Prevention and Treatment across Generations
- Awareness of Health-Related Terms - Part I: Primary
- Awareness of Health-Related Terms - Part II: Secondary
- Perceived Dietary Deficiencies - Part I: Food Based
- Perceived Dietary Deficiencies - Part II: Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements
CHAPTER 5: INGREDIENTS, HEALTH CLAIMS, SWEETENERS
- Most Important Criteria for Food/Beverage Selections
- Checking the Label
- Food Purity and Environmental/Social Concerns
- The Desire for Healthy Ingredients
- Attitudes toward Sugar
- Avoidance of High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Trended Attitudes toward Artificial Sweeteners
- Usage of Artificial Sweeteners
- Alternatives to Artificial Sweeteners
- Glycemic Index: Awareness and Usage
- Boomers: Usage and Avoidance Trends
- Primary Health Benefit of Key Ingredients
- Top Three Nutrient Health Associations - Part I
- Top Three Nutrient Health Associations - Part II
- Top Health Associations among Emerging New Ingredients
- Emerging Functional Nutrients - Barriers to Awareness
- Trend toward Avoidance of Fats
- Heart Healthy Attitudes and Behaviors
- Prebiotics, Probiotics and Intestinal Irregularity
- Usage of Soy Food and Beverages
- Whole Grain and Fiber - Usage and Shifting Benefits
- Allergen Free Food
- Ingredient Driven New Product Introductions
- Claim Driven New Product Introductions
CHAPTER 6: FEMALES, MALES, FAMILIES & KIDS
- Male Primary Grocery Shoppers
- Gender Motivations to a Healthier Lifestyle
- Gender Functional Drivers of a Healthy Lifestyle
- Gender Understanding of Healthy Ingredients/Benefits
- Gender Purchase Criteria
- Gender Healthy Category Spending
- Natural/Organic Gender Purchases
- Increases in Organics Usage and Spending by Gender
- Gender Dynamics of Organic Selection
- Family Dynamics of Organic Attitudes and Selection
- Family Price and Brand Selection Criteria
- Challenges and Trade-Offs in the Family Diet
- Family Concerns about Sweeteners
- Children' s Supplement Usage
- Family Stress and Leisure
- Family Meal Preparation
- Ethnic Differences in Preparing Meals at Home
- Families Dining Out
CHAPTER 7: ALTERNATIVE HEALTHCARE
- Alternative Healthcare Usage Trends
- Alternative Healthcare Usage Shows Lifetime Value
- Importance of Alternative Healthcare in a Healthy Lifestyle
- Consumer Attitudes toward Controlling Their Own Health
- Alternative Healthcare Users Show High Membership in "Self-Care" Segments
- Primary Ways to Promote Healthy Aging
- Use of Nutrition as a Means to Manage Health
- Initial Drivers of Supplement Use Reveal Strong Self Management Tendencies
- Supplement and Medicine Use as a Means to Manage Health
- Alternative Healthcare: Mainstreaming versus Access/Availability
- Usage of Alternative Therapy for Specific Conditions
- Practitioners Used by Alternative Healthcare Users
- Management of Medical Conditions by Alternative Healthcare Users
- Physicians' Role for Less Serious Medical Conditions
- The Costs of Losing Sleep
- Effects of Stress on Quality of Life
- Combined Effects of Lack of Energy, Stress and Sleeplessness
- Heart Condition Managers: Lifestylers versus Rx Treaters
- Heart Condition Lifestyler versus Rx Treater: Attitudes and Behaviors
- Diabetes/Blood Sugar Managers: Lifestylers versus Rx Treaters
- Diabetes/Blood Sugar Lifestyler versus Rx Treater: Attitudes and Behaviors
CHAPTER 8: HEALTHY SHOPPING & DINING DYNAMICS
- Expenditures for Healthy and Natural Goods
- Shopping Channels for Healthy and Natural Products
- Shopping Channel Trends 1999-2007
- Segment Shopping Channel Patterns
- Healthy Spending and Shopping by Ethnicity
- Retail Shopping
- Segment Retail Shopping
- Shopping for Organic Food and Beverages
- Segment Shopping for Organic Food and Beverages
- Support for Local Farmers
- Support for Local Farmers by Product Type
- Supplement Shopping
- Supplement Shopping by User Group
- Internet Shopping
- Internet Research and Shopping Trends by Segment
- Eco-Conscious Consumerism
- Product Introductions with "Ethical" Claims 2002-2007
- Importance of Having Meals at Home
- Importance of Having Meals at Home by Ethnicity
- Frequency of Home-Cooked Meals by Ethnicity
- Eating Away From Home
- Eating Away From Home by Segment
- Fast Food Frenzy
- Frequency of Visits to McDonald' s
CHAPTER 9: FOOD & BEVERAGES
- Food Choice Paramount to Healthy Lifestyles
- Demographics and Healthy Food Consumption
- Top Entry Drivers across Natural and Organic
- Health Issue Drivers Key for Older Generations
- Safety of Meat and Poultry - Growing Concern
- Food and Water Concern among U.S. Consumers
- Usage of Healthy Food and Beverages: Nine Year Trends
- Usage of Free-Low Food
- Growth of Free-Low Food
- Generational Acceptance of Vegetarianism
- Vegetarian Preferences among Ethnic Groups
- Vegetarian Introductions
- Soy Food and Beverages Growth and Drivers
- Usage and Awareness Connection of Soy Benefits
- Trended Fortified/Functional Benefits and Understanding
- Functional and Fortified Food Usage
- Impact of Age on Functional Food Usage
- Frequency and Longevity of Fortified/Functional Food Use
- Comparative Entry Drivers into Fortified and Functional Food
- Functional and Fortified Food/Beverage Introductions
- Growth Opportunity among Mainstream Brands
- Natural Opportunities for Mainstream and Organic
- Cross Marketing Opportunities
CHAPTER 10: ORGANIC TRENDS
- Organic Household Penetration
- U.S. Organic Industry Sales
- Total U.S. and Global Organic Product Introductions
- Total Global Organic Product Introductions by Region
- Summary of U.S. Organic Product Introductions
- Organic Segment Breakout
- DEVOTEDS
- DEVOTEDS at a Glance
- TEMPERATES
- TEMPERATES at a Glance
- DABBLERS
- DABBLERS at a Glance
- RELUCTANTS
- RELUCTANTS at a Glance
- Organic Spending Comparisons across Organic Segments
- Frequency, the Key to Organic Growth
- Entry Drivers and Pathways to Organic Usage
- Organic Benefits and Understanding
- Trended Organic Benefits and Understanding Dynamics
- Organic Trust and Understanding
- Organic Credibility
- Other Barriers to Trial
- Price Resistance
- Food Monitoring among Organic Segments
- Mainstreaming Organic Attitudes
- The Wal-Mart/Target Effect
- Organic Category Cross Usage
- Usage of Natural and Organic Personal Care Products
- Opportunities in Organic Supplements
- Organic Brand Usage
CHAPTER 11: DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
- U.S. and Global Vitamin/Supplement Introductions
- Vegetarian and Other VMHS Claim Trends
- VMHS Usage Trends
- Increased VMHS Usage
- VMHS Usage by Segments
- Monthly Spending Levels on VMHS
- Ethnic Spending on Vitamins/Minerals/Herbals/ Dietary Supplements
- Monthly Spending Levels on VMHS by Segments
- New versus Core Users and Monthly Spending by Segment Designation
- Channels Shopped Most Often for VMHS
- Channels Shopped Most Often for VMHS by Segments
- Longevity of Vitamin/Mineral and Herbal Supplement Use
- Frequency of VMHS Usage by Channel Shopper
- Self-Reported Nutrient Deficiencies
- Perceived Deficiencies Driving Supplementation
- Vitamin and Mineral Category Entry Drivers
- Motivations to Use VMHS
- VMHS Beliefs, Concerns, and Behaviors
- VMHS Users' Motivators of a Healthy Lifestyle
- Purchase Influences of New and Core Users
- Regulation and Certification
- Consumer Perceptions of VMHS Health Claims
- Clinical Research and Specific VMHS Claims
- Ingredient Source Preferences
- Trended Desire for Emerging Nutritional Supplement Forms
- VMHS Brand Value: Price versus Brand Loyalty
- Usage Levels of VMHS Brands
- Supplement Usage Patterns to Prevent and Treat Health Issues
- Multivitamin: Overview and Opportunity
- Household Penetration of Specific VMHS Products (10% or More)
- Household Penetration of Specific VMHS Products (Less Than 10%)
- Condition Specific Usage
- Condition Specific Supplements Used
- Herbal Supplement Use
- Usage of Sports Nutrition Drinks and Bars
- Usage of Specific Sports Nutrition Products
CHAPTER 12: WEIGHT MANAGEMENT & EXERCISE
- Weight Management Market Size
- Vanity Rules: Managing Weight for Health versus Appearance
- Importance of Maintaining Proper Weight
- Concern with Obesity/Being Overweight
- Managing Weight via Lifestyle and System Approaches
- Managing Weight via Product Usage
- Brand Users' Approach to Managing Weight
- Carbohydrate Watching
- Fiber and Weight Management
- Concern versus Usage of Artificial Sweeteners by BMI
- Weight Loss Product Usage
- Weight Loss Product Usage Increases
- Beyond Weight Loss: Reasons for Weight Loss Product Usage
- Weight Loss Brand Usage
- Trends in Exercise Frequency
- Consumers in Denial
- Health Conditions of the Obese
- Healthy Eating Attitudes by BMI
- Purchase Criteria
- Label Reading
- Weight Loss Managers' Sources of Influence
- Weight Management Internet Tools
- Weight Management Web site Traffic
APPENDIX I
- Measure Definitions
- Channels
- Product and Service Demand Measures
- Product Usage Categories
- Sources of Influence
- Brands
- Health Issues and Medical Conditions
- Lifestyle and Leisure Activities
APPENDIX II
- Demographics Measures
- Geographic Regions
- Market Size
- Age of Respondent
- Household Income
- Household Size
- Respondent Education

