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Dieting Trends -

UK, November 2013

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Table of Contents Dieting Trends UK, November 2013

© Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. iii

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 8

Definition ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Excluded ............................................................................................................................................................. 9

Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................. 9

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 10

The market .................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 1: UK retail value sales for selected diet and weight control foods, 2008-18 .......................................... 10 Figure 2: UK retail value sales of selected diet and weight control foods, by sector, 2013 (est) ....................... 11

Market factors ............................................................................................................................... 11 The nation’s waistlines continue to expand ....................................................................................................... 11 Government action relies on voluntary schemes .............................................................................................. 12 New uniform nutritional labels start to roll out ................................................................................................... 12

Companies, brands and innovation .............................................................................................. 13 An uptick in NPD activity in 2012 and 2013 ...................................................................................................... 13 Figure 3: Total share of diet food products in all new food product launches, Jan 2009 - Sept 2013 ................ 13 Adspend slows for diet and weight control foods .............................................................................................. 14 Figure 4: Topline advertising expenditure by identified key players in the diet and weight control food market*, 2009-13 .............................................................................................................................................. 14

The consumer ............................................................................................................................... 15 Dieting is commonplace in the UK .................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 5: Attitudes towards weight loss, September 2013 ................................................................................ 15 Exercise is the most popular route to managing weight .................................................................................... 16 Figure 6: Actions taken to manage weight, September 2013 ............................................................................ 16 The five-a-day message has gained widespread acceptance ........................................................................... 17 Figure 7: Types of products considered to be healthy, September 2013 .......................................................... 17

Treats are seen as part of a balanced diet ................................................................................... 18 Figure 8: Attitudes towards dieting and healthy eating, September 2013.......................................................... 18 Concerns over the healthiness of diet food ....................................................................................................... 19 Figure 9: Attitudes towards diet foods, September 2013 .................................................................................. 19

What we think................................................................................................................................ 19

ISSUES IN THE MARKET .................................................................................................................... 21

Can diet brands use clearer comparisons to standard alternatives to win consumers’ trust? ..... 21 Can natural sweeteners help brands to overcome concerns over the ingredients in diet food? ............................................................................................................................................. 21 What impact is the new consistent nutrition labelling scheme for food and drink products likely to have on the diet food market? ......................................................................................... 22 How can diet food brands heighten their appeal among the younger and older generation? ...... 22

TREND APPLICATION ......................................................................................................................... 24

Trend: Man in the Mirror ............................................................................................................... 24 Trend: Secret Secret ..................................................................................................................... 24 Mintel Futures: Access Anything, Anywhere ................................................................................ 25

MARKET DRIVERS .............................................................................................................................. 26

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 26 Obesity levels have soared over the past five years but look to be stabilising ............................. 26

Figure 10: Finished Admission Episodes with a primary diagnosis of obesity in England, by gender, 2000/01-2011/12 .............................................................................................................................................. 26

The responsibility deal update ...................................................................................................... 27 New uniform nutritional labels start to roll out ............................................................................... 28 Women tend to watch what they eat closely more so than men .................................................. 29

Figure 11: Habits related to health, November 2012 ......................................................................................... 29 Growth in key age groups could boost the market ....................................................................... 30

Figure 12: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2008-18 .............................................................. 30 Fad diets look to be returning to their former popularity ............................................................... 31 Weight loss surgery declines in the UK ........................................................................................ 31

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ..................................................................................................... 32


© Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. iv

Strengths ....................................................................................................................................... 32 Weaknesses.................................................................................................................................. 32

WHO’S INNOVATING? ......................................................................................................................... 33

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Definition ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Diet food NPD sees revival ........................................................................................................... 34

Figure 13: Total share of diet food products in all new food product launches, Jan 2009 - Sept 2013 .............. 34 Figure 14: Share of slimming, low/no/reduced calorie and low/no/reduced fat claims in all new food product launches, Jan 2009 - Sept 2013 .......................................................................................................... 35

Ready meals see most active NPD .............................................................................................. 36 Figure 15: Share of new diet product launches in the UK food market, by sub-category, Jan 2009 - Sept 2013 ................................................................................................................................................................. 36 …followed by spoonable yogurt and soup ........................................................................................................ 37

Own-label continues NPD growth into 2013 ................................................................................. 38 Figure 16: New diet product launches in the UK food market, own-label vs branded, Jan 2009 - Sept 2013 ................................................................................................................................................................. 38

Weight Watchers and Morrisons account for nearly 20% of NPD ................................................ 40 Figure 17: Share of top 15 brands in new diet product launches within the UK food market, Jan 2009 - Sept 2013 ......................................................................................................................................................... 40

New packaging attracts growing activity ....................................................................................... 41 Figure 18: Launches in the diet food market, by launch type, Jan 2009- Sept 2013 ......................................... 41

MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST ......................................................................................................... 43

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 43 Sluggish value growth follows a dip in 2012 ................................................................................. 43

Figure 19: UK retail value sales for selected diet and weight control foods, 2008-18 ........................................ 43 The future of the market ................................................................................................................ 44

Figure 20: UK retail value sales for selected diet and weight control foods, 2008-18 ........................................ 44 Factors used in the forecast .......................................................................................................... 45

SEGMENT PERFORMANCE ................................................................................................................ 46

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 46 Biscuits account for a third of the market ...................................................................................... 46

Figure 21: UK retail value sales of selected diet and weight control foods, by sector, 2013 (est) ..................... 46 Figure 22: UK retail value sales of selected diet and weight control foods, by sector, 2008-13 ........................ 47

Strong growth in low-fat yogurt in 2013 ........................................................................................ 47 Sales continue to slump in the diet ready meals market .............................................................. 48 Stevia brands fail to boost the artificial sweeteners sector ........................................................... 48 The decline in slimming aids halts in 2013 ................................................................................... 49

Figure 23: Total retail value sales of slimming aids*, 2008-13 .......................................................................... 49

COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS ........................................................................................................... 51

Figure 24: Profiled companies and their brands within the dieting/healthy eating market ................................. 51 Weight Watchers ........................................................................................................................... 51

Company overview ........................................................................................................................................... 51 Diet plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 51 Product range ................................................................................................................................................... 52 Innovation ......................................................................................................................................................... 52 Advertising and promotion ................................................................................................................................ 53

Slim-Fast ....................................................................................................................................... 53 Diet plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 53 Product range ................................................................................................................................................... 53 Recent activity .................................................................................................................................................. 54

Kellogg’s ........................................................................................................................................ 54 Diet plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 54 Product range and innovation ........................................................................................................................... 54 Advertising and promotion ................................................................................................................................ 55

Adios ............................................................................................................................................. 55 Diet plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 55 Product range ................................................................................................................................................... 55


© Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. v

Natures Remedies ........................................................................................................................ 56 Product range ................................................................................................................................................... 56

Tesco ............................................................................................................................................ 56 Sainsbury’s.................................................................................................................................... 57 Asda .............................................................................................................................................. 57 Morrisons ...................................................................................................................................... 57 M&S .............................................................................................................................................. 58

BRAND COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION ................................................................................. 59

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 59 Adspend slows for diet and weight control foods.......................................................................... 59

Figure 25: Topline advertising expenditure by identified key players in the diet and weight control food market*, 2009-13 .............................................................................................................................................. 59

Kellogg’s cuts adspend… ............................................................................................................. 60 Figure 26: Main monitored media advertising expenditure in the diet and weight control food market*, by leading advertiser in 2012, 2009-13 ............................................................................................................. 60 Figure 27: main monitored media advertising expenditure in the diet and weight control food market*, by leading identified brands in 2012, 2009-13 .................................................................................................. 60 Special K focuses on online visibility in 2012 .................................................................................................... 61 …with heavy TV investment in 2013 ................................................................................................................. 61

… for Müller to take the lead in adspend ...................................................................................... 61 Weight Watchers also reduced its adspend ................................................................................. 62 Flavour is a key theme in marketing ............................................................................................. 62 TV advertising dominates but press increases share too ............................................................. 63

Figure 28: Advertising expenditure by identified key players in the diet and weight control food market*, by media type, 2012 ......................................................................................................................................... 63

CONSUMER – ATTITUDES TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS ................................................................... 64

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 64 Dieting is commonplace in the UK ................................................................................................ 64

Figure 29: Attitudes towards weight loss, September 2013 .............................................................................. 64 Figure 30: Consumers who have tried to lose weight or try to maintain their current weight in the last 12 months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, September 2013 ............................................................. 66

CONSUMER – ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT ................................................................. 67

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 67 Exercise is the most popular route to managing weight ............................................................... 68

Figure 31: Actions taken to manage weight, September 2013 .......................................................................... 68 Women are most inclined to cut back on unhealthy foods ........................................................... 70

Figure 32: Selected actions taken to manage weight, by gender, September 2013 .......................................... 70 Only a quarter eat more diet foods ............................................................................................... 71 Under-25s are more likely to skips meals and eat more protein .................................................. 72

Figure 33: Consumers who skip meals and who eat more high protein food to manage weight, by gender and age group, September 2013 .......................................................................................................... 72

Dieting schemes hold niche appeal .............................................................................................. 74 Figure 34: Dieting schemes used in the last 12 months, September 2013........................................................ 74 Figure 35: Selected dieting schemes used in the last 12 months, by age, September 2013 ............................. 75 Figure 36: Most popular diets followed in the last 12 months, September 2013 ............................................... 76

CONSUMER – TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY ....................................... 77

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 77 The five-a-day message has gained widespread acceptance ...................................................... 78

Figure 37: Types of products considered to be healthy, September 2013 ........................................................ 78 Over-55s place most importance on fat, sugar and fibre content ................................................. 79

Figure 38: Selected types of products considered to be healthy, by age, September 2013 .............................. 79 One in five look for ‘light’ or ‘diet’ products ................................................................................... 80

CONSUMER – ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING .................................... 81

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 81 Treats are seen as part of a balanced diet ................................................................................... 81


© Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. vi

Figure 39: Attitudes towards dieting and healthy eating, September 2013........................................................ 81 Figure 40: agreement with the statement “eating all different types of food in moderation is the best way to stay healthy” and “I occasionally like to treat myself to foods I know are bad for me”, by age, September 2013 ............................................................................................................................................... 83

Three in 10 are perpetual dieters .................................................................................................. 83 Time, expense and eating out are barriers for under-35s ............................................................ 84

Figure 41: Agreement with the statements “I find it hard to eat healthily when dining out”, “I find it too expensive to eat healthily” and “busy lifestyles make it difficult to stick to a diet”, by gender and age group, September 2013 .................................................................................................................................... 84

Three in 10 see consistent labelling as helpful ............................................................................. 85

CONSUMER – ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIET FOODS ....................................................................... 87

Key points ..................................................................................................................................... 87 Concerns over the healthiness of diet food .................................................................................. 87

Figure 42: Attitudes towards diet foods, September 2013................................................................................. 87 Clearer information could help to relieve doubts .......................................................................... 89

Figure 43: Selected attitudes towards diet foods, September 2013 .................................................................. 89

APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST .................................................................................. 91

Figure 44: Best- and worst-case forecasts for selected diet and weight control foods, 2013-18 ....................... 91

APPENDIX – BRAND COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION........................................................... 92

Figure 45: Share of main monitored media advertising expenditure in the diet and weight control food market*, by leading identified brands in 2012, 2009-13 .................................................................................... 92

APPENDIX – CONSUMER – ATTITUDES TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS ............................................. 93

Figure 46: Attitudes towards weight loss, September 2013 .............................................................................. 93 Figure 47: Attitudes towards weight loss, by demographics, September 2013 ................................................. 93

APPENDIX – CONSUMER – ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT ........................................... 97

Figure 48: Actions taken to manage weight, September 2013 .......................................................................... 97 Figure 49: Dieting schemes used in the last 12 months, September 2013........................................................ 97 Figure 50: Popular diets tired in the last 12 months, September 2013 .............................................................. 97 Figure 51: Most popular actions taken to manage weight, by demographics, September 2013 ........................ 98 Figure 52: Next most popular actions taken to manage weight, by demographics, September 2013 .............. 101 Figure 53: Other actions taken to manage weight, by demographics, September 2013 ................................. 105 Figure 54: Most popular dieting schemes used in the last 12 months, by demographics, September 2013 ............................................................................................................................................................... 108

APPENDIX – CONSUMER – TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY ............... 112

Figure 55: Types of products considered to be healthy, September 2013 ...................................................... 112 Figure 56: Most popular types of products considered to be healthy, by demographics, September 2013 ..... 112 Figure 57: Next most popular types of products considered to be healthy, by demographics, September 2013 ............................................................................................................................................................... 116 Figure 58: Other types of products considered to be healthy, by demographics, September 2013 ................. 119

APPENDIX – CONSUMER – ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING ............ 123

Figure 59: Attitudes towards dieting and healthy eating, September 2013...................................................... 123 Figure 60: Most popular attitudes towards dieting and healthy eating, by demographics, September 2013 ............................................................................................................................................................... 123 Figure 61: Next most popular attitudes towards dieting and healthy eating, by demographics, September 2013 ............................................................................................................................................. 127 Figure 62: Other attitudes towards dieting and healthy eating, by demographics, September 2013 ............... 130

APPENDIX – CONSUMER – ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIET FOODS .............................................. 133

Figure 63: Attitudes towards diet foods, September 2013............................................................................... 133 Figure 64: Agreement with the statement ‘Diet foods are no better for you than standard food products’, by demographics, September 2013 ................................................................................................................ 134 Figure 65: Agreement with the statement ‘I trust diet brands to make nutritious foods’, by demographics, September 2013 ..................................................................................................................... 137 Figure 66: Agreement with the statement ‘Diet food serving sizes are often too small’, by demographics, September 2013 ..................................................................................................................... 140


© Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. vii

Figure 67: Agreement with the statement ‘Diet foods taste just as good as non-diet foods’, by demographics, September 2013 ..................................................................................................................... 143 Figure 68: Agreement with the statement ‘Often diet foods are not much lower in calories than their standard alternatives’, by demographics, September 2013 ............................................................................ 146 Figure 69: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like to see clearer nutritional information to show differences between diet foods and their standard alternatives’, by demographics, September 2013 ............. 149 Figure 70: Agreement with the statement ‘I am wary of the ingredients/sweeteners that go into diet food products’, by demographics, September 2013 ................................................................................................ 152 Figure 71: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like to see a wider variety of 'diet' options in sweet treats’, by demographics, September 2013 .................................................................................................... 155 Figure 72: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like to see more products using natural sweeteners to replace sugar’, by demographics, September 2013 ........................................................................................ 158 Figure 73: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be embarrassed to be seen eating diet branded food’, by demographics, September 2013 ................................................................................................................ 161 Figure 74: Agreement with the statement ‘I prefer naturally low-fat foods to reduced fat products’, by demographics, September 2013 ..................................................................................................................... 164

UK RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 168

Consumer research .................................................................................................................... 168 Sampling and weighting.................................................................................................................................. 168 Definitions ....................................................................................................................................................... 170 Qualitative Research ...................................................................................................................................... 172

Trade research ............................................................................................................................ 172 Informal .......................................................................................................................................................... 172 Formal ............................................................................................................................................................ 172 Desk research ................................................................................................................................................ 172

Statistical Forecasting ................................................................................................................. 173 European Research Methodology .............................................................................................. 176

Introduction Dieting Trends UK, November 2013

© Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. 8

Introduction The UK’s growing obesity problem is having a dramatic impact on the health of the nation, translating

into a weighty financial burden for the NHS. This has made the issue a key focus within both political

and media spheres, and dieting has become ingrained into many Briton’s lifestyles. The majority of

adults (65% of women and 44% of men) have tried to lose weight in the 12 months to September

2013.

While the diet food market should be reaping the rewards from Britons’ desire to slim down, sales

have only increased by a marginal 7% between 2008 and 2013 to £1.8 billion, which corresponds to a

decline of 14% at constant 2013 prices.

Consumers have many weapons in their armoury when it comes to managing their weight, and they

prefer to exercise more, reduce portion sizes and cut back on certain types of food (eg those with a

high content of fat/sugar/carbs) than to eat more diet products. This owes to a number of negative

perceptions which plague the market. These include concerns over the ingredients/sweeteners that go

into diet products, distrust that diet brands provide nutritious food, doubts over significant differences

in calories between these and the standard alternatives and the perception of small serving sizes.

As such there is a strong demand for greater transparency, and six in 10 adults would like to see

clearer nutritional information that shows the differences between diet foods and their non-diet

equivalents. This is something the government’s uniform front-of-pack labelling system could help to

address.

Amid concerns about artificial ingredients, there is significant interest in seeing more products using

natural sweeteners (eg stevia) to replace sugar, indicating opportunities for brands.

Definition

This report looks at consumers’ attitudes and behaviours related to dieting primarily for weight

management, mainly with the use of weight control foods. Mintel's definition of weight control foods

includes products designed specifically to help the consumer lose weight and food products that have a

reduced fat, calorie or sugar content compared with standard products.

Reduced calorie foods are food products where calorie levels have been reduced, compared to the

standard variant of the product, typically labelled as ‘light’ or ‘diet’.

Meal replacements are defined as any meal replacement products designed for weight control. This

includes meal complements, designed to accompany slimming programmes acting as snack

replacements or to accompany a meal.

Meal replacements for weight control are not intended as the sole source of nutrition. They are subject

to compositional standards defined in European legislation and must contain the legislated balance of

protein, fat, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals designed to meet the total nutritional needs of

one meal.

Appetite controllers/suppressants are designed to suppress the natural appetite so that the dieter eats

less than usual. They are available as tablets, capsules, lozenges and drinks. Some contain glucose and

are claimed to work by raising the blood sugar level, temporarily reducing the appetite. Others contain

bulk-forming agents, such as bran, sterculia or methylcellulose and are taken with a drink before food

to give the stomach a feeling of fullness. They are not a substitute for food; they are intended to be

used as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

Introduction Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Very low-calorie diets (VLCDs) are commercially prepared formulae of 800 calories or less that

replace all usual food intake. They contain all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins needed to replace

normal meals for up to four weeks at a time. They are usually in the form of powdered drinks, soups,

pre-mixed drinks and meal bars. VLCDs are generally considered safe when used by dieters with a

Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 25.

Excluded

Sales through foodservice and catering outlets

Abbreviations

BAAPS British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons

BMI Body Mass Index

DoH Department of Health

EFSA European Food Safety Authority

FAE Finished Admission Episodes

FSA Foods Standards Agency

GAD Government Actuary’s Department

GMO Genetically Modified Organism

GNPD Global New Product Database

HSE Health Survey for England

L/N/R Low/No/Reduced

NHS National Health Service

Nielsen Media Research For further information, please contact [email protected]

NPD New Product Development

PDI Personal Disposable Income

QR Quick Response

VLCD Very Low-Calorie Diet

mailto:[email protected]

Executive Summary Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Executive Summary “Brands should shift their focus away from the somewhat ambiguous terms ‘diet’ and ‘light’

and onto tangible benefits, with a strong focus on overall health and wellbeing. Low fat/low

sugar and high-fibre claims and products which contribute towards consumers’ ‘five-a-day’ are

likely to resonate more among shoppers, particularly the older generation.”

– Emma Clifford, Senior Food Analyst

The market FIGURE 1: UK RETAIL VALUE SALES FOR SELECTED DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOODS, 2008-18

SOURCE: BASED ON INFORMATION RESOURCES, INC/MINTEL

Sales of diet and weight control foods are struggling, which is at odds with the huge consumer interest

in losing weight, framed by rising levels of obesity. The value of the market has grown by a moderate

7% to £1,775 million over 2008-13. However this has been driven by rising prices and corresponds to

a decline of 14% at constant 2013 prices.

While there are large large numbers of dieters in the UK, a number of negative connotations related to

diet food products and consumers preferring other means of weight loss continue to hamper growth in

the market. These include worries about the ingredients/artificial sweeteners which go into these foods,

doubts over significant differences in calories between these and their standard alternatives, the

perception of small serving sizes and distrust that diet brands provide nutritious food

Mintel expects value growth to pick up from 2013 onwards, with the market predicted to grow by 12%

to £1,974 million between 2013 and 2018, however this will continue to be driven by inflation.



FIGURE 2: UK RETAIL VALUE SALES OF SELECTED DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOODS, BY SECTOR, 2013 (EST)

Biscuits31%

Yogurt29%

Yellow Fats11%

Breakfast cereals5%

Salad Dressing6%

Bread6%

Chilled ready meals4%

Artificial Sweeteners3%

Frozen ready meals3%

Ice Cream2%


Biscuits (which include cereal bars) account for a third of the identified diet and weight control food

sales, making this the leading sector in the market. This is followed by yogurt, which captures 29% of

spend on these products.

Both biscuits and yogurts have outperformed the wider market in recent years, with annual growth

rates of 7% and 12% respectively forecast for 2013. While the growth of the breakfast biscuit market

has supported sales in the diet biscuit segment, the NPD in zero fat variants has contributed to growth

in yogurt.

Chilled and frozen ready meals have suffered the most significant declines over the last five years,

with sales continuing to fall sharply in 2013. Against a background of growing sales in the chilled

ready meals market, this indicates that healthier varieties are failing to resonate with consumers.

Market factors

The nation’s waistlines continue to expand

More than six in 10 adults (63%) in the UK are overweight or obese and have associated health

problems which cost the NHS an estimated £5bn annually, according to the latest government

statistics. While the increase in obesity has slowed in recent years, the trend remains one of ‘Britons

getting bigger’.

By 2025 it is estimated that 47% of men and 36% of women will be obese. Projected further still, by

2050, half of women and six in 10 men could be obese, and NHS costs attributed to this are anticipated

to double to £10 billion.



Government action relies on voluntary schemes

The cost of obesity to the government continues to provide impetus to steps aimed at curbing Britain’s

ballooning weight problem. While various countries globally have seen legislation and taxation

brought in to help curb the growing healthcare bill, activity in the UK has thus far centred on voluntary

measures, most notably the Department of Health’s Public Health Responsibility Deal, launched in

March 2011.

This includes the target to reduce the daily calorie intake of Britons by 5 billion a day, unveiled in June

2012, with the new pledge on saturated fat reduction, announced in October 2013, the latest addition.

As operators continue to make their mainstream products healthier, such as through reformulation and

portion control, the competition heats up with products traditionally positioned as light, arguably

diluting their point of difference.

New uniform nutritional labels start to roll out

A new food and drink labelling scheme aiming to bring consistent nutritional information on the front

of packaging started to roll out in the UK in June 2013. The government’s voluntary initiative aims to

help consumers to make healthy decisions through easier direct comparability between different

products.

The hybrid system, designed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), uses a combination of ‘traffic

light’ colour coding and new ‘Reference Intakes’ which replace the GDA system.



Companies, brands and innovation

An uptick in NPD activity in 2012 and 2013 FIGURE 3: TOTAL SHARE OF DIET FOOD PRODUCTS IN ALL NEW FOOD PRODUCT LAUNCHES, JAN 2009 - SEPT 2013

12.5

12.1

11.6

12.1

12.8

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013*

%

* January-September 2013 Note: diet food incorporates products with L/N/R calorie, L/N/R fat, L/N/R sugar, L/N/R glycaemic, L/N/R carb and slimming claims SOURCE: GNPD/MINTEL

The share of diet food products of all new food product launches has risen following a dip in 2011 -

accounting for 12.1% of all new food launches in 2012 and continuing to increase in 2013.

While low/no/reduced fat claims feature the most widely on new products, slimming claims have

become more prominent, their share of all launches more than doubling between 2011 and 2012. This

was driven by rising NPD from brands positioned as dieting brands such as Weight Watchers and

Kelloggs Special K, and the launch of Morrison’s NuMe healthy food range.

Nearly 20% of all NPD within diet food took place within the ready meals and yogurts categories, with

the former driven by supermarket healthy own-label ready meal launches.

The proportion of new packaging launches of all diet food launches leaped ahead in 2012, as brands

looked to highlight their low calorie and health credentials more clearly on pack and to dispel

perceptions of light food as lacking in taste.



Adspend slows for diet and weight control foods FIGURE 4: TOPLINE ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE BY IDENTIFIED KEY PLAYERS IN THE DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOOD

MARKET*, 2009-13

39.1 39.7

34.7 34

27.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013**

£ m

illio

n

* includes main diet brands and brands that contain light, lighter, low/no fat or sugar free in the title ** January-September 2013 SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH/MINTEL

Adspend in the diet and weight control food market declined in 2012, down 2% year on year and 13%

since 2009, standing at £34 million at the end of 2012.

Kellogg’s has been the highest spending advertiser over the past five years, however Müller Dairy

overtook the brand in 2012 to take the lead, with Kellogg’s cutting back its spend, but still remaining

close behind.

The key theme of advertising campaigns has been the ability of diet foods to deliver on taste. The

brands have been looking to communicate that consumers would not know that these products are in

fact low fat/fat-free etc, a notable example being Müller Greek Style Yogurts ads, in a bid to appeal to

the large group or sceptics among dieters and to extend their appeal to the wider population.



The consumer

Dieting is commonplace in the UK FIGURE 5: ATTITUDES TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

I have tried to lose weight in the last

year55%

I try to maintain my current weight

15%

I sometimes think about my weight,

but I do not do anything about it

17%

I never think about my weight

10%

I am trying to put on weight

3%

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

The majority (55%) of the UK adult population tried to slim down in the 12 months to September

2013, reflecting the strong societal focus on weight, size and diet and the high prevalence of

overweight and obesity.

As expected, women are significantly more likely than men to have tried to shift some pounds and

only 5% claim to never think about their weight compared to almost a fifth (17%) of men. However,

44% of men report having to lose weight during the year, showing that ‘weight watching’ is by no

means female territory any more.

25-44 are most likely to be dieters, while over-55s are significantly more likely than the younger

generation to try to maintain their current weight.



Exercise is the most popular route to managing weight FIGURE 6: ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

60

49

48

48

41

30

28

25

18

15

12

Exercise more

Cut back on fatty foods

Eat smaller portions

Cut back on sugary foods/drinks

Cut back on desserts

Cut back on alcohol*

Cut back on carbohydrates (eg bread, pasta, rice)

Eat more products labelled as low insugar/fat/calories

Eat more high protein food (eg meat/fish)

Skip meals (eg not eating breakfast)

Cut back on red meat%

* only asked to internet users aged 18+ SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Consumers prioritise exercise over making dietary changes when trying to lose or maintain their

weight, reflecting the popularity of sport and the myriad health benefits also related to physical

activity.

Cutting back on fatty foods and sugary products, and simply reducing portion sizes, are the next most

common actions for weight management, their tangible nature likely to contribute to their popularity.

Women are more likely than men to adopt such abstemious approaches.

Only a quarter of weight managers choose to eat more food and drink labelled as low in

fat/sugar/calories, reflecting the various doubts many consumer harbour about ‘diet’ products.

Four in 10 consumers watching their figures adopt a structured approach to weight loss. Recording

food consumption either in a diary or via apps is the most popular method, with under-25s the keenest

on this approach, while diet clubs and online diet plans lag noticeably behind these.



The five-a-day message has gained widespread acceptance FIGURE 7: TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

45

42

41

35

28

26

21

19

17

15

13

13

7

16

Part of my five-a-day of fruit and vegetables

Low fat/fat-free

Low sugar/sugar-free

Low calorie

High fibre content

Unprocessed

Labelled 'light' or 'diet'

Labelled as 'natural'

Organic

Low in carbohydrates

High protein content

Added health benefits (eg added calcium)

Low glycemic index (GI)

I do not buy healthy food

% SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Britons are most inclined to associate foods which contribute to their recommended five-a-day with

healthiness, illustrating that this message – backed by governmental support – has achieved

widespread resonance.

Food claiming to be low in (or free from) fat, sugar and calories is high on the list of foods consumers

deem to be healthy, particularly for those who have tried to lose weight in the last 12 months,

indicating that overall health is closely associated with weight management.

Over-55s are most likely to choose food carrying L/N/R fat and sugar and high fibre claims when

looking for healthy food, while high protein foods and products with added health benefits hold most

appeal to under-25s.

Only a fifth of consumers include ‘light’ or ‘diet’ food in their healthy shopping baskets, rising to just

over a quarter of those who have tried to slim down in the past year. This suggests that this

terminology, being less tangible and specific than other claims, is failing to resonate among

consumers. Ensuring the visibility of specific claims such as low fat should boost the appeal of diet

brands.



Treats are seen as part of a balanced diet

FIGURE 8: ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

57

48

41

31

29

29

27

26

25

19

17

13

Occasionally I like to treat myself to foods I know are badfor me

Eating all different types of food in moderation is the bestway to stay healthy

Eating healthy food makes me feel good

Having nutritional information shown on all food/drink inthe same way would make healthy choices easier

I am actively trying to lose weight most of the time

I find it hard to eat healthily when I am dining out

All the different advice on eating healthily can beconfusing

I always check the nutritional content of food beforebuying it

Many diets are unhealthy in the long term

I do not have enough willpower to stick to a diet for verylong

I find it too expensive to eat healthily

My busy lifestyle makes it difficult to stick to a diet%

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

The majority (57%) of weight managers continue to occasionally treat themselves with indulgent food,

seeing these as part of a balanced diet, and half (48%) believe that eating all different types of food in

moderation is the best route towards healthiness.

Three in 10 of those who have tried to lose or maintain their weight claim to be trying to slim down

most of the time (36% of women and 21% of men), highlighting that weight control is an on-going

struggle for many, but also underlines the temporary nature for the majority.

Only a quarter of consumers who are watching their figures always check the nutritional content of

food before purchase. Ranges such as Morrisons’ NuMe have looked to cut through this apathy with

front-of-pack visualisation to build standout. A solid minority (31%) note that it would be easier to

make healthy choices if all food/drink was labelled in the same way, suggesting that the new labelling

scheme should resonate, though perhaps among a smaller minority than hoped for.



Concerns over the healthiness of diet food FIGURE 9: ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIET FOODS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

15

16

13

11

11

12

9

8

4

5

4

47

43

44

44

40

38

34

32

28

22

12

32

31

34

36

36

36

36

41

41

35

27

5

9

7

8

11

9

16

16

20

29

40

2

2

2

2

2

5

6

3

7

9

17

I would like to see clearer information to showdifferences between diet foods and their alternatives

I am wary of the ingredients/sweeteners that go intodiet food products

I prefer naturally low-fat foods to reduced fat products

Often diet foods are not much lower in calories thantheir standard alternatives

Diet food serving sizes are often too small

I would like to see more products using naturalsweeteners (eg stevia) to replace sugar

I would like to see a wider variety of diet options insweet treats

Diet foods are no better for you than standard foodproducts

I trust diet brands to make nutritious foods

Diet foods taste just as good as non-diet foods

I would be embarrassed to be seen eating diet brandedfood

%

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strong disagree

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Seven in 10 (71%) of those who have tried to lose weight in the last year would like to see clearer

information showing the nutritional differences between diet foods and their ‘non-diet’ equivalents.

This should help to alleviate the widespread concerns about the calorie content of diet foods being

based on small portion sizes.

There are also widespread concerns about the ingredients/sweeteners that go into diet food. However,

there is a strong demand for more products using natural sweeteners to replace sugar, particularly

among dieters (58%).

The older generation emerge as the most sceptical of what diet foods consist of, this being in line with

these consumers being most wary about ingredients in shop bought food overall, however these

concerns are also noticeably widespread among younger consumers.

What we think

The outlook remains a challenging one for the diet and weight control food market over the next few

years. Despite the swathes of consumers keen to lose weight, the market is plagued by a string of

negative perceptions, perhaps the most damaging of these being concerns over the ingredients/artificial

sweeteners they contain. While this widespread distrust lingers, the market is unlikely to reap the

rewards from the growth in consumer spending, which is expected to gain momentum from 2013

onwards.



The challenge for operators in this arena is to turn around consumer opinion. A move towards more

natural formulations should be well received, with the strong consumer interest in natural sweeteners

opening up opportunities for manufacturers to explore. Greater transparency will also be important,

given that most consumers want clearer nutritional information to show the differences between diet

foods and their standard alternatives. Here, visual comparisons are likely to be an effective way to

show like-for-like comparisons and convince consumers the lower calorie count does not simply

equate to smaller portion sizes.

Brands should also shift their focus away from the somewhat ambiguous terms ‘diet’ and ‘light’ onto

tangible benefits, with a strong focus on overall health and wellbeing. For example, low fat/low sugar

and high-fibre claims and products which contribute towards consumers’ ‘five-a-day’ are likely to

resonate more among shoppers, particularly the older generation. Meanwhile, food which is high in

protein, organic and offers added-health claims may draw more young consumers into the category.

Issues in the Market Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Issues in the Market “Clear like-for-like comparisons between diet products and their non-diet alternatives should

allow brands to show consumers that there are genuine and tangible differences in the

calorie/fat/sugar content, and highlight where these owe to healthier recipes rather than simply

smaller portions.”

– Emma Clifford, Senior Food Analyst

Can diet brands use clearer comparisons to standard alternatives to win consumers’ trust?

Over half (55%) of consumers believe that often diet foods are not much lower in calories than their

standard alternatives, with dieters being the most sceptical in this respect (62%). The perception that

lower calorie counts are based on meagre portion sizes is also hampering the market, and half of adults

note that serving sizes are often too small, particularly given the strong emphasis on value for money

among today’s shoppers.

Given the high levels of scepticism about diet brands, it is clear that consumers want some kind of

evidence. The majority (61%) of the population would welcome clearer nutritional information to

show the differences between diet foods and their standard alternatives, climbing to seven in 10 for

dieters. This ties in with the Mintel Inspire trend Prove It, which signals how consumers have become

more suspicious shoppers, who need to be convinced with proof. Brands thus need to offer greater

transparency.

Clear like-for-like comparisons between diet products and their non-diet alternatives should allow

brands to show consumers that there are genuine and tangible differences in the calorie/fat/sugar

content, and highlight where these owe to healthier recipes rather than simply smaller portions.

Visual illustration, using instantly recognisable units such as teaspoons, could be used to grab

consumers’ attention. For example a picture showing how many spoons of light yogurt equate to one

spoonful of full-fat yogurt in terms of calories/fat could be an effective way to appeal to diet-conscious

consumers. Alternatively brands could show consumers how many spoons of sugar/butter/fat/calories

they are avoiding simply by switching from standard products to their light alternatives.

Can natural sweeteners help brands to overcome concerns over the ingredients in diet food?

The concerns consumers have regarding the healthiness of diet food is a major barrier for the industry,

and almost six in 10 adults (58%) are wary of the ingredients/sweeteners that go into these products.

Furthermore, this rises to 63% among those who have tried to lose weight in the last year, highlighting

that these products are failing to win the trust of their key audience.

The slightly ambiguous and generic terms ‘light’ and ‘diet’ are likely to be compounding these doubts.

Greater transparency and clear communication of how and why they are good for dieting is thus

central for operators in this market, as discussed above.

Encouragingly, many consumers are happy to see sugar replaced with natural sweeteners to reduce the

calorie count, with 50% of all adults and almost six in 10 (58%) dieters expressing an interest in seeing

a wider availability of such products. This indicates a potentially lucrative avenue for brands to

explore.



Of the natural sweeteners available, stevia is perhaps the most well-known. Approved as a food

additive in the EU in 2011 and heralded as a ‘miracle sweetener’, it has already gained notable success

in the US.

Stevia-based products are now mainstream in the sugar aisle, and are starting to infiltrate the soft

drinks market. Coca-Cola Enterprises’ launch of Sprite with stevia in March 2013, reducing the

calories by 30%, is a particularly high profile example, again putting the ingredient in the media

spotlight. However, stevia remains a niche ingredient in sweet treats (eg sugar/chocolate

confectionary), likely to be related to how this would affect the taste profile and its difference chemical

properties. Also, stevia has not been approved for usage universally, limiting scope for NPD to the

approved categories.

What impact is the new consistent nutrition labelling scheme for food and drink products likely to have on the diet food market?

The government started rolling out a voluntary scheme, introducing new consistent nutrition labelling

on the front of food and drink packaging in June 2013. It is hoped that this direct comparability

between different products will assist consumers in making genuinely healthier choices, with the

ultimate aim of helping in the fight against obesity.


light’ colour coding and new ‘Reference Intakes’ which replace the GDA system previously used to

show how much fat, salt and sugar and how many calories are in each product and how they contribute

to the recommended daily intake levels.

However, there are concerns that the voluntary nature of the scheme may limit its effectiveness. While

all major supermarkets and a host of manufacturers have signed up, it is estimated that only 60% of

food products are likely to carry the new labels, based on the businesses that have currently signed up.

Three in 10 weight managers (36% of women and 24% of men) note that having nutritional

information shown on all food and drink in the same way would make healthy choices easier. This

suggests that the new uniform system may be well-received by a sizeable minority of consumers.

However, as this proportion of consumers is not higher, it is likely to reflect many consumers’ apathy

towards checking nutritional information on packaging. Indeed, even among those who are weight

conscious, only a quarter claim to always check the nutritional content of food before buying.

The new labelling is likely to see diet brands come under scrutiny in terms of how they weigh up

against ‘non-diet’ alternatives, with nutritional information on the front of pack more likely to catch

the eye of those consumers who currently do not tend to check this. If the former can deliver a tangible

difference, this change in labelling should work to their advantage, and provide an angle to draw

attention to in marketing campaigns.

Consumers are most likely to cut down on food with high fat and high sugar content, in terms of

making changes to their diet when trying to lose or maintain their weight. As such, products which tick

these boxes are the most likely to benefit from the scheme.

How can diet food brands heighten their appeal among the younger and older generation?

The UK’s ageing population should spell good news for the dieting market. Consumers’ waistlines

tend to expand as they get older and it is well-established that the older generation are the most health-

and diet-conscious. Unsurprisingly, the over-55s are the most likely weight managers.



However, only one in five over-55s would choose products labelled as 'light' or 'diet' when buying

healthy food for themselves. While this is in line with most adults, these consumers are notably more

likely than average to opt for foods which contribute to their ‘five-a-day’ portions of fruit and veg and

which are low in fat, low in sugar and high in fibre. The importance older consumers place on these

factors can be attributed to high levels of awareness of the benefits of these types of food for overall

health (eg the dietary link between sugar and diabetes, fat and cholesterol).

This indicates that brands which focus on their low fat/low sugar and high-fibre messages instead of

the ‘light’ and ‘diet’ terminology, with a strong focus on overall health and wellbeing, are likely to

appeal to older consumers more. Similarly, diet foods that can incorporate a high fruit/vegetable

content are likely to attract older consumers, such ingredients helping to address concerns over

whether these foods are nutritious. Here there are opportunities for selected brands to use

fruit/vegetables as ‘fillers’ as part of more natural formulations, for example in baked goods, adopting

a ‘stealth health’ approach.

Under-25s are more likely than their older counterparts to both associate foods which are high protein

as being healthy and eat more of this type of food when trying to lose weight. The appeal of high-

protein foods among younger consumers is likely to be related to the association of high protein food

with sport and fitness and also providing an energy boost. While protein bars are a mainstay in health

shops etc, there is scope for more mainstream brands to look to incorporate more high protein options

into their ranges. Organic sourcing and added-health options are also likely to attract young

consumers.

Trend Application Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Trend Application Mintel’s approach in this section goes beyond merely identifying trends. We apply trends from

Mintel’s trend tool, Inspire, to understand the wider implications of cultural changes, gaining insight

into how companies and brands can translate these into on-the-ground opportunities relevant for the

diet and weight control food industry.

Trend: Man in the Mirror

Man in the Mirror is a consumer trend identified by Mintel which explores how brands are responding

to how modern men are reflecting on their image, responsibilities and how to express their masculinity

in new ways. This presents a market for functional, healthy, ‘manly’ food options.

Mintel’s consumer research shows that four in 10 men who have tried to lose or maintain their weight

in the 12 months to September 2013 chose to cut back on fatty foods. Meanwhile, only one in five eat

more products labelled as low in sugar/fat/calories, showing that these ‘light’ options are failing to

resonate with most men looking to manage their weight.

Men provide huge growth potential for the diet food market. While they are not as weight-conscious as

women, nonetheless six in 10 have looked to lose or manage their weight. The key to unlocking their

spending potential may be for brands to move away from the ‘light’ and ‘diet’ labels – which tend to

be female-orientated - and use more ‘masculine’ terms for being low in fat such as ‘lean’.

Brands could combine such changes in terminology with a focus on protein content, given that men are

more likely than women to associate high protein foods with being healthy. Indeed more than two in

five men (42%) would choose a high protein food over a low protein one, compared to just over a third

(34%) of women, according to Mintel’s exclusive consumer research.

Unsurprisingly, packaging design and advertising campaigns are likely to need to change their focus to

appeal to health-conscious men. Coke Zero is a notable example of a brand which has successfully cast

off the ‘light’ label despite still being calorie-free, by explicitly targeting men in their marketing

strategies.

Trend: Secret Secret

The Mintel Inspire trend Secret Secret explains how secret locations and products garner exclusivity

and turn consumerism into a game. While they appeal to our love of discovery, they also leverage a

sense of superiority or individuality that comes from ‘being in the know’ or ‘ahead of the game’.

Almost six in ten (58%) adults are wary of the ingredients/sweeteners that go into diet products,

highlighting such concerns as a major barrier for uptake in the market.

Operators in this category could benefit from moving towards more natural formulations. The

incorporation of fruit and vegetables as ‘fillers’ to replace bulking agents could help to boost the health

appeal of these products.

This concept could work in baked goods such as cake/cake bars and bread to make them lighter, with

scope also to enhance flavour. For example 42% of users would be interested in trying bread/baked

goods containing fruit/vegetables, such as courgette bread (see Mintel’s Bread and Baked Goods – UK

– September 2013 report).

Trend Application Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


This would be particularly effective if these products contributed to consumers’ recommended five-a-

day, taking a ‘stealth health’ approach. Britons are most inclined to associate foods which contribute to

their recommended five-a-day with healthiness (45%), illustrating that this message has achieved

widespread traction in the UK.

Mintel Futures: Access Anything, Anywhere

Mintel’s 2015 trend prediction Access Anything, Anywhere explores how smartphones, tablets etc are

changing the way we live, not just the way we communicate, as consumers increasingly adopt and

adapt to the culture of on-the-go connectivity.

Despite the app culture of today, usage of these remains heavily skewed towards the younger

generation, these being the earliest adopters of new technology and the most digitally-savvy, as many

have grown up with the technology, rather than adopting it as adults.

The use of apps to help in weight management remains niche in terms of the population overall, with

only one in 10 consumers who have tried to lose or maintain their weight in the last year having used a

diet app. However, this doubles to almost a fifth of those aged under-35.

Smartphone apps promoting healthy eating and providing dieting advice are now widely available, and

many allow consumers to keep a record of what they eat in order to monitor daily calorie intake, as

well as calories burnt, or offer personalised weight loss plans.

In today’s data-driven society, consumers are becoming more comfortable with the concept of ‘self-

monitoring’ and are seeking out digital tools to help them do so. This ties in with the Mintel Inspire

trend Life Hacking.

It is likely that apps will only become more popular among future cohorts, these having grown up with

smartphones being the norm and amid the boom in tablet devices. Therefore, if today’s under-35s

continue to turn to diet apps when they are trying to slim down as they age, there is considerable

potential for the overall use of these as a weight management tool to grow in the mid- to long-term,

until a more advanced alternative is developed.

This provides opportunities for diet brands to heighten engagement among users, by making it easier

to keep a complete track of their diet and exercise regimes, through the use of QR codes on food and

scanning features on exercise equipment for example.

Market Drivers Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Market Drivers

Key points

The majority of Britons (65% of men and 58% of women) are overweight or obese,

according to 2011 NHS data based on BMI, underscoring the scale of this problem in the

UK.

The rise in obesity has begun to level off in recent years, however, projections suggest that

over a third of women and more than four in 10 men could be obese by 2025. The annual

cost to NHS of associated health problems is expected to rise from the current £5bn

annually.

Part of the government’s voluntary Responsibility Deal, standardised traffic light food

labelling began to roll out in the UK in June 2013. Through offering consumers greater

transparency, it aims to encourage shoppers to make healthier choices and help to reduce the

nation’s waistlines in the long term.

The rising numbers of over-55s should benefit the diet food market, given the correlation

between size and age, however these consumers are most sceptical about these products, and

it is the growth in 25-34s which is set to most support growth.

Obesity levels have soared over the past five years but look to be stabilising FIGURE 10: FINISHED ADMISSION EPISODES WITH A PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS OF OBESITY IN ENGLAND, BY GENDER, 2000/01-2011/12

COPYRIGHT © 2013, RE-USED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE INFORMATION CENTRE. ALL RIGHTS

RESERVED. SOURCE: HSCIC/MINTEL



While the definition of overweight or obesity differs by country and furthermore across different UK

bodies, the underlying theme is that obesity levels for adults and children are worryingly high.

More than six in 10 adults (63%) in the UK are overweight or obese, with associated health problems

costing the NHS an estimated £5bn annually, according to the latest government statistics.

The proportion of obese adults increased from 13% in 1993 to 24% in 2011 for men and from 16% to

26% for women as reported by the NHS report on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet 2013.

The health problems related to obesity are also rising. The number of Finished Admission Episodes

(FAEs) in NHS hospitals with a primary diagnosis of obesity among people of all ages stood at 11,736

in 2011/12 – over eleven times as high as the number in 2001/02 (1,019) and more than three times

that of five years earlier (3,862 in 2006/07).

While the recent escalation in these figures is worrying, it is some comfort that the number of FAEs

rose at a slower pace of 1.4% between 2010/11 and 2011/12 (from 11,574 to 11,736).

Despite the growth of obesity-related FAEs slowing, obesity is expected to continue to rise. Some 36%

of males and 28% of females (aged between 21 and 60) are forecast to be obese by 2015, according to

estimates from the Foresight report by the Government Office for Science. By 2025 it is estimated that

47% of men and 36% of women will be obese.

Projected further still, by 2050, half of women and six in 10 men could be obese, and NHS costs

attributed to this are anticipated to double to £10 billion.

Key analysis: The cost of obesity to the government continues to provide impetus to steps aimed at

curbing Britain’s ballooning weight problem. While various countries globally have seen legislation

and taxation brought in to help curb the growing healthcare bill, activity in the UK has thus far

centred on voluntary measures, as discussed in the following section. The food and drink industry

nonetheless looks set to remain under pressure to help address the problem. Mintel’s Inspire trend

Brand Intervention highlights the need for companies to act early to avoid being targeted, but also

the scope to win over consumers by acting responsibly.

The responsibility deal update

The Department of Health's Public Health Responsibility Deal, launched in March 2011, aims to

improve the health of Britons, with tackling obesity forming a major part of this campaign. The

initiative has looked to coax the private sector into taking steps to improve the nation’s health under

the voluntary agreement.

A range of actions have been taken by the companies which have signed up to the pledge, among them

big names in the food and drink industry, such as Premier Foods, Mondelez, Nestlé, Unilever, Coca-

Cola and Mars, as well as all the major supermarkets.

The pledge to reduce the daily calorie intake of Britons by 5 billion a day was unveiled in June 2012,

with members agreeing that they will ‘support and enable our customers to eat and drink fewer

calories through actions such as product/menu reformulation, reviewing portion sizes, education and

information, and actions to shift the marketing mix towards lower calorie options’. A progress update

was given a year on (July 2013).



Actions included, among others: The Morrison’s launch of its healthier range NuMe in 2012, Tesco

cutting the calories in its own-brand soft drinks by over 1 billion in 2012, Coca-Cola reformulated

Sprite with stevia to contain 30% fewer calories, Mars aiming to reduce the calories in all its chocolate

products to no more than 250 calories per portion by end 2013.

While progress has evidently been made, the pledge allows businesses to keep high calorie items in

their portfolio, as long as efforts are made to expand healthier options under the call towards menu

reformulation and reviewing portion sizes.

Key analysis: As operators continue to make their mainstream products healthier, such as through

reformulation and portion control, the competition heats up with products traditionally positioned

as light, arguably diluting their point of difference. Some 55% of adults currently state that often

diet foods are not much lower in calories than their standard alternatives, initiatives under the

calorie pledge potentially blurring the lines further.

The latest addition to the Responsibility Deal is the new pledge on saturated fat reduction, announced

in October 2013. The DoH said cutting the amount of saturated fat in people's diets by 15% could

prevent around 2,600 premature deaths every year from conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

Measures planned by companies include Nestlé altering the make-up of KitKat biscuits and Morrisons

reformulating its range of spreads.

However, critics have commented that the voluntary scheme – while being positive news – does not go

far enough in dealing with the huge obesity problem.

Meanwhile, the threat of the controversial ‘fat tax’ continues to loom, which provides a powerful

incentive for manufacturers and retailers to act now to improve health before it becomes legislation.

Such government initiatives call into question: how much is it the government’s responsibility versus

consumers’ own accountability to eat healthily? This theme is discussed in Mintel’s Inspire trend

Supernanny State looks at how consumers are being bossed, steered and penalised for bad behaviour

like never before. The trend suggests that it will behove brands to start paying attention to consumer

concerns before they lead to legislation to position themselves as conscientious and stay ahead of the

state stick, the Responsibility Deal currently operating much along these lines.

New uniform nutritional labels start to roll out

A new food and drink labelling scheme aiming to bring consistent nutritional information on the front

of packaging started to roll out in the UK in June 2013. The government’s voluntary initiative aims to

help consumers to make healthy decisions through easier direct comparability between different

products.


light’ colour coding and new ‘Reference Intakes’ which replace the GDA system previously used to

show how much fat, salt and sugar and how many calories are in each product, plus their contribution

to the recommended daily intake.

Only a quarter of weight managers claim to always check the nutritional content of food before buying

it, with this likely to be even lower among those not watching their weight. If people are to have a

better understanding of what they are eating, and the contribution of different foods to their weight and

health, this level must be boosted.



Women tend to watch what they eat closely more so than men FIGURE 11: HABITS RELATED TO HEALTH, NOVEMBER 2012 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

50

12

31

16

11

36

39

30

38

31

9

22

13

12

14

4

20

12

14

16

Eat plenty of fruit and veg

Eat junk food

Watch what I eat closely

Exercise

Skip meals

%

At least once a day % At least once a week %

At least once a month % Less often than once a month %

Originally published in Healthy Lifestyles – UK, November 2013 SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Women are more focused on watching what they eat closely, 34% reporting to do so every day. As the

main household shoppers, women are likely to be more aware of the nutritional choices and brands

available in-store. Women are also have more insecurities about their bodies, being significantly more

likely than men to be worried about almost all body concerns, with 46% citing excess weight as an

issue, compared to 27% of men (see Mintel’s Body, Hand and Footcare – UK, June 2013 report),

seeing them more likely to opt for healthier foods as a result.

Alongside the fact that 36% of women state that they are actively trying to lose weight most of the

time compared to just 21% for men (see Consumer – Attitudes Towards Diets and Healthy Eating),

dieting and general awareness over fat/sugar/calorie content has developed into an ingrained part of

their lifestyles.

Those trying to lose weight most of the time and watching what they eat closely are therefore a

potentially highly lucrative group to the weight management food industry.



Growth in key age groups could boost the market FIGURE 12: TRENDS IN THE AGE STRUCTURE OF THE UK POPULATION, 2008-18

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+

00

0's

2008 2013 (est) 2018 (proj)

SOURCE: OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS/GAD/MINTEL

The over-55s group is estimated to grow by 9% over the next five years to 20.1 million. With over-45s

the most likely to be overweight or obese, the UK’s ageing population is helping to fuel the trend

towards obesity in the UK. The rapid increase in over-55s should be positive news for the diet and

weight control food market, given that this age group are most likely to have tried to lose or maintain

their current weight in the last 12 months (see Consumer – Attitudes Towards Weight Loss), creating a

bigger pool of weight managers.

However, the over-55s who are looking to manage their weight are no more likely than average to eat

more products labelled as low in sugar/fat/calories when they are watching their figures.

Over-55s are the group most concerned about the healthiness of dieting and weight control foods and

are also more likely to seek out foods that are naturally low in sugar/fat/calories in order to lose

weight.

Key analysis: Only one in five over-55s would choose products labelled as 'light' or 'diet' when

buying healthy food for themselves. While this is in line most adults, these consumers are notably

more likely than average to opt for foods which contribute to their ‘five-a-day’ portions of fruit and

veg and which are low in fat, low in sugar and high in fibre. Brands which distance themselves

from the ‘light’ and ‘diet’ terminology – given the over-55s’ concerns about their healthiness - and

focus on low fat/low sugar and high-fibre messages, with a strong focus on overall health and

wellbeing, are likely to appeal to the growing group of older consumers.



The estimated 7.5% rise in the number of 25-34s to 9.4 million over the next five years bodes well for

the market, this age group being the most likely to have dieted in the 12 months to September 2013

(60%, compared to 55% average).

Fad diets look to be returning to their former popularity

While fad diets have always swung into and out of popularity, influenced heavily by celebrity

endorsement and media coverage, the past year has seen a number of fad diets catch media attention:

The 5:2 Diet – this diet involves consuming just 500-600 calories on two days of every week, while

the other five days are reserved for normal eating behaviour. Medically, the diet has been advocated on

the basis that intermittent fasting releases a gene called SIRT1, involved in the repair and maintenance

of cells to promote survival during times of dietary scarcity. Celebrity endorsement from followers

including Beyoncé, Ben Affleck and Philip Schofield has heightened the diet’s popularity.

Furthermore, TV chef and natural and organic food enthusiast Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s

commitment to the diet has reinforced profile among consumers.

The Alkaline Diet – this involves a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that curtails consumption of acid-

forming foods like dairy, pasta, meat and fish. The goal is to keep the body’s pH balance between 7.35

and 7.45. The diet has been heavily advocated by celebrities including Victoria Beckham, Jennifer

Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow and so has received significant media attention.

The M-Plan Diet – This involves eating a mushroom-packed lunch or dinner every day for 14 days,

which reportedly removes bulk fat from problem areas such as thighs and stomach.

However, only 8% of adults who have tried to manage their weight report turning to a popular diet

(Consumer – Actions Take to Manage Weight). Despite their often high profile media coverage, such

diets continue to attract a limited following, perhaps due to the often mixed evidence regarding their

effectiveness or even their overall health credentials.

Weight loss surgery declines in the UK

Liposuction procedures declined by 14% between 2011 and 2012, however fat transfer procedures, on

both women and men, increased by 13%, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic

Surgeons (BAAPS). The overall number of weight loss surgeries, however, looks to have declined in

2012, while demand for anti-ageing procedures soared.

Female weight loss surgery is significantly more prevalent than male surgery, with 2,638 cases of

liposuction recorded for 2012, 2,882 cases of tummy tucks and 2,641 of fat transfer procedures.

However, apart from fat transfers, up 13%, these have reduced sharply since 2011 (liposuction down

14% and tummy tucks down 11%).

Significantly fewer men undergo weight loss surgery, with just 433 procedures of liposuction having

taken place in 2012, down 15% since 2011. Male tummy tucks have reduced by 14% and fat transfers

have increased by 9.5% but still remain a low occurrence at 241 procedures in 2012.

With only some 10,000 people undergoing weight loss surgery annually, such drastic weight loss

measures continue to play a niche role in the wider context of weight loss and management.

Strengths and Weaknesses Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

The UK’s weight problem – Being overweight or obese is the norm in the UK, with 65% of men

and 58% of women recording a BMI above that considered healthy in 2011, according to NHS

data. Projections indicate that obesity is going to get considerably more prevalent over the next

few decades.

Interest in weight management – Over half of adults (65% of women and 44% of men) have

tried to lose weight in the last 12 months, while only one in 10 claim to never think about their

weight, highlighting weight management has become ingrained into British culture.

NPD edges up – New launches in diet food increased in 2012, accounting for 12% of all new food

launches and continuing to increase in 2013. While L/N/R fat claims feature the most on new

products, slimming claims have become more prominent, more than doubling between 2011 and

2012.

Interest in natural sweeteners – Half of consumers would like to see more products using natural

sweeteners (eg stevia) to replace sugar, rising to 58% of those who have tried to lose weight in the

last 12 months, indicating opportunities for diet brands.

Weaknesses

Competition from other weight loss options – Exercise stands out as the most popular method to

slim down or keep trim. Consumers are also more likely to take an abstemious approach to their

diets (eg cutting back on fatty/sugary/high-carb foods and reducing portion sizes) than choose to

eat more diet foods.

Moderation is preferred - Half of weight managers believe that eating all different types of food

in moderation is the best way to stay healthy, and the majority (57%) like to treat themselves to

unhealthy foods. This ties in with the Mintel Inspire trend A Simple Balance for Health which

discusses how consumers are opting for sustainable lifestyle changes over diets.

Concerns over healthiness of diet foods – Some 58% of adults are wary of the

ingredients/sweeteners that go into diet food products, while those who trust diet brands to make

nutritious foods are in the minority (33%).

Men are disengaged with the category – Men are less weight-conscious than women and the

majority have not tried to lose weight (56%) in the last year. Only a fifth of men buy more diet

food when they are watching their figures, compared to three in 10 women.

Price is a barrier – The overriding perception that these products are over-priced (76% of adults –

see Mintel’s Dieting Trends – UK, November 2012 report) is hampering the market, particularly in

value-conscious times.

Adspend continues to slip - Total adpsend in the diet and weight control food market has steadily

declined since 2010, down 2% year on year in 2012 to stand at £34 million.

Who’s Innovating? Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Who’s Innovating?

Key points

The share of NPD in diet food, compared to NPD in all food, has risen following a dip in

2011, accounting for 12.1% of all new food launches in 2012 and continuing to increase in

2013.

While low/no/reduced fat claims feature the most on new products, slimming claims have

become more prominent, their share of all launches more than doubling between 2011 and

2012.

Nearly 20% of all NPD within diet food took place within the ready meals and yogurts

categories, driven by supermarket healthy own-label ready meal launches.

The proportion of new packaging launches of all diet food launches leaped ahead in 2012 as

brands looked to highlight their low calorie and health credentials more clearly on pack and

to dispel perceptions of light food as lacking in taste.

Definition

Mintel GNPD defines low/no/reduced (L/N/R) calorie products as those which are described on-pack

as having ‘a decreased amount of calorie content. Words such as low calorie, light/lite, reduced

calories, calorie-free and diet may signal a reduced calorie amount. Used if there is any reference to a

reduced or no calorie content’. Similar definitions are used for low/no/reduced

carb/fat/glycaemic/sugar claims.

The following section discusses new product launches in the UK food market, as captured by the

GNPD database, which carry these claims.



Diet food NPD sees revival FIGURE 13: TOTAL SHARE OF DIET FOOD PRODUCTS IN ALL NEW FOOD PRODUCT LAUNCHES, JAN 2009 - SEPT 2013

12.5

12.1

11.6

12.1

12.8

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013*

%

* January-September 2013 Note: diet food incorporates products with L/N/R calorie, L/N/R fat, L/N/R sugar, L/N/R glycaemic, L/N/R carb and slimming claims SOURCE: GNPD/MINTEL

Following a dip in 2011, the proportion of food product launches with dieting claims rose to 12.1% in

2012 and has continued to increase during 2013. This represented a notable increase in NPD activity in

the diet arena from Morrisons, Tesco and Asda, as well as from leading diet brand Weight Watchers.

Selected operators’ NPD is discussed in more detail below.



FIGURE 14: SHARE OF SLIMMING, LOW/NO/REDUCED CALORIE AND LOW/NO/REDUCED FAT CLAIMS IN ALL NEW FOOD PRODUCT

LAUNCHES, JAN 2009 - SEPT 2013

2.42.2

1.5 1.61.8

4.13.8

3.3

2.4

3.7

7.8 7.97.6 7.6

7.9

1.01.4

1.6

3.93.6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013*

%

Low/No/Reduced Calorie Low/No/Reduced Sugar Low/No/Reduced Fat Slimming

* January-September 2013 SOURCE: GNPD/MINTEL

The share of new launches with slimming claims more than doubled in 2012 to a still modest 3.9% of

all food product launches - remaining at 3.6% in the first nine months of 2013.

The rising NPD from brands positioned as dieting brands such as Weight Watchers and Kelloggs

Special K fuelled the dramatic increase in slimming claims in 2012. Morrisons also launched its own-

label healthy eating range NuMe in April 2012, causing a significant rise in product launches within

the category.

L/N/R fat products retain a high share of new products, well-placed to appeal to the 42% of consumers

who perceive low fat/fat-free products to be healthy according to Mintel’s consumer research.

Similarly, NPD in L/N/R sugar and calorie products has seen a small increase since 2012. Some 41%

of consumers consider low sugar/sugar-free products to be healthy and 35% hold this association for

low calorie products. These figures are, unsurprisingly, higher among those who have tried to lose

weight within the last year.



Ready meals see most active NPD FIGURE 15: SHARE OF NEW DIET PRODUCT LAUNCHES IN THE UK FOOD MARKET, BY SUB-CATEGORY, JAN 2009 - SEPT 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013* 2009-12

% % % % % % point change

Prepared Meals 9.3 7.5 5.1 10.0 6.8 +0.7 Spoonable Yogurt 4.8 7.9 7.6 9.8 6.9 +5.0 Wet Soup 2.9 3.9 2.5 4.0 2.6 +1.1 Snack/Cereal/Energy Bars 3.7 4.1 4.0 2.8 2.2 -0.9 White Milk 1.0 1.3 3.6 2.7 1.5 +1.6 Drinking Yogurt & Liquid Cultured Milk 1.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 3.0 +1.5 Cold Cereals 3.3 5.2 4.1 2.4 3.0 -0.8 Bread & Bread Products 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.2 +0.3 Cakes, Pastries & Sweet Goods 3.3 2.3 1.4 2.4 2.0 -0.9 Chilled Desserts 0.6 1.8 1.4 2.3 1.8 +1.7 Other 68.1 61.1 65.6 58.7 67.8 -9.3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 * January-September 2013 Note: diet launches are defined as those with L/N/R calorie, L/N/R fat, L/N/R sugar, L/N/R glycaemic, L/N/R carb and slimming claims SOURCE: GNPD/MINTEL

The ready meals and yogurts categories remain the most active in terms of diet NPD, with the

proportion of ready meals with dieting claims almost doubling between 2011 and 2012 to account for

10% of all diet food launches.

Of consumers who note that they do very little cooking and prefer to use prepared dishes, 60% have

tried to lose weight in the last year compared to the average of 55% (see Appendix - Consumer –

Attitudes Towards Weight Loss). This suggests potential for strong demand for ready meals within the

dieting market.

The high level of activity partly reflects the generally high level of NPD in the ready meals sector, this

being the most active sub-category in the food market, and accounting for 6.5% of all launches in

2012. However, the share of prepared meal launches with diet claims leaped ahead in 2012 to 19% of

the segment total.

The rise in ‘light’ ready meal NPD can be attributed largely to launches under own-label ranges such

as Morrisons’ new healthy eating brand NuMe and Sainsbury’s Be Good To Yourself.

Of the brands, one notable launch came from smoothie pioneer Innocent as it expanded its presence in

the chilled ready meals aisle beyond Veg Pots. It launched a line of South East Asian Noodle Pots in

February 2013, tapping into the Asian street food trend. Looking to appeal to health-conscious diners,

the meals contain under 300 calories, two portions of vegetables, and are low in fat.

This follows on from the launch of Premier Foods’ Batchelors Deli Box in 2012, targeting women

with a healthy pot snack option, as the brand has looked to expand its audience. These highlight

having 75% less fat than a Pot Noodle, the market leading instant pot snack, and free from artificial

colourings and preservatives.



…followed by spoonable yogurt and soup

Spoonable yogurt has also seen a rise in share of diet food launches. The sub-category’s share of all

food and drink launches has remained steady over the period, at around 2%. However, the launch of

diet products in the category rose sharply in 2012, accounting for more than half of the total, giving the

category a high share of all diet launches.

Danone fuelled much of the leap ahead in diet launches in 2012, expanding its Activia range with new

variants and revamping its Shape fat-free yogurt range under the Shape Delights name used by the

brand’s dessert range. The activity under Morrisons’ revamped own-brand ranges, including NuMe,

and M&S’ Eat Well and Count on Us also propped up launches.

Yeo Valley launched its 0% Fat range in 2012. As well as building upon this with new variants, the

brand also extended the 0% Fat offering with its Noughty range in June 2013. The Noughty range

comprises single-serve pots which contain fat-free natural yogurt, topped with a layer of fruit compote

in four flavours: Raspberry & Vanilla, Blueberry & Blackcurrant, Fig & Honey and Mango, Lime &

Lemongrass, as the brand looks to position the product as healthy yet indulgent. Other brands that

contributed to the increase in diet NPD in yogurt include Activia and FAGE Total 0%.

While soup accounts for only around 2% of all new food launches, nearly one in four new launches in

the category feature diet claims, seeing it overindex in this area. Soup NPD within the diet market has

revolved around own-label launches, most notably from Tesco Light Choices and Waitrose Love Life

in 2012, and The Co-op, including its revamped healthy eating range Good Life, in 2013.

Mintel’s Soup – UK, April 2013 report found that promoting satiety within lower calorie and healthy

soup was an underexplored area. Heinz’s BIG soup range tries to tap into this market by offering

filling and wholesome meals whilst continuing to position itself as a healthy option through its low fat

claims. The brand extended its range with variants such as Lancashire Lamb Hotpot and Steak &

Potato with HP Sauce in July 2013.



Own-label continues NPD growth into 2013 FIGURE 16: NEW DIET PRODUCT LAUNCHES IN THE UK FOOD MARKET, OWN-LABEL VS BRANDED, JAN 2009 - SEPT 2013

69.8 73.363.3 62.9 62.3

30.2 26.736.7 37.1 37.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013*

%

Branded Own-label

* January-September 2013 Note: diet launches are those with L/N/R calorie, L/N/R fat, L/N/R sugar, L/N/R glycaemic, L/N/R carb and slimming claims SOURCE: GNPD/MINTEL

Own-label gained share sharply in diet NPD in 2011, maintaining its share since, with recent activity

fuelled by the likes of Morrisons, Tesco and Asda.

Morrisons’ healthy eating own-label NuMe was launched in 2012 and has been expanding since. The

range features products with lower calories, salt and fat than the standard range, with iconography of

calorie content and five-a-day portions aiming to make it easier for shoppers to navigate a purchasing

decision. The range, which replaced Eat Smart, spans 315 products across various product categories.



Recent launches include Low Fat Bakewell Cake Slices, launched in Summer 2013, with 98 calories

and said to contain 3 ProPoints per slice, as the range looks to compete as a lower priced alternative to

Weight Watchers’ Bakewell Slices. Similarly NuMe Apple Crisps, launched in October 2012, aimed

to tap into the ‘Weight Watcher’ audience, with a 2 ProPoints label on its packaging.

This follows in the footsteps of both Tesco and Sainsbury’s, which include ProPoint scores on their

Light Choices and Be Good To Yourself ranges respectively.

The Co-operative replaced its Healthier Choice and Naturally Healthy lines with a new range, Good

Life, in April 2013. The healthy ready meals, prepared fruit and food-to-go were relaunched under the

new label with packaging that features nutritional information on front of pack. For example the

spinach & ricotta cannelloni highlights its 300 kcal, less than 3% fat and one of the five-a-day in pink

and green circles.

Other dieting product launches have come from M&S under brands such as Simply Fuller Longer and

Eat Well, and Asda’s extension into low calorie products under its Chosen by You own-label in 2012.

The Waitrose LOVE life you count... range was launched at the beginning of 2012 as an extension of

the healthy LOVE life own-label range. The range offers lower fat and calorie controlled meals and

snacks. Incorporating new packaging design featuring vibrant colours and large calorie count numbers

– similar to those later introduced by Co-ops Good Life brand - the range focuses on highlighting the

low calorie count on pack very clearly.

A quarter of weight managers report that they always check the nutritional information on food before

buying it (see Consumer – Attitudes Towards Diet and Healthy Eating), suggesting that information

which clearly stands out on pack will be advantageous.



Also food which is low in calories ranks higher than food which is labelled as ‘diet’ in terms of what

consumers consider as healthy (see Consumer - Types of Products Considered to be Healthy),

therefore putting the calorie information on the front of packaging should help to build trust in their

‘light’ proposition.

Weight Watchers and Morrisons account for nearly 20% of NPD FIGURE 17: SHARE OF TOP 15 BRANDS IN NEW DIET PRODUCT LAUNCHES WITHIN THE UK FOOD MARKET, JAN 2009 - SEPT

2013 Company Brand 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013* 2009-12

% % % % % % point change

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers 5.2 4.6 5.2 10.0 2.8 +4.8

Morrisons M NuMe - - - 8.1 5.7 +8.1 Tesco Tesco Light Choices... 2.7 4.3 1.9 2.4 1.6 -0.2 Asda Asda Chosen by You Reduced

Calorie - - - 1.8 0.5 +1.8

Tesco Tesco 1.3 2.0 1.8 1.8 2.0 +0.5 Waitrose Waitrose Love Life You Count... - - - 1.6 0.9 +1.6 Danone Danone Shape Delights - 0.2 - 1.5 - +1.5 Sainsbury's Sainsbury's Be Good To Yourself 1.4 3.7 2.2 1.5 0.9 +0.1 Asda Asda Good For You 1.3 0.8 0.8 1.2 - -0.1 Asda Asda Chosen by You - 0.9 1.4 1.1 2.0 +1.1 Kellogg's Kellogg's Special K 0.4 0.1 0.5 1.1 0.9 +0.7 Marlow Foods Quorn 1.8 1.3 0.7 1.1 1.4 -0.7 Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer Count On Us... 0.8 1.0 1.5 1.0 1.1 +0.2

The Co-Op The Co-Operative - 0.2 0.5 1.0 1.0 +1.0 Sainsbury's Sainsbury's 0.1 1.7 1.4 0.7 1.1 +0.6 Other 85.2 79.2 82.0 64.3 78.3 -21.0 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

* January-September 2013 Based on top 15 brands in 2012 Note: Diet launches are those with L/N/R calorie, L/N/R fat, L/N/R sugar, L/N/R glycaemic, L/N/R carb and slimming claims SOURCE: GNPD/MINTEL

Despite the growing share of own-label products in diet food NPD, brands such as Weight Watchers,

Danone, Kellogg’s and Marlow Foods (Quorn) account for the larger share of NPD.

In 2012 Weight Watchers underwent a major packaging revamp. Launched in April 2012 the new

design was used throughout the range across 40 food categories and 250 products. The new vibrant

shade of blue aimed to increase shelf stand out and become instantly recognisable.

Danone also channelled much of its dieting NPD through its Shape Delights range of yogurts and

desserts, as well as through its Activia and Danio Greek yogurt brands (the latter launched in January

2013).



Four packaged hams, including Wafer Thin Roast Ham and Honey Roast Ham, were added to the

Tesco Light Choices… range in September 2013. The products all contain 30% less fat than the

equivalent Tesco Standard products and display the calorie content on-pack, in line with the rest of the

range.

New packaging attracts growing activity FIGURE 18: LAUNCHES IN THE DIET FOOD MARKET, BY LAUNCH TYPE, JAN 2009- SEPT 2013

6.1 9.7 5.9 5.6 4.6

13.3

19.420.5

26.920.1

35.0

32.0 40.0 30.9

28.4

45.238.5 31.9

33.9

40.0

0.5 0.4 1.7 2.76.9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013*

%

New Formulation New Packaging New Product New Variety/Range Extension Relaunch

* January-September 2013 SOURCE: GNPD/MINTEL



New packaging launches accounted for 27% of all new product launches in the dieting market in 2012.

The Co-op’s revamped Good Life line saw the introduction of clearer calorie information compared to

its former Healthier Choice brand (see below). Morrisons’ new NuMe range was similarly positioned

as designed to make it easier for shoppers to take in various key nutrition information at a glance

thanks to the use of front of pack visuals.

Nutritional information on products is becoming increasingly prominent on healthy eating ranges, also

seen in Waitrose’s Love Life You Count… range. The new packaging of these various ranges should

resonate with the 61% of consumers who would like to see clearer nutritional information on dieting

products to differentiate them from standard products.

Meanwhile, many recent packaging revamps have centred on looking to dispel perceptions of ‘light’ or

‘diet’ food as lacking in flavour, with operators often looking to vibrant colours or more appealing

imagery on-pack. Weight Watchers for example revamped its packaging design in 2012 with the aim

of creating a more ‘vibrant and appetising’ look, while the redesign of Danone’s Shape yogurt range

was said to hope to help overcome shoppers’ ‘preconceptions that low fat meant low taste’.

Market Size and Forecast Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Market Size and Forecast

Key points

The UK diet and weight control foods have seen modest value growth of 7% between 2008

and 2013 to £1,755 million. However, this has been driven solely by rising prices and when

the effects of inflation are removed, this equates to a decline of 14%.

This highlights that the market is failing to capitalise on the large numbers of dieters in the

UK, reflecting a number of negative connotations related to diet food products and

consumers preferring other means of weight loss.

Mintel expects value growth to pick up from 2013 onwards, with the market predicted to

grow by 12% to £1,974 million between 2013 and 2018, however this will continue to be

driven by inflationary pressures.

Sluggish value growth follows a dip in 2012 FIGURE 19: UK RETAIL VALUE SALES FOR SELECTED DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOODS, 2008-18 Total Index % £m at Index %

£m annual change 2013 prices annual change

2008 1,643 94 n/a 2,043 116 n/a 2009 1,662 95 +1.2 1,962 112 -3.9 2010 1,702 97 +2.4 1,948 111 -0.7 2011 1,738 99 +2.1 1,878 107 -3.6 2012 1,724 98 -0.8 1,804 103 -4.0 2013 (est) 1,755 100 +1.8 1,755 100 -2.7

2014 (fore) 1,790 102 +2.0 1,722 98 -1.9 2015 (fore) 1,831 104 +2.3 1,689 96 -1.9 2016 (fore) 1,876 107 +2.5 1,663 95 -1.6 2017 (fore) 1,925 110 +2.6 1,637 93 -1.6 2018 (fore) 1,974 112 +2.5 1,612 92 -1.5 SOURCE: BASED ON INFORMATION RESOURCES, INC/MINTEL

Sales of diet and weight control foods are struggling, which is at odds with the rising levels of obesity

and the huge consumer interest in losing weight. The value of the market has grown by a moderate 7%

to £1,775 million over 2008-13. However this has been driven by rising prices and corresponds to a

decline of 14% at constant 2013 prices.

That sales recovered in 2013 following the 2012 dip is largely thanks to the robust growth in biscuits

and yogurts. The healthy biscuits category includes breakfast biscuits and cereal bars, the growing

levels of branded activity in supporting sales growth the former. Similarly in yogurts, NPD in areas

like low-fat and fat-free Greek yogurts look to have contributed to the robust growth.

A number of negative perceptions towards diet food products are hampering growth in the market.

These include worries about the ingredients/artificial sweeteners which go into these foods, doubts

over significant differences in calories between these and their standard alternatives, the perception of

small serving sizes and distrust that diet brands provide nutritious food (see Consumer – Attitudes

Towards Diet Foods).

Furthermore, the widespread attitude that these products are overpriced is also a significant challenge

for the market, particularly while the squeeze on consumers’ real incomes prevails.



This sees consumers turn to the many other methods of weight management at their disposal over

buying diet food, the most popular of these being to exercise more. However, consumers are also more

inclined to simply eat smaller portions and cut back on certain types of food, perhaps these being

viewed as simpler – and more cost-effective – ways of slimming down.

Indeed, only a quarter of weight managers eat more products labelled as low in sugar/fat/calories when

watching their figures (see Consumer – Actions Taken to Manage Weight).

The Department of Health’s Public Health Responsibility Deal initiative to cut 5 billion calories off the

UK’s daily diet by 2020, has seen increased NPD activity in this market. Supermarkets in particular

have expanded their own-label ‘light’ ranges in 2012 and 2013. This is positive news for the market,

although as the standard ranges’ health credentials improve too, this blurs the line and heats up the

competition faced by the specialist variants.

The future of the market FIGURE 20: UK RETAIL VALUE SALES FOR SELECTED DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOODS, 2008-18

(£m)

1,755

Best case (£m)2,212

Worst case (£m)

1,736

Mintel forecast (£m)1,974

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Market

valu

e (

£m

)

95%

Confidence intervals

90%

70%

50%

Actual Forecast

Est.

0


The value of the diet and weight control foods market is expected to increase by 12% between 2013

and 2018 to £1,974 million, indicating that the retail landscape is set to remain a challenging one for

operators in this arena.

However, growth is set to be driven by inflation, and in real terms this corresponds to a decline of 8%

– but still reflects an improvement on the last five year period.

The anticipated growth in consumer spending of 13% over the next five years (at constant 2013 prices)

should support growth of this market. However, even as consumers start to spend less cautiously, the

impact this has on sales is likely to be limited by the high levels of scepticism towards these products.



Growth in key age groups has the potential to work to the advantage of the market. 25-34s are most

likely to have tried to lose weight in the last 12 months, and over-55s - the most health- and diet-

conscious consumers – are most inclined to try to maintain their current weight. The number of 25-34-

year-olds is set to grow by 8% between 2013 and 2018 to account for 14% of the population, while

over-55s are set to increase in number by 9%. This makes these age groups increasingly important for

diet brands to target.

However, over-55s harbour the most concerns about diet food in terms of the ingredients they contain.

Therefore unlocking their sizeable value in this market is likely to rely on brands winning their trust,

for example by focusing on other factors this age group considers important (eg contributing to their

recommended five-a-day) or moving towards more natural formulations.

Factors used in the forecast

Mintel has produced this forecast based on an advanced statistical technique known as ‘multivariate

time series auto-regression’ using the statistical software package SPSS.

The model is based on historical market size data taken from Mintel’s own market size database

supplemented by macro- and socio-economic data sourced from leading organizations (eg Office for

National Statistics, HM Treasury and Bank of England). Since August 2013, in a joint agreement,

Mintel has been using the continually updated databank from the respected economic and political

analysts, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), to allow more timely and creditable forecasts. The

model searches for relationships between actual market sizes and a selection of key economic and

demographic determinants (independent variables) in order to identify those predictors having the

most influence on the market.

The GDP predictor variable was used to forecast sales of the selected diet and weight control food

market.

Next to historical market sizes and a current year estimate, the fan chart illustrates the probability of

various outcomes for the market value of selected diet and weight control foods over the next five

years.

The future uncertainty within this market is illustrated by the coloured bands around the five year

forecast. The widening bands successively show the developments that occur within 95%, 90%, 70%

and 50% probability intervals. Statistical processes predict the central forecast to fall within the darker

shaded area which illustrates 50% probability, ie a five in 10 chance.

At a 95% confidence interval, we are saying that 95 out of 100 times, the forecast will fall within these

outer limits, which we call the best and worst case forecast as these, based on the statistically driven

forecast, are the highest (best case) and lowest (worst case) market sizes the market is expected to

achieve.

The best- and worst-case forecasts take the value of the market from an expected £1,755million in

2013 to as high as £2,212 million (best case) or as low as £1,736 million (worst case) in 2018. Based

on our consumer research and the challenges the selected diet and weight control market continues to

face, however, Mintel expects the selected diet and weight control food market to grow to a total of

£1,974 million in 2018.

Segment Performance Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Segment Performance

Key points

Biscuits (which include cereal bars) account for a third of the identified diet and weight

control food sales, making this the leading sector in the market. This is followed by yogurt,

which captures 29% of spend on these products.

Both biscuits and yogurts have been strong performing sectors, with annual growth rates for

2013 forecast to be 7% and 12% respectively. While the growth of the biscuit bar market has

supported sales of biscuits, the NPD in zero fat variants has contributed to growth in yogurt.

Chilled and frozen ready meals have suffered the most significant declines over the last five

years, with sales continuing to fall sharply in 2013, indicating that healthier varieties are

failing to resonate with diet-conscious consumers.

Biscuits account for a third of the market FIGURE 21: UK RETAIL VALUE SALES OF SELECTED DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOODS, BY SECTOR, 2013 (EST)

Biscuits31%

Yogurt29%

Yellow Fats11%

Breakfast cereals5%

Salad Dressing6%

Bread6%

Chilled ready meals4%

Artificial Sweeteners3%

Frozen ready meals3%

Ice Cream2%




FIGURE 22: UK RETAIL VALUE SALES OF SELECTED DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOODS, BY SECTOR, 2008-13 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 (est) Change

2008-13

£m £m £m £m £m £m %

Biscuits 420 432 452 473 508 544 +30 Yogurt 429 408 433 441 450 504 +17 Yellow Fats 231 238 218 225 212 189 -18 Breakfast cereals 102 110 120 117 107 98 -4 Salad Dressing 88 90 100 103 105 102 +16 Bread 77 79 81 94 98 102 +32 Chilled ready meals 119 123 119 109 82 66 -45 Artificial Sweeteners 62 63 64 63 63 60 -3 Frozen ready meals 79 83 78 78 63 50 -37 Ice Cream 36 36 37 35 36 40 +11 Total of above 1,,643 1,662 1,702 1,738 1,724 1,755 +7 SOURCE: BASED ON INFORMATION RESOURCES, INC/MINTEL

Biscuits (which include cereal bars and breakfast biscuits) are the largest sector within the identified

diet and weight control food market; at an estimated value of £544 million, the segment accounts for a

third of the total spend on these products. This has been one of the strongest performing segments over

the last five years, with annual growth of 7% forecast for 2013 to £544 million.

Healthier sweet biscuits grew by 5% between 2011 and 2012 to £98 million, outperforming the wider

segment. However they only hold a 6% share of the total sweet biscuit market, as, despite health

concerns, low calories rank low as a choice factor (see Mintel’s Biscuits, Cookies and Crackers – UK,

March 2013 report).

Breakfast biscuits have been a strong driver of growth in the healthier biscuit segment since their

emergence into the market in 2010. The first mover into this market, Belvita reached sales of £53

million in 2012, charting an annual increase of 77%.

The segment has since then seen a raft of other entrants such as Quaker Oats, Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain

and selected own-brands, among others. The NPD and subsequent marketing support have helped to

maintain visibility of the segment among consumers.

Strong performances came from Nature Valley, Kellogg’s Special K and Eat Natural in the cereal bar

market in 2012, while other brands in the Kellogg’s portfolio (including Rice Krispies Squares and

Nutri-Grain), Alpen and Jordans all saw value sales fall year on year.

Strong growth in low-fat yogurt in 2013

The low fat yogurt market has grown steadily since 2009, with these products already benefiting from

a healthy image; the large majority (80%) of users deem yogurts to be a good guilt-free snack (see

Mintel’s Yogurt and Desserts – UK, July 2013 report).

As such, low-sugar/sugar-free and reduced calorie claims hold a significant amount of sway in

consumers’ purchasing decisions, particularly among women, with 32% and 30% noting these as

choice factors respectively. However that this is not higher is likely to relate to the health ‘halo’ that

these products already carry, perhaps leading people to not look for healthy variants in particular.

2013 is expected to be a particularly strong year for ‘diet’ yogurts, with annual growth of 12% forecast

to £504 million.



This growth has been driven by a strong performance within the very low fat yogurt segment, which

has been boosted by innovation in zero-fat options. For example, organic brand Yeo Valley hoped to

carve itself a bigger share of this market in 2013 with the launch of a single-serve yogurt range called

Noughty, and expanding its fat-free big yogurt pots with new flavour variants. Rival organic brand

Rachels has also continued to expand its L/N/R fat options in 2013.

Danone has also been active in low fat yogurt NPD, for example it launched the Danio Greek yogurt

brand, positioned at the premium end of the market, at the beginning of 2013.

Sales continue to slump in the diet ready meals market

Healthy variants of chilled and frozen ready meals have seen the largest decline in sales over the 2008-

13 period of 45% and 37% respectively, with annual declines of approximately a fifth expected in

2013.

Meanwhile sales of standard and premium ready meals/ready to cook foods have experienced strong

growth in recent years, rising by 32% and 50% respectively between 2010 and 2012 (see Mintel’s

Prepared Meals – UK, May 2013 report).

This suggests that consumers may have switched from healthy ready meals to standard or premium

products. This may reflect manufacturers’ efforts to reformulate standard varieties to make them

healthier, or that consumers are attracted to the superior quality positioning of premium products and

have traded up – perhaps in a bid to recreate the restaurant experience at home.

It also indicates that the healthier varieties are not resonating with diet-conscious consumers, which

may reflect the negative health perceptions of the sector overall, in terms of their high levels of salt/fat

and additives. Indeed, a third of ready meal buyers limit the amount they buy because they are not

healthy (see Mintel’s Prepared Meals – UK, May 2013 report), signalling the need for manufacturers

to continue to develop healthier varieties to cater for this considerable pool of interest.

Therefore traditional diet meals may also be losing out to other categories, such as soup, as naturally

lighter choices.

However, slumping sales cannot be attributed to a lack of innovation. In fact product launches of diet

prepared meals increased noticeably in 2012, owing to high levels of own-label NPD activity,

particularly from Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and M&S (see Who’s Innovating). This indicates that the

supermarkets are continuing to strive to overturn the reputation of ready meals as unhealthy, and to

develop their offering as part of their commitment to the Responsibility Deal (see Market Drivers).

While Weight Watchers is the leading brand in both the frozen and chilled ready meals sectors, value

sales have fallen by 27% and 9% respectively in the year to March 2013 (see Mintel’s Prepared Meals

– UK, May 2013 report), failing to keep pace with the growth demonstrated by own-label.

Stevia brands fail to boost the artificial sweeteners sector

Artificial sweeteners continue to play a minor role in the sugar and sweeteners segment, accounting for

only 15% of sales (see Mintel’s Home Baking – UK, August 2013 report). The small size of the

segment seems to in part reflect concerns about sweeteners as artificial and ‘bad’ for health.



The arrival of the Truvia and Pure Via brands in 2012 using the naturally derived sweetener stevia, has

so far failed to boost sales within the sweetener category and value sales are expected to drop in 2013.

Indeed, US sweetener giant has axed its Pure Via brand from the UK following disappointing sales in

September 2013.

However, that is not to say that stevia has failed to gain widespread acceptance, indeed half of adults

would like to see more products using natural sweeteners (eg stevia) to replace sugar, rising to 58%

among weight managers (see Consumer – Attitudes Towards Diet Foods). However, the success of

these is likely to lie in whether brands can deliver on taste when incorporating these products into their

recipes.

The decline in slimming aids halts in 2013 FIGURE 23: TOTAL RETAIL VALUE SALES OF SLIMMING AIDS*, 2008-13

7377

81

6965 65

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 (est)

£ m

illio

n


Valued at an estimated £65 million in 2013, the slimming aids market remains meagre in size

compared to the diet food market. It posted steady growth of 11% between 2008 and 2010, but sales

have since declined by 20%.

This downturn in the market came as the UK was in the midst of a recession, with the squeeze on real

incomes likely to have seen dieters switch to more affordable weight loss measures, such as exercising

more and cutting back on certain types of food.

Only 4% of consumers who have tried to lose or manage their weight in the last 12 months have used

appetite controllers/slimming aids (eg Alli, Appesat), highlighting their niche appeal.



While the appeal of a ‘quick fix’ solution in the form of a pill is likely to be appealing in theory,

consumer resistance to these is likely to reflect their doubts over their effectiveness and possible health

concerns related to their arguably artificial image.

Companies and Products Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Companies and Products The following section profiles a selection of operators in the dieting/healthy eating market. It is not

intended as a comprehensive list. Select leading grocers’ own-brand diet offering is discussed, for full

discussion of their operations, readers are referred to Mintel’s Food and Drink Retailing – UK, March

2013 report.

FIGURE 24: PROFILED COMPANIES AND THEIR BRANDS WITHIN THE DIETING/HEALTHY EATING MARKET Company Brand

Weight Watchers Weight Watchers Unilever Slim-Fast Kellogg's Special K Diomed Developments Adios Natures Remedies Zotrim Fibretrim Tesco Light Choices Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself Asda Good For You Morrisons NuMe Marks & Spencer Simply Fuller for Longer Count on Us Delicious & Nutritious Eat Well SOURCE: COMPANY INFORMATION

Weight Watchers

www.heinz.co.uk

www.weightwatchers.co.uk

Company overview

Weight Watchers International was founded in America in 1963 and introduced to the UK in 1967.

The company owns the Weight Watchers brand, a leading provider of weight management products

and services.

Weight Watchers International reports that an estimated 50,000 meetings take place each week in

countries all over the world.

The Weight Watchers branded food and drink products are made under licence by a number of

manufacturers, including Heinz, Aimia Foods and Vimto Soft Drinks.

Diet plan

The Weight Watchers ProPoints plan is a system designed to ‘control their weight in a world where

temptation is everywhere you turn’. ProPoints are values assigned to all food and drink based on the

amount of protein, carbohydrate, fat and fibre that they contain per portion, and are featured on all

products sold under the Weight Watchers brand.

Weight Watchers meetings are positioned as a form of face-to-face support. The weekly group

meetings are run by former Weight Watchers members who have succeeded in losing weight through

the programme.



Weight Watchers Online is positioned as providing users with extra support in between meetings, such

as online communities, weight loss tools that track food intake and weight, and the ProPoints plan.

Weight Watchers’ website also provides comprehensive information about weight loss and dieting,

including advice on fitness and health, as well as recipe ideas and success stories.

Weight Watchers also offers a purely online-based programme, Weight Watchers at Home, for those

choosing not to attend meetings.

Product range

The Weight Watchers from Heinz brand comprises a number of food products across a range of

categories, including ready meals, canned food and desserts, all under the Weight Watchers ProPoints

plan.

Aimia Foods manufactures Weight Watchers hot drinks. The range includes Hot Chocolate drinks in

220g jars and 11g individual single-serve sticks in Chocolate, Chocolate Caramel and Chocolate Mint.

Weight Watchers partnered with Vimto at the end of 2011 to launch a nine-strong range of cordials,

ready-to-drink fruit drinks and lemonade.

Finsbury Food Group manufactures a range of low-calorie cake slices, mini rolls, cake bars and mini

classics for Weight Watchers. Other Weight Watchers products include sandwiches, meat and fish

products, biscuits and cookies, dairy products, soups, baked beans and spaghetti, wine, savoury snacks,

home baking products, pizza and quiche, and cooking sauces.

Innovation

Finsbury Foods relaunched the Weight Watchers cake slices it produces under licence in a snap-pack

format in August 2013. The new packaging is positioned as aiding portion control by allowing

customers to snap off one cake without opening the rest. The range comprises seven flavours.

Also in August 2013, Weight Watchers introduced new Coleslaw products into Asda stores. Crunchy

White Cabbage and Shredded Carrot is available in two sizes; a 300g pot and a 3x80g ‘stacker pot’,

which the brand claims to be ideal for portion control.

Weight Watchers introduced new soft crumpets to Tesco stores in May 2013. This follows the launch

of Weight Watchers sultana scones at Asda and Morrisons stores in March 2013.

May 2013 also saw the launch of four new chilled prepared meals to the Weight Watchers range.

Following a trend towards street food-inspired flavouring, they included Lamb Moussaka, Select

Three Bean Chilli with Basmati and Brown Rice, Select Moroccan Chicken Tagine (10 ProPoints) as

well as Spaghetti Carbonara..

New to its on-the-go lunchtime offering, Weight Watchers launched two new wraps in May 2013 into

Asda stores: Mediterranean Style Tuna Wrap and BBQ Chicken Wrap.

Weight Watchers introduced its first UK-endorsed, lower alcohol wine range in partnership with

McWilliam’s Wines in March 2013. The range includes Semillon Sauvignon and Shiraz varieties from

Austria, while EsseNZe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is from New Zealand. The wines launched into

Sainsbury’s stores.



Heinz expanded its Squeeze & Stir soup range with three Weight Watchers lines – Vegetable, Tomato

and Red Thai Chicken - in January 2013. The 70g single-serving packs contain no artificial colours,

flavours, preservatives or MSG.

Advertising and promotion

Weight Watchers launched its first TV ad campaign for its food range in six years in May 2013. The

£1.25 million campaign featured two ads that aired for six weeks and showcased two products – a piri

piri ready meal and a ‘Greek-style’ fromage frais. The ads looked to draw attention to how the foods

deliver on taste, despite their low fat or low calorie credentials.

Vimto Soft Drinks launched a national consumer campaign for its Weight Watchers drinks in

December 2012. The campaign included advertising in the bumper February issue of Weight Watchers

magazine, supported by a coupon promotion offering 50p off any product from the Weight Watchers

Soft Drinks range. Additional support also included a national sampling campaign targeting office

workers in selected city centre locations.

Apart from the ad campaigns specifically for its food and drink ranges, Weight Watchers has

continued to support the umbrella brand with marketing. Its 2013 campaign featured the Masterchef

TV-show chef Gregg Wallace, actor Patsy Kensit and journalist Penny Haslam as the brand

ambassadors.

Slim-Fast

www.slimfast.co.uk

www.unilever.co.uk

Slim-Fast offers a range of snacks, meal bars, bottled shakes, and powder shakes and sachets as part of

its weight loss 3.2.1 plan.

Founded in 1990, Slim-Fast was bought by Unilever in 2000 and has since become a mainstream

weight loss brand.

Diet plan

The Slim-Fast 3.2.1 plan is a low-calorie meal replacement plan. It targets people with a BMI of 25 or

over.

The diet recommends three snacks a day from the brand’s range of snacks, two meal replacement

shakes or bars (also available from the brand) and one regular meal (600 calories) from a list of recipes

from Slim-Fast’s website.

The website offers support in the form of advice, articles and group sharing forums for those

undertaking the plan. Users can also create a profile in order to record their personalised diet plan and

progress.

Product range

Slim-Fast’s product portfolio comprises a range of snacks, meal bars, bottled shakes, and shake

powders and sachets. These are available in a range of variants and flavours such as Chocolate Crunch

Meal Bar or Sour Cream and Chive Flavour Pretzels Snack Bag.

The six-strong snack range comprises snack bags and snack bars, each of which contains 95 calories.



The meal bars (210 calories), shakes (220 calories) and powders (230 calories), which act as meal

replacements, provide protein, fibre, essential fatty acids and a third of the recommended daily

amounts of the 22 vitamins and minerals required by the body.

Recent activity

Slim-Fast’s meal replacement bars were revamped and reformulated in July 2013. The packaging now

features a ‘New and Improved’ label.

The brand launched a Get What You Really Want campaign in April 2013, encouraging women to tell

the truth about why they want to lose weight. The campaign featured print advertising in magazines

such as Cosmopolitan and Star, as well as digital advertising comprising three videos across online

platforms including Marie Claire, Glamour and Elle.

Kellogg’s

www.kelloggs.co.uk

www.myspecialk.co.uk

US-based multinational food manufacturer Kellogg’s was founded in 1906. The company’s most well-

known brand Corn Flakes was introduced in the UK in 1922 and the company began expanding its

portfolio in the 1950s.

The company now manufactures a wide range of cereal brands which include 40 cereal products, sold

in 180 countries globally. Some of its most recognisable brands include Frosties, Coco Pops, Crunchy

Nut and Bran Flakes. Its Special K brand, targets the low-calorie or diet segment of the market.

Diet plan

The myspecialk.co.uk website was relaunched in January 2012, and now provides a free slimming

guide, advice and support.

Myspecialk.co.uk offers various weight management plans to follow including an Event Plan, a Goal

Weight Plan and a Maintenance Plan, using information provided by the user. The plan will be

personalised and includes a day-to-day breakdown of recommended meals, some of which feature

Special K, as well as a food diary and expert advice.

The site also provides users with access to beauty, fashion and wellbeing content, in addition to

discussion forums. Users can also track their plans and progress using a smartphone app, featuring

recipes, articles and places to eat out.

Product range and innovation

Kellogg’s offers a number of cereal and snack products under the Special K brand.

Special K cereals are available in a range of variants including Original, Red Berries, Chocolate &

Strawberry, Fruit & Nut, Creamy Berry Crunch, Peach & Apricot and Yoghurt. In addition to this the

brand offers a cereal clusters Oats & Honey variant.

Kellogg’s altered the recipe of the Special K cereal in April 2013, adding barley to the ingredients as

well as making the cereal with wholegrain wheat rather than plain. The company sparked considerable

consumer complaints however, with consumers saying the cereal was now too sugary and harder.

Kellogg’s responded by assuring consumers the sugar levels remained at 17%, however some is now

added to the outside of the flakes to give it an extra ‘crunch’.



Kellogg’s expanded the Special K brand into the porridge category in August 2013. Special K

Multigrain Porridge is made of oats, barley and rye and fortified with seven vitamins and iron.

Kellogg’s claims the porridge contains 30% less fat than others in the market. The product is available

in three flavours – Original, Red Berries and Almond & Honey, and comes in instant pots and six or

seven-sachet packs.

Special K also offers a variety of calorie-controlled cereal-based snacks, including Chewy bars (high-

fibre cereal bars), Mini Breaks (bagged biscuit bites) and Biscuit Moments (biscuit bars), each in a

variety of flavours. As of September 2012 the brand is also present in the salty snacks market with a

range of Special K Cracker Crisps.

Advertising and promotion

To support the launch of Special K Multigrain Porridge in August 2013, Kellogg’s launched a £5

million promotional campaign. The campaign involved TV advertising as well as sampling across the

UK.

Kellogg’s spoofed Aldi’s award-winning ‘Like Brands’ campaign in June 2013 in a viral video push

for its new Special K recipe. The ad aimed to highlight that Special K stands out against ‘copycat’

own-label products. The YouTube video featured actor David O’Riordan comparing Aldi’s own-label

Benefit low-fat cereal with Special K.

Kellogg’s launched a virtual store for its Special K brand in November 2012 in partnership with all the

main UK supermarkets in order to enhance both online and offline sales. The Special K Snack Store,

which ran until the end of 2012, provided customers with product information as well as stock

availability, price and promotional offers across Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and Ocado.

In 2012 Kellogg’s opened a temporary ‘tweet shop’ for its Special K Cracker Crisps to promote

Special K’s move into the salty snacks market. The concept allowed customers to pay by

recommending the product to their online friends and followers instead of by cash. The shop opened in

London’s Meard Street in Soho for a week in September.

Adios

www.adiosdiet.co.uk

Adios is owned by Diomed Developments and is positioned as a herbal slimming brand for adults, said

to speed up weight loss by increasing the rate at which food is converted into energy.

Diet plan

Consumers are advised to combine Adios products with a calorie-controlled diet and exercise plan to

see results. The website features a ‘Slimming Tips’ section, which advises consumers on healthy

eating through suggested recipes, exercise tips, style tips and weight loss tools.

The website also features a ‘My Adios’ members’ area for users to track their progress, find out their

body shape and create an on-screen body double.

Product range

Adios is available in two tablet variants and one meal replacement shake.

Adios tablets, launched in 2001, are positioned as a traditional herbal medicinal product containing a

mixture of Butternut Bark, Dandelion Root, dry extract of Boldo Leaf and dry extract of Fucus, which

are used to aid slimming.



Adios Max tablets were launched in 2008 and contain a higher concentration of the single active

ingredient Fucus.

Adios Quick Slim is a strawberry-flavoured meal replacement shake containing 203 calories. Adios

suggests swapping two meals a day with Adios Quick Slim shakes alongside an energy-restricted diet.

The shakes require 200ml of cold skimmed milk.

Natures Remedies

www.naturesremedies.co.uk

www.zotrim.com

Natures Remedies was founded in 1999 and its products are said to focus on helping customers to

achieve successful and long lasting weight management. This is applied through food ingredients, and

in food supplement products.

As well as being available to purchase from food and health and beauty retailers in the UK, Natures

Remedies’ products are also distributed worldwide through the Zotrim website.

Product range

The group’s brands include Zotrim and Fibretrim.

Zotrim tablets, which were launched in 2000, contain extracts of three South American plants and are

said to aid weight loss, when taken before meals, through controlling hunger and boosting satiety – the

feeling of fullness. Zotrim is also said to help users to feel more active, which leads to more calories

being burnt off.

Fibretrim is a plant based, high fibre drink mix and weight loss aid that contains the Zotrim formula.

Fibretrim incorporates the dietary fibre insulin and also contains vitamin C and antioxidants and has a

prebiotic action.

Tesco

www.tesco.com

Tesco offers a wide range of own-brand products positioned as diet or light.

Its own-label Light Choices range offers a variety of products that contain either less than 3% fat or

30% less fat than a comparable Tesco product. The range spans across categories such as yogurts,

desserts, bakery products, ready meals, soups, sandwiches and salads, among others.

The Tesco Diets website, www.tescodiets.com, was launched in 2004 and is operated by Tesco Ireland

Limited but available to customers in Ireland and the UK. The site provides personalised healthy diet

plans, fitness plans and expert support to assist customers through the dieting process. The Tesco Light

Choices Diet Plan helps consumers with food plans including three meals a day and snacks.



Sainsbury’s

www.sainsburys.co.uk

Originally launched in 2000, Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself range was relaunched in 2010 with new

and improved products. The range comprises nearly 150 products, including ready meals, meat, pizzas,

bakery products, canned foods, desserts and snacks, among others. Products contain 30% less fat than

the standard equivalent, or are calorie-controlled with less than 3% fat.

Sainsbury’s’ Live Well For Less website offers advice on healthy recipes and lifestyles.

Sainsbury’s has a dedicated website, www.dietplan.co.uk/sainsburysdiets, offering a diet club,

providing users with a personalised meal plan and food diary, as well as access to the retailer’s recipe

club, diet forums and exercise. It also features an online Live Club Weigh-in, which shares users’

progression with other members for motivation, and a DietPlan app, enabling consumers to access

their diet plan and food diary on an iPhone. The app features a barcode scanner to automatically access

the calorie information of products and add these to the food diary.

Asda

www.asda.com

Asda launched its Good For You range in May 2001. It comprises soups, ready meals and condiments

such as dressings and jams. The products are low in calories and many contain less than 3% fat.

However, many low fat/fat-free options are also available within Asda’s core own-label brand Chosen

by You, for example within the ready meals, yogurt and cheese sectors.

Health Matters is the retailer’s dedicated health website. It offers nutritional information, recipe ideas

and advice about health.

Morrisons

www.morrisons.co.uk

Morrisons’ NuMe healthy eating range launched in April 2012, replacing its Eat Smart range. The

range features products with lower calories, salt and fat than the standard range, with front of pack

iconography of calorie content and five-a-day portions aiming to make it easier for shoppers to

navigate a purchasing decision. The range spans 315 products across various product categories.

In January 2013 the supermarket promoted the range through posters in the changing rooms of high-

street clothing stores and gyms, tapping into the January diet trend. The posters carried the straplines

‘Our new low-fat ready meals. A minute on the lips, less time on the hips’ and ‘The naughty foods you

love. Now on their best behaviour’.

Morrisons launched a new £1 low-calorie range of meals in February 2013. The products fall under its

NuMe healthy eating brand, and are based on traditional recipes but contain fewer calories and less

saturated fat.

Morrisons offers a healthy eating service on its website, featuring healthy eating tips, reference tables,

kids’ healthy eating advice and an ‘Ask the nutritionist’ section, where customers can find answers to

commonly asked questions.



M&S

www.marksandspencer.com

Marks & Spencer offers a wide range of food that targets customers wanting to follow a healthy diet.

Simply Fuller for Longer launched in January 2010 and offers high-protein products.

The Count on Us range features products that contain less than 3% fat. The ready meals in this range

contain 400 calories or less.

M&S launched a new healthy eating range called Delicious & Nutritious in April 2013. The range of

11 ready meals and lunch options are inspired by Middle Eastern flavours. The range is the first new

line of products under the ‘Eat Well’ banner since the launch of Fuller for Longer. All the meals in the

range contain at least two of the recommended five fruit and veg portions a day, with the lunchtime

options containing at least one.

Marks & Spencer’s website also features a healthy eating section, providing dieting advice and

information. This includes menu planners and diet plans, in addition to weight tracking tools and

dietary assessments.

Brand Communication and Promotion Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Brand Communication and Promotion

Key points

Total adpsend in the diet and weight control food market declined in 2012, down 2% year on

year and 13% since 2009, standing at £34 million at the end of 2012.

Kellogg’s has been the highest spending advertiser over the past five years, however Müller

Dairy overtook the brand in 2012 to take the lead, with Kellogg’s still close behind.

Key players in the diet and weight control food market favour television advertising, its

share rising again in 2012 to reach three quarters of total adpsend. This has been at the

expense of outdoor and internet, both of which lost share in total spend in 2012.

The key theme of advertising campaigns has been the ability of diet foods to deliver on taste,

and how consumers would not notice these products are eg low fat/fat-free, a notable

example being Müller Greek Style Yogurts ads, in a bid to extend their appeal beyond

dieters.

Adspend slows for diet and weight control foods FIGURE 25: TOPLINE ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE BY IDENTIFIED KEY PLAYERS IN THE DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOOD

MARKET*, 2009-13

39.1 39.7

34.7 34

27.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013**

£ m

illio

n




Total adspend in the diet and weight control food market stood at £34 million in 2012, down 2% year

on year and 13% since 2009.

This continued decline reflects the struggles the category faces, for example the value of the market

slipped by 1% in 2012. While sales have increased by 7% over the 2008-12 period, when the effects of

inflation are removed, this corresponds to a fall of 14%. This may have led brands to cut their

advertising budgets, reducing the visibility of the category overall, which may have further contributed

to the fall in sales.

The five largest advertisers account for over three quarters of the adspend on the market, which means

a small number of operators are relied on for the majority of the market’s above-the-line promotion,

with many operators relying simply on in-store presence.

Kellogg’s cuts adspend… FIGURE 26: MAIN MONITORED MEDIA ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE IN THE DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOOD MARKET*, BY

LEADING ADVERTISER IN 2012, 2009-13 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013** £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Müller Dairy (UK) Ltd 4,202 5,532 2,767 8,542 7,795 Kelloggs Co Of Gb Ltd 22,150 20,702 17,027 6,834 7,316 Arla Foods Plc 291 339 22 4,007 17 Unilever UKs (UK) Ltd 2,148 720 1,537 1,260 1,677 Ddd Grp Ltd 2,642 1,039 529 912 627 Rachels Dairy Ltd 6 0 1,249 794 765 Weetabix Ltd 0 0 0 639 585 Others 4,073 3,723 6,814 2,082 4,963 Total 39,147 39,735 34,743 34,000 27,511


FIGURE 27: MAIN MONITORED MEDIA ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE IN THE DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOOD MARKET*, BY

LEADING IDENTIFIED BRANDS IN 2012, 2009-13

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013** 2009-12 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % change Müller - Light Greek Style Yogurt - - - 7,191 3,010 - Arla Foods - Lurpak Lightest - - - 4,007 17 - Hellmanns - Light Mayonnaise 1,095 1,166 1,288 3,402 - +210.5 Kelloggs - Special K Cereal 7,871 11,673 8,458 2,284 2,392 -71.0 Laughing Cow - Cheese Light Spread - - - 1,814 217 - Kelloggs - Special K Biscuit Moments - - - 1,235 26 - M&S - Simply Fuller Longer Food Range - 805 1,127 1,094 827 - M&S- Delicious & Nutritious 126 187 197 1,050 1,728 +731.8 Diomed Herbals - Adios Slimming Aid 2,642 1,039 529 912 627 -65.5 Müller - Light Chocolate Sprinkles - 04 - 907 - - Other 27,413 24,860 23,143 10,103 18,666 -63.1 Total 39,147 39,735 34,743 34,000 27,511 -13.1

* includes main diet brands and brands that contain light, lighter, low/no fat or sugar free in the title **January-September 2013 SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH/MINTEL



Historically Kellogg’s has been the highest spender, accounting for almost half of adspend in the

market in 2011.

However, Kellogg’s significantly reduced adpsend on its Special K brand in 2012, from £17 million in

2011 to £6.8 million in 2012. It share of total adspend fell to just 20%. The sharp cut is in line with

Kellogg’s cutting its adspend on its whole portfolio by more than 50% over 2011-12 (see Mintel’s

Breakfast Cereals – UK, August 2013 report).

Following the cutback, sales of Kellogg’s Special K cereal tumbled by 8% in value terms year on year

to April 2013, accompanied by an 11% fall in term of volume sales (see Mintel’s Breakfast Cereals –

UK, August 2013 report). It remains to be seen whether its change of recipe in April 2013 can help to

halt the decline.

Kellogg’s changed tack in its advertising to feature ‘real’ women for the first time in 25 years in

Summer 2012. The brand also adopted a new tagline ‘What will you gain when you lose?’ as it looked

to shift the focus away from the negative connotations related to dieting and onto the personal benefits.

Special K focuses on online visibility in 2012

Activity for Kellogg’s Special K brand in 2012 focused online, with a temporary ‘tweet shop’

launched to support the launch of its Special K Cracker Crisps, allowing customers to pay by

recommending the product to their online friends and followers. This should be well-placed to resonate

given the high levels of scepticism regarding diet products, and the fact that 50% of women report that

recommendations from family/friends have encouraged them to try new food products, according to

Mintel’s consumer research.

Other activity included the launch of a virtual store for the brand in partnership with main UK

supermarkets. The Special K Snack Store ran from November until the end of 2012 and provided

customers with product information as well as stock availability, price and promotional offers across

Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and Ocado stores.

…with heavy TV investment in 2013

Kellogg’s has focused on TV and online again for 2013. A viral video push for its new Special K

recipe launched on YouTube. The video featured actor David O’Riordan comparing Aldi’s own-label

Benefit low-fat cereal with Special K, in a spoof of Aldi’s ad launched earlier in the year. The video

ends by saying ‘beware of copycats’ and with the strapline ‘Like own brands, only better’ (echoing

Aldi’s ad with the tagline ‘Like brands. Only cheaper’).

The brand also launched a £5 million campaign to promote the launch of its Special K Multigrain

Porridge in August 2013, involving a TV push as well as sampling across the UK. The focus was on

the porridge as tasty, while containing 30% less fat than most other porridges.

… for Müller to take the lead in adspend

Müller Dairy took the top spot in terms of advertising 2012, accounting for a quarter of adspend in the

diet food market at £8.5 million.

The company invested in its Müllerlight Greek Style yogurt, launched in March 2012. The launch

support included TV, press and outdoor campaigns, as well as online and social media activity, trial-

generating price promotions and a 1 million pot sampling campaign. The ‘Centaur’ TV advert focused

on the creamy taste of the yogurt and featured the strapline ‘Delicious and fat free. It’s not a myth’.



Weight Watchers also reduced its adspend

Weight Watchers reduced its adspend between 2011 and 2012, from £1.5 million to £1.3 million.

However, it has focused on increasing investment in advertising in 2013, having spent £1.7 million for

the first nine months of the year.

Weight Watchers has previously focused on advertising its weight loss programme, most recently

securing celebrities including Greg Wallace and Patsy Kensit as brand ambassadors in 2013. The

endorsement has looked to position the diet programme as easy and effective.

However, the brand launched the first TV ad campaign for its food range in six years in May 2013.

The £1.25 million campaign featured two ads that aired for six weeks and showcased its piri piri

chicken ready meal and ‘Greek-style’ fromage frais products. The yogurt advert – in a similar vein to

the Müller Greek Style yogurt campaign - focused on the products as luxurious and creamy first and

foremost, while also being fat-free. The ad for the piri piri chicken similarly looked to draw attention

to the meal’s taste credentials, to be enjoyed even without a pressing ‘diet’ reason.

Flavour is a key theme in marketing

In addition to the brands discussed above looking to draw attention to the taste-credentials of their

ranges, this has also been a key theme for other high-spending brands.

For example, Hellmann’s Light’s 2012 campaign feature a chicken recipe using the light mayonnaise,

describing the dish as ‘scrumptious’ and the mayonnaise as ‘luscious’, as well as drawing attention to

its 40kcal calorie count per spoon.

Along similar lines, Lurpak supported the launch of Lurpak Lightest in 2012 with an ad featuring a

variety of colourful foods being prepared and cooked, and featuring the line ‘healthy does not have to

taste humdrum’.

The aim to dispel associations between fat-free food and lack of taste was also a key part of Shape

yogurt’s packaging revamp in 2012.

Such messages look to be much needed still, as only 27% of adults trust diet foods to taste as good as

standard variants, the ingrained taste perceptions likely to continue to pose a key barrier to uptake. As

noted above, Kellogg’s ‘tweet shop’ offers a particularly innovative take on this problem by

harnessing word of mouth.



TV advertising dominates but press increases share too FIGURE 28: ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE BY IDENTIFIED KEY PLAYERS IN THE DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOOD MARKET*, BY

MEDIA TYPE, 2012

* includes brands that contain light, lighter, low/no fat or sugar free in the title SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH/MINTEL

At three quarters of total adspend, television is the media type that received the greatest investment

from key identified players in the diet and weight control food market in 2012. The growing reliance

on this channel of advertising is likely to partly echo the high profile media coverage of weight issues

in the UK on TV shows.

Press advertising increased its share of adspend from 11% in 2011 to 17% in 2012. Key players in the

market have continued to invest in this channel in 2013, with its share rising to 20% for the first nine

months of 2013. Müller Dairy spent the most on press advertising on its Light Greek Style Yogurt,

with Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise, Lurpak Lightest and Flora Pro Activ Light Spread brand also

heavily promoted through press advertising.

One such example of the use of press has been Slim-Fast’s ‘Get What You Really Want’ campaign in

April 2013, encouraging women to be honest about why they want to lose weight and featuring print

advertising in magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Star, as well as digital across online platforms

including Marie Claire, Glamour and Elle. The campaign focused on the differences between what

women say and what they think, and the ads featured real women and their actual motivations for

wanting to slim down. This follows a similar theme to that used by the Special K ‘what will you gain

when you lose?’ campaign, with a strong focus on the positive outcomes of losing weight.

While internet’s share of adpsend in 2011 was still relatively low at 2%, this has fallen in 2012 to just

1%, while the focus has been on pushing TV ads.

Consumer – Attitudes towards Weight Loss Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Consumer – Attitudes towards Weight Loss

Key points

The majority (55%) of the UK adult population have tried to slim down in the 12 months to

September 2013, reflecting the strong societal focus on weight, size and diet and the high

prevalence of overweight and obesity.

Women are significantly more likely than men to have tried to shift some pounds and only

5% claim to never think about their weight compared to almost a fifth (17%) of men.

25-44-year-olds are most likely to be dieters, while over-55s are significantly more likely than

the younger generation to try to maintain their current weight.

Dieting is commonplace in the UK

Mintel commissioned consumer research for this report to assess attitudes towards diet and weight

control food. Research was carried out by GMI in September 2013 among 2,000 internet users aged 16

and over. Detailed demographics are given in the Appendix.

FIGURE 29: ATTITUDES TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS, SEPTEMBER 2013

“Which of these statements best describes how you think about your weight?” Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

I have tried to lose weight in the last

year55%

I try to maintain my current weight

15%



17%


10%

I am trying to put on weight

3%

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL



Over half (55%) of UK adults have attempted to slim down in the last 12 months, corresponding to

some 29 million Britons. This reflects the large swathes of the population who are overweight or obese

- 65% of men and 58% of women according to NHS estimates (see Market Drivers) – with the issue

being very much in the public eye.

Only one in 10 adults report never to think about their weight, with men three times as likely as

women to fall into this category (17% of men compared to 5% of women). Accordingly, women are

significantly more likely than men to have tried to shift some pounds in the last year (65% of women

vs 44% of men), which is congruent with women generally being the more health conscious gender.

While the prevalence of obesity increases among over-45s (see Mintel’s Dieting Trends – UK,

November 2012 report), 25-44-year-olds are most likely to be dieters, probably reflecting the younger

generation’s greater attention to their appearance. Meanwhile over-55s are significantly more likely

than their younger counterparts to try to maintain their current weight.

This point is highlighted in findings from Mintel’s Consumer Attitudes towards Functional Foods and

Drink – UK, February 2013 report, which show that younger consumers are the most likely to respond

to visible/tangible benefits such as losing weight, improving complexion and strengthening nails/bones

when it comes to using functional food/drink products. Meanwhile over-45s are more driven towards

such products for health reasons (eg maintaining a healthy heart and lowering blood

pressure/cholesterol).

Key analysis: Functional benefits are a tricky ground for operators to navigate, particularly since

the clampdown on functional food claims in the EU by EFSA in 2012. However, dieting foods can

factor what young consumers look for in functional foods into their marketing messages. For

brands targeting young people the focus should be on aesthetics. Meanwhile, older consumers are

more likely to be attracted to marketing messages based around the impact of a healthy weight on

overall health and fitness, as well as to diet products which offer multiple health benefits such as

being high in fibre and contributing to their five-a-day.

ABC1C2s are also more likely to have tried to lose weight in the last year, despite the fact that DEs are

the most likely to be overweight or obese.

The large – and growing – pool of dieters in the UK should be a boom for diet food market. The 15%

of adults try to maintain their current weight are also a potential audience for operators in this industry

However, sales of diet food are in decline, reflecting the many challenges this category faces. There is

a myriad of other routes towards weight loss that consumers prefer over buying ‘light’ or ‘diet’ food,

with exercising more being the most popular (see Consumer – Actions Taken to Manage Weight).

Furthermore, the market is hampered by negative perceptions in terms of price, healthiness and portion

sizes.



FIGURE 30: CONSUMERS WHO HAVE TRIED TO LOSE WEIGHT OR TRY TO MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT WEIGHT IN THE LAST 12

MONTHS, BY GENDER, AGE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROUP, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

54

6057

51 53 52

57 56 56

49 50

10 1213

1619

22

16 1612

15 16

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

16

-24

25

-34

35

-44

45

-54

55

-64

65

+

AB C1

C2 D E

Age group Socio-economic group

%

I have tried to lose weight in the last year I try to maintain my current weight

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Consumer – Actions Taken to Manage Weight Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Consumer – Actions Taken to Manage Weight

Key points

Consumers prioritise exercise over making dietary changes when trying to lose or maintain

their weight, reflecting the popularity of sport and the myriad of health benefits also related

to physical activity.

Cutting back on fatty foods and sugary products, and simply reducing portion sizes, are the

next most common actions for weight management, with women more likely than men to

adopt such abstemious approaches.

Only a quarter of weight managers choose to consume more food and drink labelled as low

in fat/sugar/calories, reflecting the various doubts many consumers harbour about ‘diet’

products.

Four in 10 consumers watching their figures adopt some sort of structured weight loss

scheme. Recording food consumption either in a diary or via apps is the most popular

method, with under-25s the keenest on this approach.



Exercise is the most popular route to managing weight FIGURE 31: ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT, SEPTEMBER 2013

“You have indicated that you have tried to lose weight or to maintain your weight, which of the following steps, if any, have you taken in the last 12 months? Please select all that apply.”

Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

60

49

48

48

41

30

28

25

18

15

12

Exercise more

Cut back on fatty foods

Eat smaller portions

Cut back on sugary foods/drinks


Cut back on alcohol*

Cut back on carbohydrates (eg bread, pasta, rice)

Eat more products labelled as low insugar/fat/calories

Eat more high protein food (eg meat/fish)


Cut back on red meat%

* only asked to internet users aged 18+ SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Six in 10 adults who have tried to manage their weight have stepped up their levels of physical

activity. This makes exercise a more popular way to lose/maintain weight than making dietary

changes, particularly for under-25s (66%).

“I think a balance of exercise and healthy eating is the key to weight management. If the intake

of calories is higher than the output you are going to put on weight! If I ever treat myself to

fatty, sugary food I make sure to do a bit more exercise to lose the extra energy.”

– 25-34-year-old D male

“I keep active and exercise to keep in shape - even if its cardio work like walking at a fast pace.

It means I do not have to change what I eat and how much I eat of it.”

– 25-34-year-old C2 male



This reflects high levels of awareness about the importance of exercise to general health and

wellbeing. For example, consumers are more likely to see doing regular exercise as being important

for a healthy lifestyle than factors related to their food choices or even not smoking (73% - see

Mintel’s Healthy Lifestyles – UK, January 2013 report).This is likely to be a direct result of public

campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of exercise.

That doing more exercise is the first port of call for consumers when trying to manage their weight

also owes to the enjoyment of exercise as a sport or leisure activity, with two thirds of adults having

played some kind of sport in the last six months (see Mintel’s Sports Participation – UK, September

2013 report). However, sports participation has fallen since 2011, casting doubts on the legacy of the

London 2012 Olympic Games.

Increasing physical activity to burn more calories may also make people feel less guilty about eating

certain foods. This should appeal to the 57% of weight managers who enjoy occasionally treating

themselves to foods they know are bad for them (see Consumer - Attitudes Towards Dieting and

Healthy Eating).

This is the angle that Coke was pushing with its ‘Be OK’ campaign in Spring 2013, which drew

attention specifically to the amount of activity taken to burn the calories in a can of standard Coke,

positioning these as ‘happy calories’. While the ad was subsequently banned by the Advertising

Standards Authority (ASA) there are echoes of the same idea in its latest campaign, with the tagline

‘Move more, eat well’.

This concept of ‘trading off’ calories in indulgent treats with exercise is good news for ‘standard’

brands but is not favourable for light and diet products. Arguably this highlights the need for the

brands to continue to position themselves not as an alternative to exercise, but as supporting it as part

of a balanced healthy lifestyle.



Women are most inclined to cut back on unhealthy foods FIGURE 32: SELECTED ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT, BY GENDER, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

3841 42

23

31

12

34

57 56

52

3230

12

46

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Eat smallerportions

Cut back onfatty foods

Cut back onsugary

food/drink

Cut back oncarbohydrates

Cut back onalcohol

Cut back onred meat

Cut back ondesserts

%

Men Women

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Women are significantly more likely than men to adopt an abstemious approach in order to shave

calories off their daily intake, including reducing their portion sizes, cutting back on products high in

fat, sugar and carbohydrates and eating fewer desserts.

“If I feel my weight beginning to creep up, I just try to cut out the ‘naughty’ things like crisps,

biscuits and sugary drinks for a while - or until my clothes do not feel quite as tight!”

– 25-34-year-old AB female

Meanwhile, the only areas that men are equally likely to cut back in as women are alcohol and red

meat consumption. This indicates that women have a broader repertoire of weight control methods,

taking more of a ‘scatter gun’ approach and mixing and matching different actions.

This suggests that marketing messages which centre on a holistic approach to dieting, rather than

cutting back in just one area, would appeal to women, as would providing overall advice about eating a

nutritious, balanced diet.

The popularity of simply eating less reflects this strategy providing a simple, tangible and easy-to-

monitor alternative to making dietary changes. It ties in with the ‘all things in moderation’ attitude and

means people can continue to eat their favourite foods, just in smaller quantities. For example, the

majority of weight managers continue to enjoy treating themselves to unhealthy foods occasionally.



Key analysis: That almost half of consumers looking to control their weight turn to simply reducing

their portion sizes, suggests there is scope for manufacturers to help in defining what the ‘right’

portion size is. This is something that standard brands can work on, highlighting their commitment

to the Responsibility Deal by making portion management easier and enabling consumers to choose

the exact amount they are happy to eat in terms of the calories this entails.

For example, many users of pasta (43%) note that it is difficult to judge how much pasta to cook,

indicating this as a problem which has wide resonance (see Mintel’s Pasta, Rice and Noodles – UK,

March 2013 report). This opens up opportunities for manufacturers to create solutions for easier

portion control through packaging innovation, and clearly communicating the calorie count for

each measure of unboiled pasta.

Only a quarter eat more diet foods

Only three in 10 women (29%) and just over a fifth of men (21%) choose to eat more food labelled as

being low in sugar/fat/calories when they are looking after their figures, highlighting this as a less

appealing action than many other options.

This is likely to reflect the widespread scepticism towards these products in terms of the healthiness of

their ingredients (58%), the genuine difference in calories between these and their standard alternatives

(55%), and small serving sizes (51%) (See Consumer – Attitudes Towards Diet Foods). As such, the

majority of weight managers prefer naturally low-fat foods to reduced products. This is reflected in the

findings from the focus group for this report:

“I class fruit, vegetables and natural products as healthy food. I do not buy anything that is

'light or 'diet'. They are usually full of rubbish ingredients and taste horrible. I would rather

have the normal version and just work it off through exercise.”

– 16-24-year-old C2 female

The market is also hampered by the perception that these products are overpriced (76%), particularly

when many consumers’ budgets remain stretched (see Mintel’s Dieting Trends – UK, November 2012

report).

Key analysis: Given that people prioritise cutting back on fatty and sugary foods over eating more of

those carrying reduced fat/sugar/calorie claims, suggests that diet foods may benefit from making

more specific low fat/sugar claims. However, in order to win the trust of wary consumers it is

important that operators in this market offer consumers transparency in terms of their ingredients

and move towards natural formulations where possible. For example, there is scope for brands to

incorporate more vegetables into their products to replace bulking agents to lighten up dishes

and also adopt a ‘stealth health’ positioning.

The high level of demand for more products using natural sweeteners (eg stevia) to replace sugar

(50% of adults – see Consumer – Attitudes Towards Diet Foods) indicates strong opportunities for

growth in this still relatively untapped market and to overturn negative perceptions associated with

the use of artificial sweeteners.



Under-25s are more likely to skips meals and eat more protein FIGURE 33: CONSUMERS WHO SKIP MEALS AND WHO EAT MORE HIGH PROTEIN FOOD TO MANAGE WEIGHT, BY GENDER AND

AGE GROUP, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

22

1616

12 13

10

23

20 20

1615 15

0

5

10

15

20

25

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

%

Skip meals Eat more high protein food

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

The younger generation are the most drawn to dodging calories by skipping meals, with under-25s

twice as likely to use this as a method of weight control than over-55s.

These consumers may deem missing meals occasionally as an easy way to save calories and a quick-

fix solution for weight loss plan – and one which is compatible with a busy lifestyle.

Consumers living in large households of five or more people are significantly more likely than those

from small households to forgo meals, again suggesting that pressure on time boosts the appeal of this

action.

However, various sources have suggested that this is potentially counter-effective. For example a study

published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Summer 2012 found that eating

at regular intervals and avoiding missing meals was a good weight loss strategy, alongside keeping a

food diary and avoiding eating out in restaurants.

However, it is likely that the popularity of ‘fasting’ diets – such as the 5:2 diet which involves

consuming 500-600 calories for two days of the week - are nonetheless encouraging skipping meals

among younger people.



Key analysis: Some experts have suggested that skipping meals can slow the body’s metabolism.

Furthermore, consumers may end up consuming more calories than they usually would when they

next eat, a concern raised for example by the NHS.

This indicates scope for players in the dieting industry to advocate the concept that eating sensibly

at regular intervals can support rather than hinder slimming down. Opportunities here are likely to

be most relevant for boosting the appeal of portable breakfast options (eg yogurts and breakfast

biscuits), diet snacks and meal replacement bars/milkshakes – which can be eaten at consumers’

convenience.

Messages communicating how easy it is to eat healthily throughout the day even when consumers

are time-poor are likely to resonate among under-25s, given that a fifth of weight managers in this

age group note that their busy schedules makes it difficult to stick to a diet (Consumer - Attitudes

Towards Dieting and Healthy Eating)

Diet apps could even be utilised to remind consumers when they have not eaten for a while and

suggest small snacks to have.

However, it is important to note that there appears to be a lot of conflicting information about

skipping meals, particularly since the various starvation diets (eg the 5:2) came on the scene.

A sizeable minority of weight managers (18%) eat more high protein food to lose or maintain their

weight, with under-45s the keenest on this strategy. This comes as high protein diets have come into

the media spotlight in recent years, with various health benefits being attached to them in the popular

media. The media attention has coincided with, and partly been fuelled by the recent explosion in high

protein products, such as Greek yogurts, in the market

The importance of protein in keeping hunger at bay and helping in weight management are well

recognised by consumers, even though not having been approved by EFSA. Some 63% of adults think

that protein helps you feel fuller for longer, 54% note that high-protein foods can help you manage

your weight and 38% report that these products help them to snack less, according to Mintel’s

exclusive consumer research. Furthermore, a sizeable three in 10 adults (33% of men and 25% of

women) are interested in buying food and drink with added protein (eg dairy drinks, energy bars).

Key analysis: Incorporating more protein into their ranges offers a lucrative opportunity for diet

brands to tap into the current high interest. Given men’s higher demand for high-protein options,

this could help draw more men into the diet food category. Positioning products as protein-rich and

low-fat meal solutions or snacks to have post-sports should resonate among men keen to get in

better physical shape, with sports imagery on pack supporting this concept.



Dieting schemes hold niche appeal FIGURE 34: DIETING SCHEMES USED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

13

10

8

7

5

4

4

3

4

60

Kept a written/online food diary

Used a diet app (eg calorie counters, weight-losstrackers, recipe ideas)

Followed a popular diet (eg Dukan, low GI, 5:2)

Joined a diet club/programme (eg WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig)

Followed a meal replacement diet (eg Slim-Fast)

Used appetite controllers/slimming aids (eg Alli,Appesat)

Followed a branded online diet plan (eg Special K,Tesco Diets)

Followed a diet plan where meals are delivered tomy home (eg Diet Chef)

Other

None of these

%

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Some 13% of weight managers have kept a written/online food diary – making this the most popular

structured approach to dieting. Even the appeal of popular diets remains decidedly niche (8%), as

people prefer to take a simpler approach to weight management than adhering to strict diets.

Furthermore, a quarter of weight managers think that many diets are unhealthy in the long term (see

Consumer – Attitudes Towards Diet and Healthy Eating). The choice to manage weight through

sustainable lifestyle changes is discussed in the Mintel Inspire trend A Simple Balance for Health.

However, that four in 10 have tried some sort of ‘structured’ approach represents a significant pool of

demand for such options. Usage of these structured schemes peaks among 25-34s (57%), parents with

children aged under-five (58%), full-time employees (49%) and typically affluent ABs (46%).

The popularity of these schemes among many parents of young children may be related to new

mothers wanting to regain their pre-pregnancy figures, and preferring a structured approach to keep

them motivated.

Under-25s are the most likely to record what they have eaten either in written or online diaries or

through apps, suggesting that young consumers are more comfortable with the idea of ‘self-

monitoring’ as a generation, as reflected in the findings from the focus group for this report below.

These apps are becoming increasingly sophisticated, for example the DietPlan app (from Sainsbury’s)

has a barcode scanner to automatically update the food diary with the calories consumers have eaten

when they scan in products.



“I tend to diet alone, but I do like to track my progress and keep a diary. I have recently started

using an app on my smartphone which I have found to be really helpful because I can update it

when I am on the go.”

– 16-24-year-old DE female

This ties in with the Life Hacking consumer trend identified by Mintel which looks at how we are

becoming more of a data-driven society. Consumers are time-pressed and stressed, creating demand

for tools to help us build a personal dashboard to manage our time, health or money and control our

personal lives.

If the younger generation continue to use such sites and apps to keep a record of their diets and weight

loss as they age, and with these also likely prove to be popular with future generations growing up

surrounded by such technology, this could be a growth area going forward even though uptake is still

relatively low across the population as a whole.

FIGURE 35: SELECTED DIETING SCHEMES USED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, BY AGE, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

20 20

14

9

5

7

1917

12

6

2 3

6

10

8 7 8

3

9

12

10

6 6 5

0

5

10

15

20

25

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

%

Kept a written/online food diary

Used a diet app (eg calorie counters, weight-loss trackers, recipe ideas)

Joined a diet club/programme (eg Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig)


SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

25-34s, ABs and parents with young children are most likely to have joined a diet club/programme or

followed a popular diet. These groups are the most likely to have tried to lose weight in the last year

rather than trying to maintain their weight, and therefore most likely to take a structured approach.

Brands targeting 25-34s and parents should thus be best-placed to benefit from tie-ups with diet clubs.

Of the common diets, the 5:2 fasting diet has become the most popular having attracted high levels of

media attention.



FIGURE 36: MOST POPULAR DIETS FOLLOWED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 114 internet users aged 16+ who have followed a popular diet

39

32

25

18

11

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

5:2 Atkins (low-carbohydrate diet)

Dukan (highprotein, low fat

eating plan)

Low GlycemicIndex (GI)

Other

%

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Consumer – Types of Products Considered to be Healthy Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Consumer – Types of Products Considered to be

Healthy

Key points

Britons are most inclined to associate foods which contribute to their recommended five-a-

day with healthiness, illustrating that this message – backed by governmental support – has

achieved widespread resonance.

Food claiming to be low in (or free from) fat, sugar and calories is high on the list of foods

consumers deem to be healthy, particularly for those who have tried to lose weight in the last

12 months, indicating that overall health is closely associated with weight management.

Over-55s are the most likely to choose food carrying L/N/R fat and sugar and high fibre

claims when looking for healthy food, while high protein foods and products with added

health benefits hold most appeal to under-25s.

Only a fifth of consumers include ‘light’ or ‘diet’ food in their healthy shopping baskets,

rising to just over a quarter of those who have tried to slim down in the past year. This

suggests that this terminology, being less tangible and specific than other claims, is failing to

resonate among consumers.



The five-a-day message has gained widespread acceptance FIGURE 37: TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY, SEPTEMBER 2013

“Now thinking about buying healthy food for yourself, which of the following types of products do you choose? Please select all that apply. Please note this is about which foods you consider healthy, and is unrelated to weight loss.”

Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

45

42

41

35

28

26

21

19

17

15

13

13

7

16

Part of my five-a-day of fruit and vegetables

Low fat/fat-free

Low sugar/sugar-free

Low calorie

High fibre content

Unprocessed

Labelled 'light' or 'diet'

Labelled as 'natural'

Organic

Low in carbohydrates

High protein content

Added health benefits (eg added calcium)

Low glycemic index (GI)

I do not buy healthy food

% SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

The ‘five-a-day’ message – the government’s push to get consumers to include enough fruit and

vegetables in their diets – has gained widespread traction in the UK and consumes are most likely to

associate foods which count towards it with being healthy. This is reflected in the findings from the

focus group for this report

“I always make sure I eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg every day; I know that doing this is

important in keeping healthy.”


This concept has most resonance among over-65s (60%), the older generation typically being more

health- and diet-conscious than their younger counterparts.

Incorporating vegetables into more food products in a ‘stealth health’ approach, to boost their

healthiness and help consumers on their way to their five-a-day, is therefore likely to be popular. For

example, there are opportunities in the UK pasta market for manufacturers to develop dry pasta with

vegetable content built in – this has already become established in other parts of the world (eg Ebro’s

Ronzoni Garden Delight is the leading vegetable-enriched brand in the US).



Over-55s place most importance on fat, sugar and fibre content FIGURE 38: SELECTED TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY, BY AGE, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

32

3735

22 22

39

34 35

21

15

44

36

40

25

15

44 43

3331

10

45

50

31

39

9

52 52

33

39

7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Low fat/fat-free Low sugar/sugar-free

Low calorie High fibre content High proteincontent

%

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

That low fat, sugar and calorie products stand so high on consumers’ lists of healthy foods suggests

that people associate weight management closely with overall health, which bodes well for the diet

food market.

The older generation are noticeably more likely than younger ones to look at foods which feature

L/N/R claims related to fat and sugar content and those which are high in fibre as healthy. While this

partly reflects the fact that over-55s are more likely than many younger groups to be looking to

manage their weight (73% compared to 70% average), it is perhaps more indicative of their greater

attention to health related matters.

The high importance these consumers place on fat and sugar content can to some extent be attributed

to high awareness of the link between high-fat diets and cholesterol, and high sugar consumption and

diabetes. Similarly, the health benefits of eating high fibre foods are well established, fibre being

known to lower cholesterol, protect against cardiovascular disease, control blood glucose levels and

aid digestion.

Key analysis: Given that consumers are more attracted to low fat/fat-free and low-sugar/sugar-free

foods than those which are low in calories, suggests a need for brands to make more of the low

sugar/low fat messages, rather than low cal or ‘diet’. This will become increasingly important for

brands that want to appeal to the older consumer given the UK’s rapidly ageing population.



The new front of pack labelling should make it easier for consumers to compare the fat and sugar

content of different products, like for like, with those which deliver on both counts likely to benefit

most from the change.

Under-25s are most likely to see foods which are high in protein as healthy, which is in line with the

weight managers in this age group also being most inclined to eat more high protein food when trying

to lose weight (see Consumer Actions Taken to Manage Weight).

The appeal of high-protein foods among younger consumers is likely to be related to these consumers

being most likely to take part in regular exercise (particularly men) and the association of high-protein

food with sports. The popularity of protein bars, among this age group is therefore unsurprising.

Men are more likely to associate high protein food with health (16% compared to 11% of women),

indicating this as a route to heighten men’s engagement also with the diet food category.

The younger generation are also more likely than other age groups to look for organic products and

those with added health benefits when choosing healthy food (20% of 16-24s). Meanwhile only one in

10 over-55s look for food with added health benefits - keeping in line with this age group most likely

to agree that the health-promoting benefits of natural foods are preferable to the added benefits of

functional foods (see Mintel’s Consumer Attitudes towards Functional Food and Drink – UK,

February 2013 report).

This relatively high proportion of under-25s which associates organic sourcing with healthiness is

good news for the organic market, particularly given FSA research published in 2008 which stated that

there are “no important differences in the nutrition content, or any additional health benefits, of

organic food when compared with conventionally produced food”.

This is in line with under-35s being the key purchasers of organic food and drink, two thirds having

bought these type of products in the last 12 months, compared to the average of 57% (see Mintel’s

Organic Food and Drink – UK, October 2013 report).

Key analysis: There are opportunities to attract the younger generation to products through high

protein content, making associations with fitness. While no functional claims relating to protein

have been approved by EFSA, the fact that the younger generation see these products as being

generally healthy is a good platform. While protein bars are a mainstay in health shops etc, there is

scope for more mainstream brands to look to incorporate this functionality.

Organic sourcing and added-health options are also likely to attract young consumers.

One in five look for ‘light’ or ‘diet’ products

Light and diet claims are failing to register on most consumers’ radars when they look for healthy

foods, with consumers preferring more tangible claims relating to fat, sugar and calorie content. Even

among consumers who have tried to lose weight in the last year, only just over a quarter (27%) opt for

‘light’ or ‘diet’ foods when eating healthily.

Being less specific as to how and why they are they good for those watching their figures, ‘light’ or

‘diet’ products offer less tangibility to consumers. This may also be a reflection of the concerns people

harbour about ‘light’ or ‘diet’ products generally.

Therefore operators in the diet and weight control food market may benefit from moving the focus

away from these terms and to making their positioning more instantly transparent for consumers.

Consumer – Attitudes towards Dieting and Healthy Eating Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Consumer – Attitudes towards Dieting and Healthy

Eating

Key points

The majority (57%) of weight managers continue to occasionally treat themselves with

indulgent food, seeing these as part of a balanced diet, and almost half (48%) believe that

eating all different types of food in moderation is the best route towards healthiness.

Three in 10 of those who have tried to lose or maintain their weight claim to be trying to slim

down most of the time (36% of women and 21% of men), highlighting that weight control is

an on-going struggle for many.

Only a quarter of consumers who are watching their figures always check the nutritional

content of food before purchase, with a solid minority (31%) noting that it would be easier to

make healthy choices if all food/drink was labelled in the same way.

Treats are seen as part of a balanced diet

FIGURE 39: ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

57

48

41

31

29

29

27

26

25

19

17

13

Occasionally I like to treat myself to foods I know are badfor me

Eating all different types of food in moderation is the bestway to stay healthy

Eating healthy food makes me feel good

Having nutritional information shown on all food/drink inthe same way would make healthy choices easier

I am actively trying to lose weight most of the time


All the different advice on eating healthily can beconfusing

I always check the nutritional content of food beforebuying it


I do not have enough willpower to stick to a diet for verylong


My busy lifestyle makes it difficult to stick to a diet%

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Consumers continue to find room in their diets for unhealthy treats. Even among those who have tried

to lose or maintain their weight, the majority (57%) enjoy occasionally indulging themselves with

foods they are aware are not good for them.



This highlights the fact that many consumers are unwilling to eschew treats completely, even when

watching their weight. This relates to the attitude held by almost half of weight managers that all foods

have a place in a healthy diet as long as they are eaten in moderation. This is reflected in the findings

from the focus group for this report:

“It is not about being on a diet but about making a direct change to my lifestyle which fits in

with my work/social life etc and which I will be able to stick to in the long-term.”


“I try not to deprive myself of anything, but to eat in moderation. It is important to enjoy food,

and to treat yourself occasionally even if you are trying to lose weight.”


“I love to treat myself to indulgent foods. I think if you work hard, keep active and eat a healthy

diet there is no problem having a treat every now and then.”


This philosophy is discussed in Mintel Inspire’s trend A Simple Balance for Health. This highlights

how awareness about one’s weight and health is leading to consumers opting for more complete and

sustainable lifestyle changes rather than adhering to short-term diets. There is also the perception held

by a large minority that many diets can be harmful in the long term, with under-25s and those in full-

time education most likely to agree with this statement.

Given that unhealthy treats are seen as permissible, even among those trying to lose weight, does not

play into the hands of operators in the diet food market. However, it does provide reassurance for

standard brands, allowing them to use marketing messages centring on the pleasure of ‘occasional

indulgences’ so long as they are part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.



FIGURE 40: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT “EATING ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD IN MODERATION IS THE BEST WAY TO

STAY HEALTHY” AND “I OCCASIONALLY LIKE TO TREAT MYSELF TO FOODS I KNOW ARE BAD FOR ME”, BY AGE, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

37 38

45

50

64 64

48

51

6162 63

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

%

Eating all different types of food in moderation is the best way to stay healthy

Occasionally I like to treat myself to foods I know are bad for me

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Over-55s are the most likely to deem a healthy diet to be one which contains all types of food in

moderation, while the tendency to occasionally indulge in treats kicks in among over-35s and is lower

among under-25s who are trying to manage their weight. However, younger consumers are the most

likely age group to agree that they often enjoy treating themselves to foods which are not good for

them, according to Mintel’s exclusive consumer data.

Here there is scope for diet brands to position themselves as offering easy alternatives for non-diet

products, perhaps when consumers do not have the time or inclination to work off the calories through

exercise.

A sizeable minority of consumers note that eating healthy food makes them feel good (eg more energy,

feeling healthier). Agreement with this statement is notably higher among women than men (48% of

women compared to 32% of men) and also peaks among parents with young children.

Key analysis: The feel good factor associated with making healthy food choices should offer a

strong platform for marketing messages for diet brands.

Three in 10 are perpetual dieters

Over a third (36%) of women who have tried to lose or manage their weight in the last 12 months and

a fifth (21%) of men note that they are actively trying to lose weight most of the time.



This suggests that for many people who struggle with their weight, the actions they have taken have

not achieved the desired result or that the impact was not lasting. As such, trying to lose weight has

developed into an ingrained part of their lifestyles and yo-yo dieting may be common.

Consumers who have joined a diet club are most likely to agree that they are actively trying to lose

weight most of the time. This suggests that perhaps those with the most weight to lose are driven

towards such a structured group approach in order to keep their motivation levels up.

Clearly these serial dieters are potentially a highly lucrative group to the weight management food

industry - if they buy diet products.

Time, expense and eating out are barriers for under-35s FIGURE 41: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENTS “I FIND IT HARD TO EAT HEALTHILY WHEN DINING OUT”, “I FIND IT TOO

EXPENSIVE TO EAT HEALTHILY” AND “BUSY LIFESTYLES MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STICK TO A DIET”, BY GENDER AND AGE GROUP, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months

24

33

35

39

28

25

20 21

13

21

25 24

1816

97

1214

1920

15

12

5

1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Men Women 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Gender Age group

%



My busy lifestyle makes it difficult to stick to a diet

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Three in 10 weight managers find it a challenge to stick to healthy eating regimes when they are dining

out, with under-35s having the most difficulty in this respect. This is despite the roll-out of calorie

information for food and non-alcoholic drinks in many food service environments, as part of The

Responsibility Deal since September 2011 (however this is largely limited to big chains of

pubs/restaurants).



However, this appears to have been driven more by the industry than the consumers, as only a fifth of

adults report they would like restaurant menus to display the calorie content of each dish, according to

Mintel’s exclusive consumer research.

Meanwhile, only one in 10 adults who have eaten in a restaurant in the last three months opt for low-

calorie/low fat dishes when dining out, indicating that health considerations play a minor role in

diners’ choice of dish (see Mintel’s Eating Out: The Decision Making Process – UK, July 2013

report), likely reflecting the role of dining out as a relatively rare occasion and a treat.

The perceived expense of eating healthily (eg getting plenty of fruit and vegetables daily, eating low-

fat and nutritious food) is deemed most problematic by under-35s, those with children aged under-5

(26%), those in large households of five or more people (25%) and, unsurprisingly, those describing

their financial situation as ‘struggling’.

There has been a focus on healthy eating on a budget in the media recently to help overturn the

perception that eating home-made, healthy food is a costly option. For example the Great British

Budget Menu aired on BBC1 in August 2013 and Jamie's Money Saving Meals was televised in

October 2013.

However, while such initiatives have aimed to position home-cooked food as affordable, cost

perceptions of diet foods remain a barrier for the market. Three quarters of the population deem food

labelled as ‘light’, ‘diet’, ‘low calorie’ or 'low fat' to be overpriced (see Mintel’s Dieting Trends – UK,

November 2012 report). Therefore it is important for operators to continue to communicate the

tangible benefits their products offer.

Under-35s are the most likely to note that being time-poor makes it hard to stick to a diet, indicating

opportunities for diet brands to highlight their convenience, with marketing messages communicating

how they fit into even the most hectic lifestyles. Healthy snack brands in particular can leverage their

portability as a key selling point, helping consumers not to give into cravings for other treats during

the day. For at-home prepared meals, ‘light’ brands can also use speed/convenience as a marketing

message to appeal to busy consumers.

Three in 10 see consistent labelling as helpful

Some 31% of weight managers (36% of women and 24% of men) agree that having nutritional

information shown on all food and drink in the same way would make healthy choices easier, as

reflected in the findings from the focus group for this report:

“The new traffic light food system will make it much easier and quicker to identify foods which

are healthy and ones which are not so much. All the different labels can make it confusing.”


“I think there should be a much clearer system of labelling food items for people who want or to

eat in a more responsible manner.”


This suggests that the new uniform nutritional labelling scheme which started rolling out in June 2013

– aiming to offer shoppers greater transparency, encourage healthier food choices and ultimately

combat obesity - will be well-received by a sizeable minority of consumers (see Market Drivers).



However, that this proportion of consumers is not higher than three in 10, is likely to reflect many

consumers’ apathy towards checking nutritional information on packaging. Indeed, even among those

who are weight conscious only, a quarter claim to always check the nutritional content of food before

buying it - as reflected in the findings from the focus group for this report.

“I do not pay too much attention to the labelling. There is quite a lot of information on some

packaging so it can all get a bit confusing, and I do not really have the time or inclination to

pay that much attention.”

– 35-44-year-old DE male

Consumers who eat products labelled as low in sugar/fat/calories are the most likely to check

nutritional content (46%), therefore the clarity of nutritional information is particularly important for

these products.

Consumer – Attitudes towards Diet Foods Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Consumer – Attitudes towards Diet Foods

Key points

Just over seven in 10 (71%) of those who have tried to lose weight in the last year would like

to see clearer information showing the nutritional differences between diet foods and their

‘non-diet’ equivalents. This should also help to alleviate the widespread concerns about the

calorie content being based on small portion sizes.

There are also widespread concerns about the ingredients/sweeteners that go into diet food.

However, there is a strong demand for more products using natural sweeteners to replace

sugar, particularly among dieters (58%).

The older generation emerge as the most sceptical of what diet foods consist of, this being in

line with these consumers being most wary about ingredients in shop bought food overall.

Concerns over the healthiness of diet food FIGURE 42: ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIET FOODS, SEPTEMBER 2013

“Thinking about diet food products (ie food labelled 'light', 'diet', 'low calorie' or 'low fat'), such as Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself, Flora Light, Weight Watchers etc, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?”

Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

15

16

13

11

11

12

9

8

4

5

4

47

43

44

44

40

38

34

32

28

22

12

32

31

34

36

36

36

36

41

41

35

27

5

9

7

8

11

9

16

16

20

29

40

2

2

2

2

2

5

6

3

7

9

17

I would like to see clearer information to showdifferences between diet foods and their alternatives

I am wary of the ingredients/sweeteners that go intodiet food products




I would like to see more products using naturalsweeteners (eg stevia) to replace sugar

I would like to see a wider variety of diet options insweet treats


I trust diet brands to make nutritious foods


I would be embarrassed to be seen eating diet brandedfood

%


SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL



The majority (62%) of adults are suspicious of the ingredients/sweeteners that go into diet food

products, climbing to almost seven in 10 (71%) consumers who have tried to lose weight in the last

year. This underlines such negative perceptions, though nothing new, as a constant major challenge for

the category to overcome.

These widespread concerns also help to explain why consumers prefer other courses of action - such as

exercising, eating smaller portion sizes and cutting back on foods high in fat, sugar and carbohydrates,

compared to eating more diet food products when they are trying to control their weight (see

Consumer – Actions Taken to Manage Weight).

The older generation emerge as the most sceptical of what diet foods consist of, this being in line with

these consumers being most wary about ingredients in shop bought food overall. For example, over-

55s are most likely to prefer to cook from scratch so they can control the contents (53% compared to

43% average), according to Mintel’s consumer research, as reflected in the findings from the focus

group for this report:

“I always assess the difference in RDA's for fats, calories, sugars, etc in the food that I buy.

However I do prefer to make my own where possible, ie soups, sauces, then I am aware of what

is in it and there are no additional additives, sugars, fats and preservatives.”

– Over-55 C1 female

Key analysis: Moving towards more natural formulations should help diet brands to win the trust of

sceptical consumers, given the widespread attitude that these products contain ingredients which

are bad for you. Making a point of using fruit and vegetables as ‘fillers’, for example in baked

goods, is thus likely to boost the appeal of these products.

These would be likely to appeal to the one in five users of cake and cake bars who would base their

choice of product on high fruit/vegetable content (see Mintel’s Cake and Cake Bars – UK, May

2013 report). Similarly there is notable interest in bread containing fruit/vegetables, which could

help to position bread as lighter. Some 42% of users would be interested in trying bread/baked

goods containing fruit/vegetables, eg courgette bread (see Mintel’s Bread and Baked Goods – UK,

September 2013 report).

This is likely to be particularly effective if in doing so the products count towards consumers’

recommended five-a-day, given that the majority of adults see such products as healthy.

People’s distrust in artificial sweeteners has translated into a high demand – 50% - for products using

natural alternatives to replace some/all of the sugar content to keep the calorie count down. 25-44s are

the most inclined to note that they would like to see more products using natural sweeteners, however

interest is notably higher among adults who have tried to lose weight in the last 12 months.

While there are other natural sweeteners (such as xylitol), stevia has been the most in the media

spotlight since it was approved as a food additive in the EU in 2011 and heralded as a ‘miracle

sweetener’. Stevia-based products are now mainstream in the sugar aisle, for example the Truvia and

Tate & Lyle’s Light at Heart. Coca-Cola Enterprises introduced stevia to Sprite in March 2013,

reducing the calories in the drink by 30%.

However, stevia remains a niche ingredient in other sweet treats, suggesting further opportunities for

diet brands, using stevia’s natural sourcing as a key selling point. However, given that stevia has not

been approved for usage universally, but in selected foods only, limits scope for NPD to the approved

categories. The sizeable minority demand for a wider variety of diet options in sweet treats, rising to

over half of dieters, also bodes well for initiatives in this area.



However, brands must be careful if they adopt this ‘natural’ positioning given the lawsuit filed against

the Cargill company in the US for allegedly misleading shoppers by marketing Truvia products as

natural because they contain ingredients which are ‘highly processed’ and/or derived from genetically

modified organisms (GMOs). Cargill agreed to settle out of court in September 2013.

Clearer information could help to relieve doubts FIGURE 43: SELECTED ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIET FOODS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+

15

11

11

8

47

44

40

32

32

36

36

41

5

8

11

16

2

2

2

3

I would like to see clearer nutritional information toshow differences between diet foods and their

standard alternatives




%


SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

There is strong demand for greater transparency and indeed ‘proof’ to alleviate consumers’ misgivings

about diet foods. The majority of the population would welcome clearer nutritional information

showing the differences between diet foods and their standard alternatives.

This relates directly to the widely-held (55%) perception that these products are not significantly lower

in calories than their non-diet equivalents, and that perhaps consumers are just being ‘cheated’ with

small serving sizes (51%).

“Although ‘light’ or ‘diet’ stuff is appealing on the label, I am not sure of the actual difference

between this and 'fat' stuff. Some people tend to eat or drink more of the diet products thinking

they can get away with it and end up consuming more calories than if they ate 'non-diet' options

occasionally.”

– 35-44-year-old DE male



“I do not trust what goes into diet foods. Plus there usually is not that much of a difference in

terms of calories between the low fat and normal versions anyway. For these reasons they seem

like a bit of a con.”


Key analysis: Diet brands need to give consumers clear like for like comparisons between their

products and the non-diet alternatives to show consumers that there are genuine and tangible

differences in the calorie count. Furthermore, it is vital that it is communicated openly whether

these differences owe to healthier recipes or simply to smaller portions.

Visual comparisons of portion sizes of different types of food containing the same number of

calories or grams of fat could be an effective way to relay this to consumers. For example, a picture

showing how many more spoons of light yogurt equate to one spoonful of full-fat yogurt in terms of

calories/fat could be an effective way to appeal to diet-conscious consumers.

Alternatively brands could show consumers how many spoons of sugar/butter/fat/calories they are

avoiding simply by switching from standard products to their light alternatives, for example per

pack of biscuits, per block of reduced fat cheese or per bottle of light salad dressing.

This should help to turn around the idea that people are getting less when they choose diet brands,

to draw attention to how, in terms of bites or spoonfuls per calorie, they are getting much more.

Appendix – Market Size and Forecast Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Appendix – Market Size and Forecast FIGURE 44: BEST- AND WORST-CASE FORECASTS FOR SELECTED DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOODS, 2013-18 Worst-

case forecast

Index % annual change

Mintel forecast


Best-case

forecast


£m £m £m

2013 (est) 1,755 100 +1.8 1,755 100 +1.8 1,755 100 +1.8 2014 (fore) 1,681 96 -4.2 1,790 102 +2.0 1,900 108 +8.2 2015 (fore) 1,697 97 +0.9 1,831 104 +2.3 1,966 112 +3.5 2016 (fore) 1,711 97 +0.8 1,876 107 +2.5 2,042 116 +3.9 2017 (fore) 1,724 98 +0.8 1,925 110 +2.6 2,126 121 +4.1 2018 (fore) 1,736 99 +0.7 1,974 112 +2.5 2,212 126 +4.0 SOURCE: BASED ON INFORMATION RESOURCES, INC/MINTEL

Appendix – Brand Communication and Promotion Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Appendix – Brand Communication and Promotion FIGURE 45: SHARE OF MAIN MONITORED MEDIA ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE IN THE DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOOD

MARKET*, BY LEADING IDENTIFIED BRANDS IN 2012, 2009-13 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013*

% % % % %

Müller - Light Greek Style Yogurt - - - 21 11 Arla Foods - Lurpak Lightest - - - 12 - Hellmanns - Light Mayonnaise 3 3 4 10 - Kelloggs - Special K Cereal 20 29 24 7 9 Laughing Cow - Cheese Light Spread - - - 5 1 Kelloggs - Special K Biscuit Moments - - - 4 - M&S - Simply Fuller Longer Food Range - 2 3 3 3 M&S - Delicious & Nutritious - - 1 3 6 Diomed Herbals - Adios Slimming Aid 7 3 2 3 2 Müller - Light Chocolate Sprinkles - - - 3 - Other 70 63 67 30 68 Total 100 100 100 100 100

* includes brands that contain light, lighter, low/no fat or sugar free in the title SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH/MINTEL

Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes towards Weight Loss Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes towards Weight

Loss FIGURE 46: ATTITUDES TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ %

I have tried to lose weight in the last year 55 I sometimes think about my weight, but I do not do anything about it 17 I try to maintain my current weight 15 I never think about my weight 11 I am trying to put on weight 3 SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

FIGURE 47: ATTITUDES TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample

size I have tried to lose weight in the last year




I try to maintain

my current weight

% % % % All 2,000 55 11 17 15 Gender: Male 1,000 44 17 20 16 Female 1,000 65 5 15 14 Age: 16-24 344 54 12 18 10 25-34 381 60 9 16 12 35-44 379 57 11 16 13 45-54 370 51 11 20 16 55-64 266 53 11 16 19 65+ 260 52 10 16 22 Region: Inner and Greater London 271 55 11 15 16 South East/East Anglia 496 55 8 18 17 South West and Wales 267 54 10 15 19 East and West Midlands 326 53 12 18 13 North West 204 57 13 15 11 Yorkshire and Humberside 172 54 13 18 10 North and Scotland 264 55 10 18 15 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 806 56 11 16 14 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

818 55 9 18 15

Village/Rural location/Other 376 50 13 16 18 Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week) 790 54 11 18 14 Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week)

294 60 7 16 14

Any self-employed 176 53 11 13 21 In full-time education 181 50 13 20 9 Retired 328 53 10 16 20 Not working for any other reason 231 56 11 18 13



Socio-economic group: AB 578 57 10 16 16 C1 577 56 8 17 16 C2 414 56 13 15 12 D 290 49 12 23 15 E 141 50 14 17 16 Highest level of education: No formal qualification* 79 53 9 16 20 GCSE/O-level or equivalent 492 54 13 16 15 AS/A-level or equivalent 305 52 10 20 15 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

275 57 9 17 13

Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs) 171 54 9 19 15 University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

560 58 9 15 16

Gross annual household income: Under £9,500 135 55 12 16 13 £9,500-15,499 296 53 14 16 14 £15,500-24,999 421 57 10 18 14 £25,000-49,999 742 55 9 17 16 £50,000 or over 284 55 12 16 15 Do not know/Refused 122 48 11 20 16 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage

685 58 10 17 14

My home is owned outright 585 51 11 17 18 My home is rented from a local authority

180 57 11 19 10

My home is rented from a private landlord

389 55 10 17 14

My home is rented from a housing association/Others

161 52 14 14 17

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 212 61 10 18 10 Aged 5-9 248 62 10 15 10 Aged 10-15 384 60 12 16 11 Aged 16-18 243 57 14 16 11 Any children 773 59 11 16 11 No children in household 1,227 52 10 17 17 Household size: 1 298 46 16 18 15 2 712 56 8 17 17 3 435 55 10 17 16 4 353 60 11 15 12 5 or more 202 54 11 22 10 Current marital status: Single 596 50 14 17 13 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married

1,205 57 9 17 16

Separated, divorced or widowed 199 51 11 19 16 Financial situation: Healthy – I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings

447 53 11 14 20

OK – I get by, but there is not a lot left by the time the basics are taken care of

903 58 9 17 14

Tight – I am making ends meet, but only just

466 50 13 20 14

Struggling – I am in danger of falling behind with bills or loan repayments/In Trouble – I have missed loan repayments or household bills

184 55 11 18 12



Grocery shopping habits: I look out for more special offers (eg buy one get one free)

1,168 58 9 16 15

I have switched from branded to cheaper own-label groceries

605 60 8 17 14

I bulk buy some foods when they are on offer

781 61 7 16 15

I have switched some of my grocery shopping to a cheaper value retailer (eg Lidl, Aldi etc)

472 59 9 16 15

I have switched all of my grocery shopping to a cheaper value retailer (eg Lidl, Aldi etc)

110 63 5 18 12

I shop around more to save money 734 59 8 17 13 I have cut down on the number of premium products I buy (eg Tesco Finest, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference etc)

405 59 7 16 16

I am buying more dried/tinned/frozen food to save money

299 55 10 16 15

I have cut back on organic products to save money

154 69 6 12 8

I plan my shopping more carefully to avoid food waste

684 62 8 13 16

I treat myself to indulgent food at home more instead of eating out at restaurants

374 59 8 16 15

I have not changed my shopping habits in any way (single code)

311 40 17 17 23

Attitude towards health and healthy lifestyles:

I know what I should and should not do to keep healthy

1,197 59 8 14 17

I am prepared to change my lifestyle to be healthier

541 69 5 10 14

I eat what I like and do not worry too much about how healthy my diet is

357 33 19 35 10

All the different advice on keeping healthy can be confusing

529 61 7 17 13

I take vitamins and/or dietary supplements every day (eg cod liver oil, evening primrose oil, etc)

410 58 6 16 17

I would like restaurant menus to display the calorie content of each dish

408 73 3 11 12

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 1,046 57 8 15 18 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

481 58 10 12 20

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 481 74 3 9 14 I am vegetarian 103 62 4 16 17 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

817 57 7 14 20

I often eat treats that are not good for me

425 51 10 26 11

None of these* 84 29 32 15 12



Cooking and eating habits: I enjoy experimenting with flavours and recipes

729 57 11 12 18

I enjoy spicy food 989 55 11 15 17 I stick to familiar dishes 602 54 7 21 15 I prefer to cook from scratch so I can control the contents (eg salt, fat, sugar, etc)

857 58 8 13 19

I cook from scratch most days (eg using raw vegetables, meat)

824 56 10 14 19

I do very little cooking and prefer to use prepared dishes

213 60 9 21 9

I spend more time cooking when I can (eg at weekends)

470 59 8 14 16

I often cook larger batches of food and freeze them to eat later

470 57 10 14 18

I use leftovers to avoid food waste 798 55 8 16 19 I find I am eating more homemade sandwiches than I did a year ago

370 61 9 13 14

I often eat dinner on my own 401 51 12 18 15 I usually eat with my family/partner 899 55 8 16 19

* small sub-sample (75-100) SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Appendix – Consumer – Actions Taken to Manage Weight Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Appendix – Consumer – Actions Taken to Manage

Weight FIGURE 48: ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months %

Exercise more 60 Cut back on fatty foods 49 Eat smaller portions 48 Cut back on sugary foods/drinks 48 Cut back on desserts 41 Cut back on alcohol 30 Cut back on carbohydrates (eg bread, pasta, rice) 28 Eat more products labelled as low in sugar/fat/calories 25 Eat more high protein food (eg meat/fish) 18 Skip meals (eg not eating breakfast) 15 Cut back on red meat 12 Other 4 None of these 6 SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL FIGURE 49: DIETING SCHEMES USED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months %

Kept a written/online food diary 13 Used a diet app (eg calorie counters, weight-loss trackers, recipe ideas) 10 Followed a popular diet (eg Dukan, low GI, 5:2) 8 Joined a diet club/programme (eg Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig) 7 Followed a meal replacement diet (eg Slim-Fast) 5 Used appetite controllers/slimming aids (eg Alli, Appesat) 4 Followed a branded online diet plan (eg Special K, Tesco Diets) 4 Followed a diet plan where meals are delivered to my home (eg Diet Chef) 3 Other 4 None of these 60 SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

FIGURE 50: POPULAR DIETS TIRED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 114 internet users aged 16+ who have followed a popular diet %

5:2 (eating less than 500 calories for two days of the week) 39 Atkins (low-carbohydrate diet) 32 Dukan (high protein, low fat eating plan) 25 Low Glycaemic Index (GI) (diet based on foods which slowly release sugar into the bloodstream) 18 Other (please specify) 11 SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL



FIGURE 51: MOST POPULAR ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months Sample

size Exercise

more Eat smaller

portions Cut back on fatty foods

Cut back on sugary

foods/ drinks

Cut back on carbohydrates

(eg bread, pasta, rice)

% % % % % All 1,394 60 48 49 48 28 Gender: Male 602 58 38 41 42 23 Female 792 62 57 56 52 32 Age: 16-24 221 66 43 49 49 28 25-34 271 61 43 44 40 27 35-44 268 64 46 52 47 29 45-54 250 60 54 49 52 30 55-64 191 54 52 51 49 32 65+ 193 53 56 53 51 26 Region: Inner and Greater London 192 64 48 48 48 36 South East/East Anglia 354 60 47 51 45 25 South West and Wales 197 56 49 45 46 28 East and West Midlands 217 61 43 45 44 25 North West 139 59 52 57 46 27 Yorkshire and Humberside 111 64 47 59 55 32 North and Scotland 184 60 55 46 56 30 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city)

561 59 43 48 48 28

Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

577 62 51 53 49 28

Village/Rural location/Other 256 60 54 43 44 29 Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week)

541 63 42 44 43 25

Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week)

217 59 49 55 50 29

Any self-employed 131 61 45 40 40 34 In full-time education 108 69 46 44 56 34 Retired 239 53 56 54 55 30 Not working for any other reason 158 56 63 64 53 30 Socio-economic group: AB 419 60 47 43 45 30 C1 413 65 45 49 50 27 C2 284 62 51 56 52 32 D 185 59 54 53 46 23 E* 93 40 56 51 43 28 Highest level of education: GCSE/O-level or equivalent 337 56 50 57 48 27 AS/A-level or equivalent 205 61 46 41 42 31 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

192 58 57 54 52 30

Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs) 118 64 53 58 61 36 University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

413 66 44 44 46 28



Gross annual household income: Under £9,500* 91 47 49 58 47 29 £9,500-15,499 198 55 49 46 45 27 £15,500-24,999 297 59 54 55 52 31 £25,000-49,999 530 65 47 50 47 27 £50,000 or over 201 62 41 41 46 29 Do not know/Refused* 77 57 52 44 53 30 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage

492 62 46 46 46 30

My home is owned outright 404 59 48 48 47 25 My home is rented from a local authority

120 55 56 62 47 25


268 59 52 50 50 32


110 64 47 55 51 31

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 151 66 49 52 46 29 Aged 5-9 180 61 38 45 41 24 Aged 10-15 273 60 45 46 48 24 Aged 16-18 164 62 48 48 51 31 Any children 545 61 44 47 45 26 No children in household 849 60 51 51 49 30 Household size: 1 182 55 52 51 49 35 2 522 60 51 50 47 27 3 308 60 46 49 47 27 4 252 62 45 48 47 31 5 or more 130 66 44 50 50 24 Current marital status: Single 377 65 46 48 47 31 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married

883 59 49 50 48 26

Separated, divorced or widowed 134 56 50 50 47 36 Financial situation: Healthy – I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings

325 59 47 44 47 27


646 62 47 50 48 28


299 60 49 52 48 31


124 55 61 50 49 31




845 65 55 57 56 32


442 68 58 60 60 33


590 67 59 58 60 35


347 65 56 58 63 33

I have switched all of my grocery shopping to a cheaper value retailer (eg Lidl, Aldi etc)*

82 63 49 50 40 26

I shop around more to save money 533 63 55 57 56 32 I have cut down on the number of premium products I buy (eg Tesco Finest, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference etc)

301 66 55 62 63 34


209 65 58 58 57 34


119 66 59 60 66 45


532 70 61 61 63 36


276 72 62 66 68 37


197 47 41 37 33 18



900 66 55 57 56 34


448 78 59 65 66 42


156 52 38 37 39 20


393 61 54 56 56 33


308 66 56 56 58 40


344 68 61 66 64 40

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 782 65 55 56 56 32 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

374 66 53 55 53 34

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 422 67 59 71 65 41 I am vegetarian* 82 62 55 49 66 34 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

634 67 58 58 58 33


261 57 53 52 55 31




545 68 54 55 56 34

I enjoy spicy food 710 67 52 54 54 32 I stick to familiar dishes 421 61 50 51 52 28 I prefer to cook from scratch so I can control the contents (eg salt, fat, sugar, etc)

661 67 54 56 57 35


617 65 53 53 54 34


146 53 55 57 49 29


352 70 53 60 57 30


351 66 58 54 57 34

I use leftovers to avoid food waste 587 63 57 57 57 32 I find I am eating more homemade sandwiches than I did a year ago

278 68 63 62 59 33

I often eat dinner on my own 264 64 55 59 56 36 I usually eat with my family/partner 668 62 54 55 55 29


FIGURE 52: NEXT MOST POPULAR ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months Sample

size Cut

back on alcohol

Eat more products labelled as low in sugar/fat/calories

Cut back on red meat


% % % % All 1,394 30 25 12 15 Gender: Male 602 31 21 12 14 Female 792 30 29 12 16 Age: 16-24 221 22 26 11 22 25-34 271 32 22 8 16 35-44 268 34 21 12 16 45-54 250 32 32 13 12 55-64 191 31 25 15 13 65+ 193 28 26 18 10 Region: Inner and Greater London 192 33 25 16 16 South East/East Anglia 354 27 22 10 15 South West and Wales 197 27 20 9 13 East and West Midlands 217 29 27 13 12 North West 139 29 25 14 24 Yorkshire and Humberside 111 32 32 13 11 North and Scotland 184 38 30 14 16 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 561 29 25 14 16 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

577 32 27 12 14

Village/Rural location/Other 256 27 21 9 16



Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week) 541 34 22 10 14 Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week)

217 25 27 14 18

Any self-employed 131 34 21 11 15 In full-time education 108 18 31 12 22 Retired 239 29 27 18 10 Not working for any other reason 158 31 32 11 18 Socio-economic group: AB 419 33 25 13 15 C1 413 29 23 8 15 C2 284 33 29 16 14 D 185 26 25 11 18 E* 93 22 23 15 12 Highest level of education: GCSE/O-level or equivalent 337 27 27 11 17 AS/A-level or equivalent 205 26 28 12 19 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

192 33 26 11 12


413 35 21 12 14

Gross annual household income: Under £9,500* 91 20 26 23 13 £9,500-15,499 198 23 27 11 14 £15,500-24,999 297 32 27 13 20 £25,000-49,999 530 32 24 12 14 £50,000 or over 201 34 21 9 16 Do not know/Refused* 77 30 29 12 9 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage 492 33 24 11 14 My home is owned outright 404 26 25 14 14 My home is rented from a local authority 120 30 26 17 16 My home is rented from a private landlord

268 29 27 11 18


110 33 25 12 16

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 151 32 25 13 22 Aged 5-9 180 33 23 12 21 Aged 10-15 273 28 25 13 19 Aged 16-18 164 28 27 17 23 Any children 545 30 26 14 19 No children in household 849 30 25 11 12 Household size: 1 182 30 25 15 10 2 522 30 24 11 14 3 308 31 29 13 14 4 252 31 24 13 18 5 or more 130 27 21 11 23



Current marital status: Single 377 24 27 9 18 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married

883 32 25 13 14


325 32 23 13 15


646 26 26 11 14


299 35 26 13 14


124 35 27 11 23


845 34 31 14 18


442 36 29 15 19


590 34 33 18 17


347 37 33 18 18


82 30 16 15 21


301 41 33 19 21


209 35 33 15 24


119 43 34 25 25


532 39 35 17 18


276 43 38 19 22


197 24 17 8 9





900 35 30 13 16


448 44 36 18 15


156 24 18 12 21


393 34 34 18 19


308 34 34 18 15


344 44 44 19 17

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 782 34 28 14 15 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

374 35 29 20 9

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 422 40 44 23 15 I am vegetarian* 82 26 35 15 15 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

634 34 31 13 12


261 30 28 13 26


545 36 30 14 15


661 36 28 15 14


617 34 25 14 14


146 28 37 13 24


352 41 33 15 18


351 38 28 14 14


278 37 34 20 18





FIGURE 53: OTHER ACTIONS TAKEN TO MANAGE WEIGHT, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months Sample size Eat more high

protein food (eg meat/fish)


None of these**

% % % All 1,394 18 41 6 Gender: Male 602 17 34 8 Female 792 19 46 4 Age: 16-24 221 23 40 5 25-34 271 20 41 6 35-44 268 20 42 4 45-54 250 16 43 4 55-64 191 15 34 10 65+ 193 15 42 6 Region: Inner and Greater London 192 22 42 4 South East/East Anglia 354 16 38 5 South West and Wales 197 18 41 11 East and West Midlands 217 17 36 5 North West 139 19 44 4 Yorkshire and Humberside 111 21 47 5 North and Scotland 184 18 42 7 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 561 22 41 6 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

577 16 42 6

Village/Rural location/Other 256 17 38 6 Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week) 541 19 37 5 Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week)

217 18 45 4

Any self-employed 131 18 32 9 In full-time education 108 26 40 5 Retired 239 17 43 8 Not working for any other reason 158 13 52 4 Socio-economic group: AB 419 19 39 7 C1 413 18 38 5 C2 284 19 45 4 D 185 19 39 5 E* 93 11 43 10 Highest level of education: GCSE/O-level or equivalent 337 17 41 4 AS/A-level or equivalent 205 20 37 5 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC) 192 16 43 4 Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs) 118 22 48 3 University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

413 20 40 7

Gross annual household income: Under £9,500* 91 12 45 10 £9,500-15,499 198 16 37 5 £15,500-24,999 297 20 43 5 £25,000-49,999 530 18 39 4 £50,000 or over 201 22 42 8 Do not know/Refused* 77 17 35 8



Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage 492 19 39 5 My home is owned outright 404 15 38 7 My home is rented from a local authority 120 17 43 2 My home is rented from a private landlord 268 22 44 5 My home is rented from a housing association/Others

110 21 43 7

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 151 25 48 3 Aged 5-9 180 18 39 3 Aged 10-15 273 20 41 4 Aged 16-18 164 16 47 5 Any children 545 19 43 5 No children in household 849 18 39 6 Household size: 1 182 19 42 8 2 522 17 39 7 3 308 19 43 6 4 252 21 39 4 5 or more 130 18 44 2 Current marital status: Single 377 22 39 6 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married 883 17 40 5 Separated, divorced or widowed 134 13 48 7 Financial situation: Healthy – I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings

325 18 38 8


646 16 40 5


299 24 42 6


124 15 45 3


845 21 49 4


442 23 51 3


590 25 53 3


347 23 48 2


82 23 43 1

I shop around more to save money 533 23 48 3 I have cut down on the number of premium products I buy (eg Tesco Finest, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference etc)

301 26 53 2


209 28 51 2


119 30 55 3


532 23 51 3


276 29 57 1


197 8 21 14





900 21 46 5


448 32 54 2


156 22 37 10


393 22 47 3


308 27 45 5


344 28 56 2

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 782 20 46 5 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

374 24 45 6

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 422 23 55 1 I am vegetarian* 82 18 46 7 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

634 20 46 4

I often eat treats that are not good for me 261 19 43 5 Cooking and eating habits: I enjoy experimenting with flavours and recipes

545 21 47 5

I enjoy spicy food 710 23 45 5 I stick to familiar dishes 421 18 42 5 I prefer to cook from scratch so I can control the contents (eg salt, fat, sugar, etc)

661 23 49 5


617 21 44 6


146 18 44 3


352 23 46 4


351 25 46 5

I use leftovers to avoid food waste 587 20 48 6 I find I am eating more homemade sandwiches than I did a year ago

278 27 53 2

I often eat dinner on my own 264 21 45 6 I usually eat with my family/partner 668 18 43 6

* small sub-sample (75-100) ** low response rate (75-100) SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL



FIGURE 54: MOST POPULAR DIETING SCHEMES USED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months Sample

size Kept a written/

online food diary

Used a diet app (eg calorie

counters, weight-loss

trackers, recipe ideas)

Joined a diet club/

programme (eg Weight Watchers,

Jenny Craig)**


None of these

% % % % % All 1,394 13 10 7 8 60 Gender: Male 602 11 9 5 9 63 Female 792 15 11 9 7 58 Age: 16-24 221 20 19 6 9 50 25-34 271 20 17 10 12 43 35-44 268 14 12 8 10 56 45-54 250 9 6 7 6 70 55-64 191 5 2 8 6 77 65+ 193 7 3 3 5 73 Region: Inner and Greater London 192 16 10 4 12 56 South East/East Anglia 354 12 10 6 6 67 South West and Wales 197 10 8 5 11 65 East and West Midlands 217 13 11 6 8 56 North West 139 17 9 9 8 54 Yorkshire and Humberside 111 15 12 9 7 56 North and Scotland 184 14 13 14 5 58 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city)

561 16 13 7 10 53


577 12 8 7 6 64


541 16 14 8 12 51


217 14 10 6 8 62

Any self-employed 131 8 7 8 8 62 In full-time education 108 14 17 4 3 58 Retired 239 7 2 6 4 77 Not working for any other reason 158 15 10 9 4 64 Socio-economic group: AB 419 15 14 10 13 54 C1 413 15 10 7 7 60 C2 284 13 10 7 7 61 D 185 10 6 6 3 65 E* 93 4 2 2 4 77



Highest level of education: GCSE/O-level or equivalent 337 9 7 8 6 64 AS/A-level or equivalent 205 20 18 4 8 55 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

192 6 7 7 10 69

Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs)

118 13 10 9 6 58

University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

413 17 12 7 11 53

Gross annual household income:

Under £9,500* 91 11 5 4 3 66 £9,500-15,499 198 9 11 7 5 64 £15,500-24,999 297 13 9 5 8 59 £25,000-49,999 530 15 11 9 9 59 £50,000 or over 201 18 14 7 14 53 Do not know/Refused* 77 5 8 5 - 74 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage

492 13 13 9 10 54


120 13 11 9 8 55


268 18 12 7 9 58


110 12 6 5 5 69


883 13 10 7 10 60


325 13 12 7 9 62


646 16 10 8 8 56


299 12 11 6 7 64


124 3 4 7 9 68




845 14 11 7 7 62


442 15 14 10 9 57


590 15 13 9 9 59


347 14 13 9 10 61


82 16 13 10 12 39

I shop around more to save money

533 16 13 8 8 57

I have cut down on the number of premium products I buy (eg Tesco Finest, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference etc)

301 17 13 12 11 55


209 16 14 8 11 58


119 17 17 15 12 47


532 15 11 8 8 61


276 17 14 11 7 58


197 7 4 4 6 78



900 13 11 7 7 62


448 18 14 11 9 50


156 13 15 7 13 57


393 17 10 8 8 60


308 13 12 9 10 58


344 23 22 13 9 43


374 16 9 11 9 58

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet

422 16 11 12 8 55

I am vegetarian* 82 20 15 13 7 48 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

634 13 9 6 6 66


261 11 12 8 8 66




545 13 11 6 9 62


661 15 10 8 8 61


617 13 11 7 9 61


146 14 14 11 10 53


352 18 15 7 9 58


351 15 12 8 10 58

I use leftovers to avoid food waste

587 13 10 6 8 65

I find I am eating more homemade sandwiches than I did a year ago

278 14 12 6 10 63

I often eat dinner on my own 264 14 11 9 5 61 I usually eat with my family/partner

668 10 8 6 7 69

* small sub-sample (75-100) ** low response rate (75-100) SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL

Appendix – Consumer – Types of Products Considered to be Healthy Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Appendix – Consumer – Types of Products

Considered to be Healthy FIGURE 55: TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ %

Part of my five-a-day of fruit and vegetables 45 Low fat/fat-free 42 Low sugar/sugar-free 41 Low calorie 35 High fibre content 28 Unprocessed 26 Labelled 'light' or 'diet' 21 Labelled as 'natural' 19 Organic 17 Low in carbohydrates 15 High protein content 13 Added health benefits (eg added calcium) 13 Low glycaemic index (GI) 7 I do not buy healthy food 16 SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL FIGURE 56: MOST POPULAR TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Low fat/fat-

free Low sugar/ sugar-free

Low calorie Labelled 'light' or

'diet'

High fibre content

% % % % % All 2,000 42 41 35 21 28 Gender: Male 1,000 34 34 28 17 25 Female 1,000 51 48 42 26 32 Age: 16-24 344 32 37 35 23 22 25-34 381 39 34 35 16 21 35-44 379 44 36 40 21 25 45-54 370 44 43 33 25 31 55-64 266 45 50 31 18 39 65+ 260 52 52 33 24 39 Region: Inner and Greater London 271 41 41 36 20 31 South East/East Anglia 496 42 43 31 20 29 South West and Wales 267 42 40 34 20 24 East and West Midlands 326 43 40 37 21 25 North West 204 41 42 30 23 29 Yorkshire and Humberside 172 43 36 38 23 34 North and Scotland 264 43 44 39 24 28 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city)

806 40 39 35 20 27


818 45 44 37 22 29

Village/Rural location/Other 376 40 40 28 21 30



Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week)

790 38 35 35 19 24


294 47 44 38 27 32

Any self-employed 176 41 42 27 17 28 In full-time education 181 33 40 37 23 24 Retired 328 50 52 33 22 38 Not working for any other reason 231 46 43 38 22 29 Socio-economic group: AB 578 44 42 38 22 31 C1 577 42 41 36 24 26 C2 414 40 40 35 20 30 D 290 41 41 30 19 24 E 141 40 40 27 17 30 Highest level of education: No formal qualification* 79 39 43 27 18 27 GCSE/O-level or equivalent 492 42 43 36 22 28 AS/A-level or equivalent 305 39 38 37 22 28 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

275 45 42 35 24 25


560 43 41 35 19 31


Under £9,500 135 33 34 25 20 24 £9,500-15,499 296 40 42 32 21 28 £15,500-24,999 421 44 41 33 21 29 £25,000-49,999 742 44 44 39 23 30 £50,000 or over 284 39 36 29 20 27 Do not know/Refused 122 45 47 39 21 22 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage

685 42 39 36 21 28


180 42 42 35 21 28


389 41 39 34 21 25


161 39 40 35 20 24

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 212 40 36 34 20 22 Aged 5-9 248 35 32 35 19 24 Aged 10-15 384 40 40 38 24 28 Aged 16-18 243 42 42 40 26 28 Any children 773 40 39 37 22 26 No children in household 1,227 43 43 33 21 30 Household size: 1 298 41 41 30 20 33 2 712 45 45 37 21 30 3 435 40 40 35 23 26 4 353 41 39 37 20 27 5 or more 202 39 36 30 21 22 Current marital status: Single 596 37 38 34 21 23 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married

1,205 43 41 35 21 29

Separated, divorced or widowed 199 49 50 33 25 37



Financial situation: Healthy – I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings

447 39 41 31 20 31


903 46 44 38 22 28


466 39 37 31 19 28


184 38 38 34 24 26


1,168 49 48 42 26 33


605 50 50 42 28 33


781 49 49 40 26 35


472 53 53 41 29 35


110 41 39 39 26 33


405 52 51 43 29 36


299 48 46 37 29 36


154 56 50 46 27 42


684 55 55 44 26 40


374 56 55 40 32 43


311 35 31 20 14 23





1,197 52 49 40 26 35


541 58 58 50 29 41


357 25 26 20 16 21


529 51 51 41 30 35


410 54 53 38 26 46


408 66 64 61 37 40

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 1,046 52 51 39 26 36 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

481 50 51 40 25 42


481 77 71 60 40 48

I am vegetarian 103 52 50 49 31 40 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

817 55 55 40 27 40


425 39 37 35 25 20

None of these* 84 11 8 12 8 8 Cooking and eating habits: I enjoy experimenting with flavours and recipes

729 48 49 37 22 35


857 50 51 39 23 40


824 46 48 36 22 36


213 47 44 46 33 27


470 53 52 43 29 34


470 47 49 33 24 36


370 55 52 43 30 36





FIGURE 57: NEXT MOST POPULAR TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample

size High

protein content

Low in carbo-

hydrates

Part of my five-a-day

of fruit and vegetables

Unprocessed Labelled as 'natural'

% % % % % All 2,000 13 15 45 26 19 Gender: Male 1,000 16 12 37 22 17 Female 1,000 11 18 53 30 20 Age: 16-24 344 22 15 40 23 18 25-34 381 15 13 36 24 20 35-44 379 15 16 43 29 17 45-54 370 10 14 46 26 22 55-64 266 9 14 49 30 18 65+ 260 7 17 60 25 15 Region: Inner and Greater London 271 18 18 41 28 23 South East/East Anglia 496 11 14 47 26 21 South West and Wales 267 9 14 40 27 16 East and West Midlands 326 14 14 45 27 18 North West 204 17 14 45 26 17 Yorkshire and Humberside 172 12 14 42 24 19 North and Scotland 264 13 16 52 25 14 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 806 19 16 42 27 20 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

818 11 14 45 25 17

Village/Rural location/Other 376 7 13 51 28 19 Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week) 790 15 13 38 24 19 Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week)

294 11 16 44 27 19

Any self-employed 176 15 17 41 37 22 In full-time education 181 24 17 47 23 19 Retired 328 8 16 60 27 17 Not working for any other reason 231 8 13 49 26 18 Socio-economic group: AB 578 12 17 46 28 19 C1 577 15 13 47 27 19 C2 414 15 15 43 28 20 D 290 11 13 41 18 16 E 141 10 12 47 24 15 Highest level of education: No formal qualification* 79 14 18 41 16 20 GCSE/O-level or equivalent 492 11 13 43 22 15 AS/A-level or equivalent 305 16 12 44 25 18 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

275 12 14 43 25 19


560 15 17 46 30 23



Gross annual household income: Under £9,500 135 11 11 39 26 22 £9,500-15,499 296 16 16 46 23 16 £15,500-24,999 421 12 14 46 30 19 £25,000-49,999 742 13 15 47 25 20 £50,000 or over 284 14 13 41 29 17 Do not know/Refused 122 9 17 41 16 19 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage

685 14 14 44 26 18


180 13 15 42 26 21


389 17 18 42 27 20


161 9 12 40 29 23

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 212 16 18 43 29 24 Aged 5-9 248 15 14 40 22 22 Aged 10-15 384 15 16 40 24 18 Aged 16-18 243 14 17 47 26 17 Any children 773 15 16 41 25 20 No children in household 1,227 12 14 47 27 18 Household size: 1 298 13 13 48 28 16 2 712 10 14 48 28 18 3 435 14 14 41 27 20 4 353 16 17 44 21 17 5 or more 202 16 17 40 22 26 Current marital status: Single 596 19 14 42 26 19 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married

1,205 11 15 45 26 19


447 13 14 47 25 17


903 12 15 45 26 18


466 14 14 44 28 21


184 14 14 39 26 17




1,168 14 17 50 28 22


605 15 19 50 29 24


781 17 18 54 32 25


472 18 21 54 32 25


110 20 17 40 36 20


405 17 21 54 36 27


299 19 18 52 33 27


154 24 23 57 44 32


684 15 21 59 35 27


374 18 23 66 40 37


311 6 7 41 20 11



1,197 14 17 56 34 22


541 22 26 62 41 28


357 13 10 33 20 19


529 16 20 56 34 26


410 22 21 59 37 28


408 21 27 60 35 26

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 1,046 15 17 61 33 24 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

481 18 21 62 36 24

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 481 18 28 62 37 25 I am vegetarian 103 21 17 58 42 20 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

817 12 18 60 34 22


425 11 11 46 24 19

None of these* 84 6 5 8 2 7




729 15 18 57 38 25


857 16 19 56 38 24


824 14 16 55 36 22


213 12 16 41 16 20


470 19 18 56 34 26


470 15 17 55 35 21


370 19 19 57 31 31



FIGURE 58: OTHER TYPES OF PRODUCTS CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample

size Added health benefits (eg

added calcium)

Low glycaemic index (GI)

Organic I do not buy healthy food

% % % % All 2,000 13 7 17 16 Gender: Male 1,000 12 5 15 22 Female 1,000 14 9 18 9 Age: 16-24 344 20 6 20 17 25-34 381 13 7 17 13 35-44 379 11 6 15 14 45-54 370 12 6 19 17 55-64 266 11 8 13 19 65+ 260 9 10 14 14 Region: Inner and Greater London 271 11 9 27 10 South East/East Anglia 496 10 5 17 17 South West and Wales 267 10 8 15 19 East and West Midlands 326 15 6 15 16 North West 204 18 8 12 15 Yorkshire and Humberside 172 17 10 16 16 North and Scotland 264 14 7 14 15 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 806 15 7 19 14 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

818 12 7 14 16

Village/Rural location/Other 376 9 7 17 18



Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week) 790 11 6 17 16 Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week)

294 13 6 12 13

Any self-employed 176 16 9 23 15 In full-time education 181 20 6 24 15 Retired 328 9 10 15 14 Not working for any other reason 231 16 6 13 19 Socio-economic group: AB 578 12 10 21 12 C1 577 13 7 18 14 C2 414 14 5 17 15 D 290 13 5 9 22 E 141 13 6 11 22 Highest level of education: No formal qualification* 79 19 4 9 20 GCSE/O-level or equivalent 492 10 5 10 19 AS/A-level or equivalent 305 18 6 17 15 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC) 275 14 6 13 17 Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs) 171 11 8 22 15 University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

560 13 10 24 11

Gross annual household income: Under £9,500 135 13 7 14 21 £9,500-15,499 296 14 6 13 17 £15,500-24,999 421 14 8 18 15 £25,000-49,999 742 12 7 17 14 £50,000 or over 284 12 9 23 15 Do not know/Refused 122 14 3 11 18 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage 685 13 7 18 14 My home is owned outright 585 10 7 16 14 My home is rented from a local authority 180 20 6 13 16 My home is rented from a private landlord 389 13 8 20 17 My home is rented from a housing association/Others

161 17 6 12 22

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 212 15 8 21 13 Aged 5-9 248 12 6 18 14 Aged 10-15 384 17 7 16 11 Aged 16-18 243 18 4 16 16 Any children 773 15 6 17 13 No children in household 1,227 12 8 16 17 Household size: 1 298 11 6 18 17 2 712 12 8 16 16 3 435 13 5 17 15 4 353 13 8 16 14 5 or more 202 21 7 18 16 Current marital status: Single 596 16 7 18 16 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married 1,205 12 7 16 15 Separated, divorced or widowed 199 12 8 16 16



Financial situation: Healthy – I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings

447 11 9 18 15


903 13 7 17 13


466 13 7 15 20


184 16 5 15 21


1,168 16 8 17 14


605 18 9 15 14


781 19 10 20 11


472 19 10 17 10


110 15 8 17 8


405 21 10 19 10


299 24 9 19 15


154 23 13 33 6


684 20 10 19 10


374 25 11 26 9


311 5 5 14 26



1,197 15 9 20 10


541 21 13 28 3


357 12 3 15 31


529 18 10 18 11


410 25 13 25 9


408 22 14 22 3

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 1,046 17 9 20 9 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

481 16 13 24 7

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 481 20 15 20 2 I am vegetarian 103 17 12 35 3 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

817 16 9 19 9

I often eat treats that are not good for me 425 12 5 15 24 None of these* 84 4 2 7 65




729 15 10 24 9


857 16 11 23 8


824 14 9 21 10


213 16 6 12 16


470 22 12 20 9


470 14 11 23 11


370 22 8 15 12



Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes towards Dieting and Healthy Eating Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes towards Dieting

and Healthy Eating FIGURE 59: ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months %

Occasionally I like to treat myself to foods I know are bad for me (eg chocolate, crisps) 57 Eating all different types of food in moderation is the best way to stay healthy 48 Eating healthy food makes me feel good (eg more energy, feeling healthier) 41 Having nutritional information shown on all food and drink in the same way would make healthy choices easier

31

I am actively trying to lose weight most of the time 29 I find it hard to eat healthily when I am dining out 29 All the different advice on eating healthily can be confusing 27 I always check the nutritional content of food before buying it (eg calorie content, fat content) 26 Many diets are unhealthy in the long term 25 I do not have enough willpower to stick to a diet for very long 19 I find it too expensive to eat healthily (eg getting plenty of fruit and vegetables daily, eating low-fat and nutritious food)

17

My busy lifestyle makes it difficult to stick to a diet 13 None of these 5 SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL FIGURE 60: MOST POPULAR ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months Sample size I am

actively trying to

lose weight most of the

time

Eating all different types of food in

moderation is the best way to stay

healthy

My busy lifestyle makes it

difficult to stick to a

diet

I find it too expensive

to eat healthily (eg

getting plenty of fruit and

vegetables daily, eating low-fat and nutritious

food)

I do not have

enough willpower to

stick to a diet for very

long

% % % % % All 1,394 29 48 13 17 19 Gender: Male 602 21 41 12 13 15 Female 792 36 54 14 21 23 Age: 16-24 221 26 37 19 25 24 25-34 271 28 38 20 24 22 35-44 268 30 45 15 18 18 45-54 250 31 50 12 16 20 55-64 191 34 64 5 9 17 65+ 193 28 64 1 7 13



Region: Inner and Greater London 192 22 45 20 14 18 South East/East Anglia 354 24 54 10 16 19 South West and Wales 197 28 45 8 15 15 East and West Midlands 217 33 46 12 19 19 North West 139 40 45 18 25 27 Yorkshire and Humberside 111 36 52 12 15 16 North and Scotland 184 32 51 13 20 21 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city)

561 27 44 14 18 20


577 30 50 12 18 18


541 26 38 17 18 17


217 34 52 14 20 27

Any self-employed 131 21 51 16 13 10 In full-time education 108 24 39 19 25 29 Retired 239 33 65 2 8 15 Not working for any other reason 158 38 58 5 25 25 Socio-economic group: AB 419 30 47 12 13 16 C1 413 26 51 15 21 20 C2 284 28 45 12 16 22 D 185 31 49 14 21 23 E* 93 40 57 3 16 13 Highest level of education: GCSE/O-level or equivalent 337 32 48 10 18 22 AS/A-level or equivalent 205 24 42 12 17 18 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

192 28 53 17 18 21

Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs)

118 30 56 9 22 12

University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

413 28 47 15 15 19


Under £9,500* 91 30 48 8 24 21 £9,500-15,499 198 31 50 11 21 21 £15,500-24,999 297 32 48 11 18 15 £25,000-49,999 530 26 49 14 18 19 £50,000 or over 201 28 46 16 9 21 Do not know/Refused* 77 36 47 12 16 23 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage

492 30 47 13 19 20


120 26 42 13 19 23


268 34 44 15 25 21


110 23 50 11 22 15




883 30 50 12 16 17


325 24 49 11 10 19


646 28 49 12 14 18


299 33 45 14 26 22


124 38 53 19 34 20


845 35 55 15 21 23


442 37 59 16 28 26


590 35 56 18 22 22


347 34 60 16 22 23


82 34 39 15 26 21

I shop around more to save money

533 34 52 16 20 24

I have cut down on the number of premium products I buy (eg Tesco Finest, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference etc)

301 40 62 19 26 23


209 39 57 22 35 27


119 41 58 23 29 29


532 39 60 16 21 22


276 40 69 23 26 27


197 18 49 6 9 13





900 34 59 13 18 21


448 38 55 16 18 16


156 23 50 23 28 30


393 34 60 18 25 27


308 35 59 10 19 15


344 44 58 16 22 26


374 31 55 7 11 14


422 43 60 13 18 18

I am vegetarian* 82 39 52 11 18 30 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

634 33 63 10 15 13


261 37 61 23 32 48


545 32 57 13 17 17


661 32 59 11 18 18


617 32 61 11 16 18


146 34 51 20 27 34


352 40 55 21 20 25


351 33 61 13 17 19


278 37 61 19 27 26

I often eat dinner on my own 264 35 58 15 21 23 I usually eat with my family/partner

668 31 61 13 19 20




FIGURE 61: NEXT MOST POPULAR ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months Sample size I find it hard to

eat healthily when I am dining out

I always check the nutritional

content of food before buying it (eg

calorie content, fat

content)

Having nutritional

information shown on all

food and drink in the same way would

make healthy choices easier


% % % % All 1,394 29 26 31 25 Gender: Male 602 24 21 24 21 Female 792 33 30 36 29 Age: 16-24 221 35 27 30 31 25-34 271 39 20 23 23 35-44 268 28 27 31 25 45-54 250 25 26 36 23 55-64 191 20 26 33 26 65+ 193 21 34 33 24 Region: Inner and Greater London 192 31 21 27 26 South East/East Anglia 354 29 30 31 25 South West and Wales 197 23 24 30 25 East and West Midlands 217 31 25 29 23 North West 139 33 27 36 22 Yorkshire and Humberside 111 26 32 35 31 North and Scotland 184 28 25 30 26 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 561 32 26 31 27 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

577 28 28 32 23

Village/Rural location/Other 256 25 24 27 25 Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week) 541 29 22 28 21 Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week)

217 32 24 31 25

Any self-employed 131 24 29 33 36 In full-time education 108 44 27 34 36 Retired 239 20 34 33 23 Not working for any other reason 158 32 30 30 25 Socio-economic group: AB 419 33 32 31 28 C1 413 31 26 34 27 C2 284 29 25 31 24 D 185 24 22 27 19 E* 93 12 17 22 19 Highest level of education: GCSE/O-level or equivalent 337 28 25 31 23 AS/A-level or equivalent 205 26 29 29 27 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC)

192 29 22 32 19


413 34 27 30 29



Gross annual household income: Under £9,500* 91 29 21 27 25 £9,500-15,499 198 26 26 30 21 £15,500-24,999 297 28 26 32 26 £25,000-49,999 530 30 30 34 26 £50,000 or over 201 33 23 27 24 Do not know/Refused* 77 26 16 22 29 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage

492 32 24 30 25

My home is owned outright 404 25 28 30 26 My home is rented from a local authority

120 27 22 31 21


268 31 28 31 25


110 26 28 35 29

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 151 37 25 31 29 Aged 5-9 180 29 21 27 24 Aged 10-15 273 27 26 25 23 Aged 16-18 164 30 23 37 26 Any children 545 31 24 29 25 No children in household 849 28 28 32 25 Household size: 1 182 24 29 34 27 2 522 28 29 31 24 3 308 31 28 31 28 4 252 31 21 25 23 5 or more 130 30 22 32 25 Current marital status: Single 377 32 27 29 29 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married

883 29 25 31 23


325 27 24 32 27


646 29 28 30 24


299 31 27 31 24


124 25 24 31 28




845 33 31 38 26


442 35 33 40 30


590 36 33 38 29


347 34 35 39 30


82 18 23 27 27


301 36 37 46 32


209 37 35 40 29


119 43 40 50 40


532 34 35 45 30


276 46 38 51 36


197 22 21 20 25



900 35 33 39 29


448 38 39 47 29


156 31 15 21 32


393 36 29 41 37


308 31 38 44 30


344 49 48 59 35

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 782 33 32 39 29 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

374 25 40 37 28

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 422 34 49 50 29 I am vegetarian* 82 30 49 44 28 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

634 30 33 42 31


261 49 25 34 31




545 31 32 39 29


661 31 34 39 30


617 29 30 37 27


146 38 30 38 25


352 40 37 41 34


351 32 36 39 29


278 36 30 43 33



FIGURE 62: OTHER ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIETING AND HEALTHY EATING, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 1,394 internet users aged 16+ who have tried to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight in the last 12 months Sample

size Occasionally I like to treat myself to foods I know are bad for me (eg

chocolate, crisps)

All the different advice on

eating healthily can be

confusing

Eating healthy food makes me feel good (eg more energy, feeling

healthier) % % % All 1,394 57 27 41 Gender: Male 602 51 25 32 Female 792 62 28 48 Age: 16-24 221 48 25 42 25-34 271 51 24 40 35-44 268 61 22 44 45-54 250 62 25 42 55-64 191 63 34 39 65+ 193 60 35 39 Region: Inner and Greater London 192 52 21 39 South East/East Anglia 354 60 29 39 South West and Wales 197 55 23 43 East and West Midlands 217 53 29 41 North West 139 59 27 45 Yorkshire and Humberside 111 70 27 48 North and Scotland 184 57 29 40 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 561 55 24 41 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

577 59 27 41

Village/Rural location/Other 256 60 30 42



Working status: Employee full-time (30+ hours/week) 541 52 21 38 Employee part-time (less than 30 hours/week) 217 58 30 41 Any self-employed 131 65 21 47 In full-time education 108 52 30 47 Retired 239 65 37 38 Not working for any other reason 158 62 31 47 Socio-economic group: AB 419 59 27 41 C1 413 58 26 43 C2 284 55 26 39 D 185 57 28 43 E* 93 54 32 37 Highest level of education: GCSE/O-level or equivalent 337 59 29 39 AS/A-level or equivalent 205 53 24 37 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC) 192 65 30 43 Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs) 118 62 31 48 University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

413 55 23 44

Gross annual household income: Under £9,500* 91 55 23 38 £9,500-15,499 198 61 28 38 £15,500-24,999 297 54 27 44 £25,000-49,999 530 59 29 40 £50,000 or over 201 56 23 44 Do not know/Refused* 77 57 25 42 Housing situation: My home is being bought on a mortgage 492 60 27 43 My home is owned outright 404 58 30 38 My home is rented from a local authority 120 53 27 36 My home is rented from a private landlord 268 55 22 44 My home is rented from a housing association/Others

110 51 25 44

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 151 56 25 47 Aged 5-9 180 54 22 42 Aged 10-15 273 50 22 40 Aged 16-18 164 54 26 38 Any children 545 51 23 41 No children in household 849 61 29 41 Household size: 1 182 63 30 40 2 522 61 29 40 3 308 54 23 43 4 252 53 26 40 5 or more 130 53 25 48 Current marital status: Single 377 53 25 40 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married 883 58 27 41 Separated, divorced or widowed 134 65 31 45 Financial situation: Healthy – I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings

325 57 26 40


646 57 26 40

Tight – I am making ends meet, but only just 299 61 26 48 Struggling – I am in danger of falling behind with bills or loan repayments/In Trouble – I have missed loan repayments or household bills

124 54 34 35




845 66 31 47


442 68 33 51

I bulk buy some foods when they are on offer 590 68 35 48 I have switched some of my grocery shopping to a cheaper value retailer (eg Lidl, Aldi etc)

347 71 34 51


82 51 27 46


301 72 32 54


209 69 39 53


119 66 34 56


532 71 36 54


276 82 42 64


197 53 20 33

Attitude towards health and healthy lifestyles: I know what I should and should not do to keep healthy

900 70 29 50


448 66 31 62


156 59 31 32


393 70 66 43


308 67 33 54


344 73 37 57

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 782 70 31 51 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day 374 58 24 57 I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 422 70 35 60 I am vegetarian* 82 62 33 62 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me 634 77 32 53 I often eat treats that are not good for me 261 70 38 39 Cooking and eating habits: I enjoy experimenting with flavours and recipes 545 66 28 54 I enjoy spicy food 710 64 28 49 I stick to familiar dishes 421 63 34 42 I prefer to cook from scratch so I can control the contents (eg salt, fat, sugar, etc)

661 64 31 52


617 66 29 50


146 66 40 39


352 68 32 57


351 72 32 54


278 73 43 57



Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes towards Diet Foods Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes towards Diet Foods FIGURE 63: ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIET FOODS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Any

agree Strongly

agree Agree Neither

agree nor disagree

Any disagree

Disagree Strong disagree

% % % % % % %

I would like to see clearer nutritional information to show differences between diet foods and their standard alternatives

61 15 47 32 6 5 2

I am wary of the ingredients/sweeteners that go into diet food products

58 16 43 31 11 9 2


57 13 44 34 9 7 2

Often diet foods are not much lower in calories than their standard alternatives

55 11 44 36 9 8 2


51 11 40 36 13 11 2

I would like to see more products using natural sweeteners (eg stevia) to replace sugar

50 12 38 36 14 9 5

I would like to see a wider variety of 'diet' options in sweet treats (eg chocolate, cakes)

43 9 34 36 22 16 6

Diet foods are no better for you than standard food products

40 8 32 41 18 16 3

I trust diet brands (eg Weight Watchers, Tesco light choices) to make nutritious foods

33 4 28 41 26 20 7


27 5 22 35 38 29 9

I would be embarrassed to be seen eating diet branded food

16 4 12 27 57 40 17

SOURCE: GMI/MINTEL



FIGURE 64: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘DIET FOODS ARE NO BETTER FOR YOU THAN STANDARD FOOD PRODUCTS’, BY

DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor

disagree Any disagree

% % % All 2,000 40 41 18 Gender: Male 1,000 38 41 21 Female 1,000 43 42 16 Age: 16-24 344 35 46 20 25-34 381 44 37 19 35-44 379 39 40 21 45-54 370 38 44 18 55-64 266 48 39 13 65+ 260 41 41 18 Region: Inner and Greater London 271 41 41 18 South East/East Anglia 496 40 41 19 South West and Wales 267 45 39 16 East and West Midlands 326 41 40 19 North West 204 34 45 22 Yorkshire and Humberside 172 43 40 17 North and Scotland 264 40 44 17 Area: Urban location (ie living in a town/city) 806 38 43 19 Suburban location (ie close to town/city but living outside a town/city)

818 41 40 19


294 38 44 19

Any self-employed 176 49 33 18 In full-time education 181 34 45 22 Retired 328 46 39 15 Not working for any other reason 231 39 45 16 Socio-economic group: AB 578 42 38 19 C1 577 39 44 17 C2 414 40 38 21 D 290 39 45 17 E 141 43 42 16 Highest level of education: No formal qualification* 79 52 37 11 GCSE/O-level or equivalent 492 39 43 17 AS/A-level or equivalent 305 37 39 24 Vocational qualification (eg NVQs, BTEC) 275 39 42 19 Further qualification (HNCs, HNDs) 171 41 47 12 University degree (including undergraduate and master’s degrees)

560 43 39 19

Gross annual household income: Under £9,500 135 40 48 12 £9,500-15,499 296 45 36 19 £15,500-24,999 421 40 42 18 £25,000-49,999 742 40 41 20 £50,000 or over 284 42 37 21 Do not know/Refused 122 30 59 11




161 35 43 22

Presence of own children: Aged 0-4 212 43 40 17 Aged 5-9 248 48 33 19 Aged 10-15 384 42 39 20 Aged 16-18 243 35 44 21 Any children 773 40 41 19 No children in household 1,227 41 42 18 Household size: 1 298 43 43 14 2 712 41 40 19 3 435 39 40 20 4 353 39 42 20 5 or more 202 40 44 17 Current marital status: Single 596 38 45 17 Married/Civil partnership/Living as married 1,205 41 39 20 Separated, divorced or widowed 199 44 41 15 Financial situation: Healthy – I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings

447 44 36 19


903 38 44 18

Tight – I am making ends meet, but only just 466 39 42 19 Struggling – I am in danger of falling behind with bills or loan repayments/In Trouble – I have missed loan repayments or household bills

184 46 39 15


1,168 37 42 21


605 42 36 22

I bulk buy some foods when they are on offer 781 43 36 21 I have switched some of my grocery shopping to a cheaper value retailer (eg Lidl, Aldi etc)

472 47 34 19


110 55 35 10


405 46 33 21


299 51 31 18


154 42 32 25


684 40 39 21


374 38 40 22


311 41 45 14





1,197 41 38 21


541 38 37 25


357 51 36 13


529 45 37 18


410 43 39 19


408 33 38 29

I eat fruit/vegetables most days 1,046 41 39 21 I eat five portions of fruit/vegetables every day

481 42 37 21

I try to make sure I eat a low fat diet 481 36 36 28 I am vegetarian 103 42 34 24 I occasionally eat treats that are not good for me

817 41 40 20

I often eat treats that are not good for me 425 38 41 20 None of these* 84 17 70 13 Cooking and eating habits: I enjoy experimenting with flavours and recipes

729 42 37 20


857 43 37 19


824 45 36 19


213 39 43 18


470 38 36 26


470 46 35 20


370 41 35 24





FIGURE 65: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘I TRUST DIET BRANDS TO MAKE NUTRITIOUS FOODS’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 33 41 26


294 34 40 26


560 32 38 30





161 30 40 30


447 34 38 27


903 35 42 23


466 28 42 30


184 26 41 33


1,168 35 40 26


605 35 37 28


781 38 34 28


472 35 38 27


110 45 35 21


405 39 35 26


299 39 34 26


154 39 35 26


684 35 36 30


374 37 39 24


311 19 48 32





1,197 33 38 29


541 41 35 25


357 33 35 32


529 41 35 25


410 35 41 24


408 47 33 19


481 36 36 28


817 33 40 27


729 28 42 30


857 31 38 31


824 32 37 31


213 39 42 18


470 37 37 25


470 32 35 33


370 40 36 24





FIGURE 66: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘DIET FOOD SERVING SIZES ARE OFTEN TOO SMALL’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 55 32 13


294 52 38 11


560 48 38 14





161 45 42 14


447 51 36 14


903 50 37 13


466 53 35 11


184 53 33 15


1,168 56 31 13


605 60 28 12


781 59 30 12


472 56 31 13


110 56 33 11


405 63 23 14


299 64 25 11


154 65 22 13


684 60 26 14


374 61 29 10


311 37 50 13





1,197 52 34 14


541 53 30 17


357 62 29 8


529 59 30 11


410 50 37 13


408 59 24 17


481 50 38 12


817 52 35 13


729 49 36 15


857 50 36 14


824 52 35 13


213 57 30 14


470 58 29 13


470 56 32 12


370 60 26 14





FIGURE 67: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘DIET FOODS TASTE JUST AS GOOD AS NON-DIET FOODS’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 27 36 37


294 27 36 37


560 27 36 37





161 32 38 30


447 28 33 39


903 29 36 35


466 23 36 42


184 25 34 41


1,168 26 33 41


605 28 31 41


781 26 30 44


472 28 29 43


110 45 28 26


405 26 32 41


299 33 29 38


154 26 32 42


684 26 29 45


374 26 28 46


311 19 44 38





1,197 25 32 43


541 36 28 36


357 23 27 51


529 28 30 42


410 28 37 35


408 36 31 34


481 31 32 37


817 24 34 41


729 26 32 41


857 27 32 41


824 25 35 41


213 30 30 40


470 30 29 41


470 26 32 42


370 26 32 42





FIGURE 68: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘OFTEN DIET FOODS ARE NOT MUCH LOWER IN CALORIES THAN THEIR

STANDARD ALTERNATIVES’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 59 33 8


294 54 37 9


560 58 33 9





161 53 38 9


447 58 34 9


903 54 37 9


466 57 35 9


184 52 35 13


1,168 58 33 9


605 63 29 8


781 60 30 10


472 64 28 8


110 62 32 6


405 66 27 7


299 63 28 9


154 66 27 6


684 62 30 9


374 65 26 9


311 50 40 10





1,197 59 32 9


541 62 30 8


357 61 31 9


529 69 25 7


410 58 34 9


408 64 25 11


481 60 34 6


817 62 31 7


729 60 33 7


857 63 30 7


824 62 31 7


213 58 31 11


470 60 33 7


470 68 27 6


370 61 32 7





FIGURE 69: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CLEARER NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHOW

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DIET FOODS AND THEIR STANDARD ALTERNATIVES’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 64 30 6


294 62 33 5


560 65 28 7





161 62 30 8


447 63 31 7


903 63 31 5


466 59 33 8


184 55 39 6


1,168 67 29 5


605 69 25 6


781 72 23 5


472 69 24 6


110 74 21 5


405 78 18 5


299 70 23 6


154 80 15 5


684 73 23 4


374 75 21 4


311 45 45 10





1,197 68 27 5


541 80 17 3


357 55 34 11


529 75 21 4


410 69 27 4


408 88 9 3


481 70 26 4


817 71 25 4


729 67 27 6


857 70 24 5


824 67 27 6


213 66 29 5


470 70 24 6


470 66 27 7


370 71 23 6





FIGURE 70: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘I AM WARY OF THE INGREDIENTS/SWEETENERS THAT GO INTO DIET FOOD

PRODUCTS’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 60 29 10


294 58 34 8


560 63 28 10





161 57 34 9


447 62 25 13


903 58 31 11


466 54 36 10


184 57 32 11


1,168 60 29 11


605 62 26 12


781 65 26 10


472 68 22 10


110 62 27 11


405 66 24 10


299 65 24 11


154 75 16 10


684 67 23 10


374 67 22 11


311 51 36 13





1,197 65 24 10


541 72 21 8


357 55 29 16


529 67 22 11


410 70 21 9


408 65 23 12


481 70 22 8


817 67 24 9


729 66 25 9


857 71 22 7


824 68 23 9


213 51 30 19


470 61 28 11


470 69 22 9


370 61 26 13





FIGURE 71: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A WIDER VARIETY OF 'DIET' OPTIONS IN SWEET TREATS’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 43 35 22


294 45 36 19


560 42 37 21





161 43 35 22


447 42 32 26


903 44 37 19


466 40 37 23


184 44 35 21


1,168 47 33 20


605 49 31 20


781 48 30 22


472 48 31 21


110 50 32 18


405 50 26 24


299 54 24 22


154 57 25 18


684 48 30 22


374 52 28 21


311 25 47 28





1,197 44 32 24


541 57 26 17


357 36 37 28


529 51 31 18


410 48 29 24


408 62 24 15


481 44 32 24


817 44 35 21


729 43 33 24


857 43 33 24


824 41 35 24


213 57 26 17


470 48 29 23


470 38 34 28


370 53 27 20





FIGURE 72: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PRODUCTS USING NATURAL SWEETENERS TO

REPLACE SUGAR’, BY DEMOGRAPHICS, SEPTEMBER 2013 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+ Sample size Any agree Neither agree nor



818 52 34 14


294 51 37 12


560 50 35 15





161 49 32 19


447 50 34 16


903 50 37 12


466 47 37 15


184 50 36 14


1,168 53 33 13


605 55 32 13


781 58 28 13


472 57 29 13


110 59 33 8


405 57 29 14


299 60 26 15


154 63 22 15


684 57 29 15


374 59 29 13


311 36 46 18





1,197 52 33 15


541 65 24 11


357 43 38 19


529 60 28 12


410 57 29 14


408 68 26 6


481 53 32 15


817 55 33 12


729 51 34 15


857 55 32 14


824 51 34 15


213 53 32 15


470 55 31 14


470 55 31 15


370 57 29 14





FIGURE 73: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘I WOULD BE EMBARRASSED TO BE SEEN EATING DIET BRANDED FOOD’, BY




818 14 26 60


294 13 28 59


560 21 28 51





161 14 30 57


447 20 23 56


903 15 27 58


466 14 32 53


184 11 27 61


1,168 11 23 66


605 13 23 64


781 16 21 64


472 17 21 62


110 35 25 40


405 15 21 63


299 19 20 61


154 21 25 54


684 12 21 67


374 12 20 68


311 10 34 56





1,197 11 22 67


541 17 14 68


357 22 27 51


529 16 21 63


410 14 24 62


408 15 15 70


481 16 25 59


817 9 22 69


729 12 22 66


857 13 23 64


824 13 25 62


213 22 19 59


470 17 20 63


470 13 20 67


370 15 21 64





FIGURE 74: AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT ‘I PREFER NATURALLY LOW-FAT FOODS TO REDUCED FAT PRODUCTS’, BY




818 57 35 8


294 55 36 8


560 63 29 8





161 50 40 10


447 61 30 10


903 58 34 7


466 54 36 10


184 49 41 9


1,168 58 33 8


605 60 31 8


781 65 26 9


472 64 28 8


110 59 30 11


405 67 25 8


299 65 26 8


154 69 22 9


684 65 27 8


374 66 25 9


311 50 39 11





1,197 64 28 8


541 74 21 5


357 50 34 16


529 63 29 7


410 67 27 6


408 68 26 6


481 70 23 6


817 65 28 7


729 64 28 8


857 68 24 7


824 64 28 9


213 54 36 11


470 63 29 8


470 67 26 7


370 62 29 8



Appendix: Research methodology

UK Research Methodology Dieting Trends UK, November 2013


UK Research Methodology Mintel is an independent market analysis company that prides itself on supplying objective

information on a whole range of markets and marketing issues.

There are five main sources of research that are used in the compilation of Mintel reports:

Consumer research

Desk Research

Trade research

Statistical forecasting.

Mintel’s exclusive archive of over 40 years of analysis and expertise

Mintel reports are written and managed by analysts with experience in the relevant markets.

Consumer research

Exclusive and original quantitative consumer research is commissioned for almost all Mintel reports.

In addition, qualitative research is also undertaken for a large proportion of reports in the form of

online focus groups. Mintel invests a considerable sum each year in consumer research, and the

purchaser of a Mintel report benefits, as the price of an individual report is less than the cost of the

original research alone. The research brings an up-to-date and unique insight into topical issues of

importance.

Consumer research is conducted among a nationally representative sample of either adults or internet

users and is generally carried out by GMI (online), Ipsos Mori (face to face), while other suppliers are

used on an ad hoc basis as required. The results are only available in Mintel reports.

Sampling and weighting Face to Face Surveys Ipsos Mori

Ipsos MORI Capibus uses a two-stage random location sample design which generates a very high

quality sample representative of the Great Britain adult population. Interviews are sampled from 145

Output Areas, randomly selected every week, and MOSAIC is employed to set interlocking quota

controls specific to each interviewer location. This ensures consistent accurate representation of the

locations interviewed every week. By using this proven sample design, all sub-sectors of the

population are represented – at a national and regional level.

All information collected on Capibus is then weighted to reflect the known profile of the adult

population in Great Britain. Capibus uses a rim weighting system which weights to mid-2010 census

and NRS defined profiles for age, social grade, region and working status - within gender. Additional

profiles used include tenure and car in household, for example.

Because the sampling process is repeated every week, the Capibus sample is matched wave on wave,

making it ideal for taking successive measurements on the same issue.



Online Surveys

GMI

Founded in 1999, GMI’s double opt-in online consumer panel has reach to approximately 350,000

consumers in the UK. GMI delivers uniquely identified online respondents via extensive use of fraud

detection and location-verification technology at multiple points in the research cycle, from initial

registration through survey fielding and incentive redemption. GMI panelists are profiled on a wide

variety of attributes to deliver the specific hard-to-reach demographics.

TGI data

Additional quantitative data are taken from Kantar Media UK Ltd.’s Target Group Index surveys. The

main TGI survey used is a continuous self-completion survey among a representative sample of

around 25,000 adults throughout Great Britain.

Unless otherwise stated, consumer research data is presented as penetration, ie as a percentage of

demographic sub-groups (usually in rows) such as age.

Population profile

GB population profile, by demographic group, 2012 Q2

Base: adults aged 15+ All 100.0 Gender:

Men 48.8 Women 51.2 Age group:

15-24 15.7 25-34 16.1 35-44 16.8 45-54 16.9 55-64 14.2 65+ 20.3 Socio-economic group:

AB 26.4 C1 28.0 C2 21.7 D 15.4 E 8.5 Presence of children:

Under 1 year 2.4 1-4 years 10.4 5-9 years 11.2 10-15 years 14.4 No children in household 71.1 Marital status:

Single 25.7 Married/living as married 60.6 Separated/divorced/widowed 13.7 Working status:

Full-time 37.7 Part-time 14.4 Not working 47.9



Household size:

1 person 19.1 2 persons 36.0 3 persons 19.4 4 persons 16.5 5 persons+ 9.0 Region:

Greater London 12.8 South East/East Anglia 23.7 South West 8.9 Wales 5.0 East & West Midlands 16.4 North West 10.6 Yorkshire & Humberside 8.8 North 5.2 Scotland 8.6 SOURCE: TGI /MINTEL

Definitions

Socio-economic group

Socio-economic groups are based on the head of household or chief income earner and are defined as

follows:

Socio-economic group Occupation of chief income earner

A Higher managerial, administrative or professional B Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional C1 Supervisory or clerical, and junior managerial, administrative or professional C2 Skilled manual workers D Semi and unskilled manual workers E All those entirely dependent on the state long term, through sickness, unemployment,

old age or other reasons

Retired persons who have a company pension or private pension, or who have private means are

graded on their previous occupation.

Students in higher education living at home are graded on the occupation of the head of the

household. Students living away from home are graded C1 (no account is taken of casual or vacation

jobs).

Lifestage and Special Groups

In addition to the standard breaks, Mintel also analyses consumer research in the following manner.

Lifestage

Lifestages are derived from analysis of consumer research and are split into four main groups, as

follows. The following percentages are nationally representative. An internet representative would

differ slightly.

% of population

Pre-family/no family aged under 45 who are not parents 29.1 Family any age with at least one child aged under 16 still at home 24.6 Third age aged 45-64 with no children aged under 16 still at home 26.0 Retired aged over 65 with no children aged under 16 still at home 20.3



Special Groups

As part of an on-going policy to find new ways of analysing data, Mintel has created of consumers to

typify consumer habits in the early years of the 21st Century. Unlike the lifestage groups, these groups

represent only sections of the population and do not account for all adults.

% of population

ABC1 Pre/no family ABC1 Socio-economic group and in the pre/no

family lifestage 16.7

ABC1 Families ABC1 Socio-economic group and in the family lifestage

12.7

ABC1 Third Age ABC1 Socio-economic group and in the third age lifestage

13.5

ABC1 Retired ABC1 Socio-economic group and in the retired (65+) lifestage

11.1

Two full-time earners couples where both partners work full-time 16.1 One person households under 65 aged under 65 and living alone 11.2 SOURCE: TGI / MINTEL

ACORN

Some reports also use consumer research analysed by ACORN category. ACORN is a geo-

demographic segmentation method, using census data to classify consumers according to the type of

residential area in which they live. Each postcode in the country can, therefore, be allocated an

ACORN category.

The classification is a more powerful differentiator of consumer behaviour than traditional socio-

economic and demographic indicators. The categories, and their components, are as follows:

ACORN category ACORN group % of population 19.3 Wealthy Achievers – Category 1 A – Wealthy Executives 5.7 B – Affluent Greys 6.2 C – Flourishing Families 7.4 10.4 Urban Prosperity – Category 2 D – Prosperous Professionals 1.9 E – Educated Urbanites 4.6 F – Aspiring Singles 3.9 29.7

Comfortably Off – Category 3 G – Starting Out 5.1 H – Secure Families 15.9 I – Settled Suburbia 6.8 J – Prudent Pensioners 1.9 16.8 Moderate Means – Category 4 K – Asian Communities 1.9 L – Post Industrial Families 5.4 M – Blue Collar Roots 9.5 23.3 Hard Pressed – Category 5 N – Struggling Families 15.0 O – Burdened Singles 4.5 P – High Rise Hardship 1.6 Q – Inner City Adversity 2.2

SOURCE: TGI / MINTEL



Confidence levels

Statistical confidence levels of + or – 2% or 3% can be applied to the data, depending on sample size

and percentage of respondents. For example, if 20% of a total sample of 1,000 adults say that they do

something, you can be 95% certain that the figure for the population lies between 17% and 23%. For a

sample of 2,000 adults, you can be 95% certain that the figure lies between 18% and 22%.

Consumer research is stored in a database supervised by Mintel’s statisticians. Additional analysis of

information too abundant to be included in published reports may be available for an additional

charge.

Qualitative Research Toluna/ 2020 Research

Toluna in partnership with 20/20 Research provide Mintel with qualitative bulletin board software.

This allows the creation of Internet-based, ‘virtual’ venues where participants recruited from Mintel’s

online surveys gather and engage in interactive, text-based discussions lead by Mintel moderators.

Trade research

Informal

Trade research is undertaken for all reports. This involves contacting relevant players in the trade, not

only to gain information concerning their own operations, but also to obtain explanations and views of

the strategic issues pertinent to the market being researched. Such is Mintel’s concern with accuracy

that draft copies of reports are sent to industry representatives, to get their feedback and avoid any

misrepresentation of the market. These comments are incorporated into reports prior to final

publication.

Formal

Internally, Mintel’s analysts undertake extensive trade interviews with selected key experts in the field

for the majority of reports. The purpose of these interviews is to assess key issues in the market place

in order to ensure that any research undertaken takes these into account.

In addition, using experienced external researchers, trade research is undertaken for some reports. This

takes the form of full trade interview questionnaires and direct quotes are included in the report and

analysed by experts in the field. This gives a valuable insight into a range of trade views of topical

issues.

Desk research

Mintel has an internal team of desk researchers who monitor: government statistics, consumer and

trade association statistics, manufacturer sponsored reports, annual company reports and accounts,

directories, press articles from around the world and online databases. The latter are extracted from

hundreds of publications and websites, both British and overseas. All information is cross-referenced

for immediate access.

Data from other published sources are the latest available at the time of writing the report.

This information is supplemented by an extensive library of Mintel’s reports produced since 1972 and

added to each year by the 500+ reports which are produced annually.



In addition to in-house sources, researchers also occasionally use outside libraries such as the British

Library or the Department of Trade and Industry. Other information is also gathered from store and

exhibition visits across Europe, as well as using other databases within the Mintel Group, such as the

Global New Product Database (GNPD), which monitors FMCG sales promotions.

All analysts have access to Mintel ’s Market Size and Economic Database – a database containing all

areas of consumer spend and retail sales as well as macroeconomic and demographic factors which

impinge on consumer spending patterns, going back some 20 years.

The database is used in conjunction with an SPSS forecasting program which uses weighted historical

correlations of market dynamics, with independent variables, to produce future spending scenarios.

Statistical Forecasting

Statistical modelling

For the majority of reports, Mintel produces five-year forecasts based on an advanced

statistical technique known as ‘multivariate time series auto-regression’ using the statistical

software package SPSS.

Historical market size data feeding into each forecast are collated in Mintel’s own market size

database and supplemented by macro- and socio-economic data sourced from organisations

such as the Office for National Statistics, HM Treasury and the Bank of England.

Within the forecasting process, the model searches for, and analyses relationships between,

actual market sizes and a selection of key economic and demographic determinants

(independent variables) in order to identify those predictors having the most influence on the

market.

Factors used in a forecast are stated in the relevant report section alongside an interpretation

of their role in explaining the development in demand for the product or market in question.

Qualitative insight

At Mintel we understand that historic data is limited in its capacity to act as the only force

behind the future state of markets. Thus, rich qualitative insights from industry experts

regarding future events that might impact upon various markets play an invaluable role in our

post statistical modeling evaluation process.

As a result, the Mintel forecast complements a rigorous statistical process with in-depth

market knowledge and expertise to allow for additional factors or market conditions outside of

the capacity of the statistical forecast.



The Mintel fan chart

Forecasts of future economic outcomes are always subject to uncertainty. In order to raise

awareness amongst our clients and to illustrate this uncertainty, Mintel has introduced a new

way of displaying market size forecasts in the form of a fan-chart.

Next to historical market sizes and a current year estimate, the fan chart illustrates the

probability of various outcomes for the market value/volume over the next five years.

At a 95% confidence interval, we are saying that 95 out of 100 times the forecast will fall

within these outer limits, which we call the best and worst case forecasts. These, based on the

statistically driven forecast, are the highest (best case) and lowest (worst case) market sizes

the market is expected to achieve.

Over the next five years, the widening bands successively show the developments that occur

within 95%, 90%, 70% and 50% probability intervals. Statistical processes predict the central

forecast to fall within the darker shaded area which illustrates 50% probability, i.e. a 5 in 10

chance.

A general conclusion: Based on our current knowledge of given historic market size data as

well as projections for key macro- and socio-economic measures that were used to create the

forecast, we can assume that in 95% of the time the actual market size will fall within the

purple shaded fan. In 5% of all cases this model might not be correct due to random errors and

the actual market size will fall out of these boundaries.

Weather analogy

To illustrate uncertainty in forecasting in an everyday example, let us assume the following

weather forecast was produced based on the meteorologists’ current knowledge of the

previous weather condition during the last few days, atmospheric observations, incoming

weather fronts etc.



Now, how accurate is this forecast and how certain can we be that the temperature on

Saturday will indeed be 15°C?

To state that the temperature in central London on Saturday will rise to exactly 15°C is

possible but one can’t be 100% certain about that fact.

To say the temperature on Saturday will be between 13°C and 17°C is a broader statement

and much more probable.

In general, we can say that based on the existing statistical model, one can be 95% certain that

the temperature on Saturday will be between 13°C and 17°C, and respectively 50% certain it

will be between about 14.5°C and 15.5°C. Again, only in 5% of all cases this model might not

be correct due to random errors and the actual temperature on Saturday will fall out of these

boundaries and thus will be below 13°C or above 17°C.

( To learn more about uncertainty in weather forecasts visit:

http://research.metoffice.gov.uk/research/nwp/ensemble/uncertainty.html )

http://research.metoffice.gov.uk/research/nwp/ensemble/uncertainty.html



European Research Methodology

Mintel surveys the four major European markets - France, Germany, Spain and Italy - with varying

samples of 1,000 and 2,000 adults aged 16+. The surveys are conducted online, via GMI, spanning ten

waves of research a year and all are representative of the online population in each country with quotas

on age, gender and region.

GMI

Founded in 1999, GMI’s double opt-in online consumer panel has reach of approximately 240,000

consumers in Germany, 210,000 consumers in France, 110,000 consumers in Italy and 90,000

consumers in Spain. GMI delivers uniquely identified online respondents via extensive use of fraud

detection and location-verification technology at multiple points in the research cycle, from initial

registration through survey fielding and incentive redemption. GMI panelists are profiled on a wide

variety of attributes to deliver the specific hard-to-reach demographics.

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