Our Current Approach To Health

Unfortunately, preventative approaches to health have always played second fiddle in our current health care system, a system that focuses largely on treatment of diseases. It doesn’t take much effort at all to visibly see the impact of this short-sighted strategy. With the exception of a few select cities and towns, Americans live in communities that were organized around the movement of the automobile. Seldom does one see bike and walking paths, usable sidewalks, areas set aside for exercise and enjoyment, and housing developments that incorporate the hosting of outdoor activities that aid and support the accomplishment of healthy lifestyles for its residents.

Instead, we have supported the rapid growth of unhealthy fast food units, and widespread embrace of a food and beverage industry that offers little to anything nutritious, but all with a keen eye to shelf stability, appetite appeal, and chemical enrichment. And with all of this in place, we spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year, and year after year, treating ourselves with health afflictions because of the way we’ve organized our society and selected our chosen lifestyle behaviors.

Where Has Physical Education Gone?

Healthy lifestyle behaviors are learned and emulated from an early age, and yet, by and large, our educational systems  have eliminated Physical Education from their curriculum over the years. In 2009, only Illinois and Massachusetts required PE classes for all kids in kindergarten through 12th grade. While there are improvements, even today, in 2012, P.E. courses are close to non-existent in high schools. Funding and lack of adequate space are listed as the two primary reasons why Physical Education courses have been eliminated. Historically, P.E. has been the primary place where America’s youth encounters, learns and adopt healthy habits that last a lifetime. Without exposure to Physical Education, our youth have created a self-fulfilling prophesy for themselves that can lead to a life filled with illness and disease.

Where does this lead us, the functional and natural food & beverage industry?

Driven by a growing awareness of our own physical issues and limitations, more and more people are turning to the adoption of healthier attitudes and behaviors that includes closer scrutiny over their food consumption – ingredients, nutritional value, where it was produced, who actually produced the product, who sold the product, even down to how the product is package.  While I’m quick to accept that proper food consumption is only part of the healthy solution, producers in the field have a real opportunity to educate, promote and support Americans’ growing appreciation of the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, They also bear a strong responsibility to the Consumer in producing true, authentic and scientifically-valid better products. Otherwise, the industry runs great risk in eventually being seen as exploiting its customers that it portends to offer true and real value to – and that’s a promise of living healthier.

Respondents have qualified themselves for this research based upon a self-reported commitment to leading healthier lives by virtue of their current behaviors and activities – namely, they are consciously managing their personal nutritional intake to include healthier options, and secondly, they are physically active in a minimum of 30 minutes worth of exercise at least three times per week.

As we begin to conclude our survey, trends are emerging that point to interesting opportunities for Better-For-You brands:

• Healthy eating is seen as an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle.

More than ever before in our annual surveys, this year there is a stronger tendency for Healthy America to view healthy eating as THE key ingredient in achieving a higher degree of health. Of those surveyed, 79% claimed that improved nutrition was “critical to leading a healthier lifestyle.” In addition, over half (52%) of respondents claimed that “a healthy diet was their ‘fuel’ for sustaining a healthier lifestyle.”

• Aging and the pursuit of Health are converging to shift perspectives about growing older.

As the American population matures, those in the Healthy America segment have a strong tendency to view a healthy lifestyle as minimizing the effects of aging, both in terms cognitive and physical health. When we asked respondents age 50 years and older what their motivation for pursuing health, a clear majority (68%) stated that it was in fact to “stave off any declines in their abilities due to the aging process.”

While some will joke that turning 50 is the new 40, with the Healthy America segment, the difference is even more for the “health-inspired”. When asked what age they currently feel they are at, 28% stated “15 years younger or more”, while 34% replied “10 years years or more”.

• Women are driving the Health & Wellness market forward.

This trend should come as no surprise, but the difference between male and female participation in healthy lifestyles continues to escalate. When we conducted our 2011 annual study, Healthy America was made up of 63% female and 37% male. That number has changed in our 2012 study to where now 65% of the segment is made up of women. More importantly, when asked who was the most significant person that influenced their healthy lifestyle decisions, 79% of all respondents mentioned a female.

For more information of the State of Healthy America 2012, or to receive a report when completed, please contact us here at Healthy Living Marketing. You can also view highlights of the 2011 report here.

Take for example Healthy Living Marketing’s client Sunrich Naturals’ SoL Sunflower Beverages, made with one of nature’s most potent superfoods – sunflower kernels. SoL is available in three flavors: Unsweetened, Original, and Vanilla. Each serving of dairy-free, gluten-free SoL delivers powerful cancer fighting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that promote heart and brain health, strengthen bones and teeth, and help maintain beautiful, younger looking skin in addition to folic acid which enhances prenatal health.

SoL is also allergy-friendly and a vegan product, meaning it is devoid of meat, eggs, dairy products, and all other animal-derived ingredients. SoL, and specifically the product’s attributes and benefits, are highly appealing to a wide range of healthy niche consumer audiences including those afflicted with food allergies, celiac disease, gluten sensitivities, as well as though looking for a dairy beverage replacement, and a product rich in Vitamin E, B, Folate and healthy fatty oils.

With a deep and wide spectrum of benefits, as a brand, we can now associate SoL with the much higher awareness of existing occasions and leverage those occasions in PR releases, story pitches to journalists, social media, and optimized-for-the-web content creation.  By doing so, we thrust the SoL brand into a much larger arena of awareness and potential reach. For instance, in just the past few months, SoL has become a part of the discussion, narrative, and news coverage around Brain Awareness Week, American Heart Month, National Nutrition Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Folic Acid Awareness Week, and even as a healthier alternative to Valentine’s Day baking activity.

SoL is not an exception to the rule. This “Multiple Benefits For Multiple Audiences” rule applies to the vast majority of functional products – from food and beverage, to supplements and beyond. Even for functional products as mundane as bottled water, by leveraging the nutritional attributes of the product and the corresponding benefits for health-inspired consumers, the product can become much more meaningful to those relevant niche but surprisingly large audiences.

To learn more about the “Multiple Benefits For Multiple Audiences” rule and Healthy Living Marketing utilizes this rule for enhanced client benefit, please contact us at (301) 378-0384 or contact us here.

Amy Pickle (a resident and business owner in Memphis, Tennessee) best captured her new relationship with food, and the motivations for a change in perception, when she recently said, “Eating mindfully has created a whole new relationship with food. I no longer live to eat; I eat to live. I eat to sustain my body and mind in the most optimal way possible, to ensure a healthy body, mind and spirit.”

In a recent Healthy America online panel of health-conscious U.S. adults*, age twenty-one to fifty-four, we first asked the panel, “Compared to last year at this time, are you or a family member paying closer attention to your food intake?”

A large majority of respondents (68%) said that they are paying much closer attention than ever before, with 12 percent saying that they are paying more attention than before. Another 10 percent said they were paying as much attention as before, with the remaining 10 percent stating that they were paying less attention than before.

When asked, “For those who have had a change in their attention to food intake, what has been the single-leading outside influence for the change?”, 55 percent said that the educational information shared on media and blogs was the single-leading contributor, with another 28 percent citing a family member or close friend, and only 5 percent citing a physician or dietician/nutritionist as the leading influencer for change.

As for the reasons why the change we asked the question, “What personally motivated you for the change in attention?” Realizing that this panel is already on their path to healthiness, the results were not surprising with over 45 percent stating that they wanted to maintain or improve their health. Interestingly enough, in respondent comments supplied during the panel survey, the notion of “Food as Fuel” came up time and time again. There is indeed a growing movement of people that views proper and nutritious food consumption as the fuel that enables themselves to sustain a higher degree of output during the day, whether it be for job performance, exercise or other outside interests and commitments.

Methodology

Healthy Living Marketing conducts a year-round national consumer panel of U.S. adults we’ve identified as “Health-inspired” and that have a demonstrated commitment to health by the types and frequency of the physical activities they participate in, and the ways and types of food and beverage purchases they consume. In all, our opt-in Healthy America panel consists of over 72,000 men and women, age twenty-one to fifty-four, from all regions of the country.

1. Make That Behavioral Change – it’s my hope, armed with information that reinforces the importance of healthy choices, that people and communities better define an accessible form of health for themselves, and determine how they can make discernable and rewarding healthy lifestyle improvements. Let’s not get tripped up in the details of how many calories consumed and expended, let’s focus upon what the end benefits will be for those choices. It might be keeping up with your friends and children, or it might be something as pragmatic as reducing your health care costs; it doesn’t matter, it has to be something that is deeply meaningful and important to that individual. As Marni Jameson, Your Health writer for the Orlando Sentinel puts it; “mindfulness must become the new mantra if Americans are going to override the many forces standing between them and their healthier, trimmer selves.”

2. Make A Healthy Lifestyle the Norm (and not just an isolated case) – with this as a guiding principle, communities, businesses, and individuals can align their activities around this principle in all that they do and create. From our food supply to community planning, from transportation to our education system, our vision of a healthy lifestyle for all should affect every element of our lives and society. As our current state of unhealthiness has taken us decades to create, it will surely take us years to readjust to this new paradigm, but we must start that process, and muster all of the resources required to measure progress and fulfill that vision over time. Through their actions, many communities here in the U.S. and elsewhere are making progress; modeling these communities and mining their successes for local application just makes sense.

3. Make Physical Education A Mandate In Our School Systems – interview anyone who as an adult is pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and more often than not, their first experience with the benefits of exercise and movement (let alone an appreciation for their own body) was from a school P.E. class. And yet, although a large majority of states mandate physical education in schools, most do not require a specific amount of instructional time for the subject, and more than half allow exemptions, waivers, and/or substitutions for students to skip P.E. all together. “These ‘loopholes’ continue to reduce the effectiveness of the mandate,” says a recent report by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the American Heart Association. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that children and adolescents do one hour or more of physical activity each day. However, according to data from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, less than one in four high-school students do so.

I offer these, not as an over-simplication of the issues at hand, but more so for what I view as three important, all be critical elements in creating healthier lifestyles for all. What does your vision for a Healthy Lifestyle look like? I’d truly like to know. Write me at Ed@HealthyLivingMarketing.com.

Traditional approaches, says Active Life, have had little impact because they are disconnected from a larger, cultural change solution. Healthy culture change requires a community of committed people, places and organization sufficient in size to make healthy the norm.

While most Americans do not fully understand the breadth and depth of the health crisis we find ourselves in, there is growing awareness that a crisis exists, not only affecting our quality of life, but our pocketbooks as well. One only has to look at the latest data to sense the urgency:

• At the current trend rate, 103 million American adults will be obese by the tear 2018.
• At the current rate, treating obesity-related illnesses will account for more than 21% of U.S. health care spending in the same year, accounting for an extra $860- 956 billion spent annually to treat obesity-related conditions.
• If the trends continue unabated, it’s estimated that by the year 2030, 86% of all Americans will be overweight or obese.
• According to a recent Gallup poll, 450 million days of work a year are missed in the U.S. because of weight and other health-related issues.

Better-For-You brands have a real opportunity, if not at obligation, to play a significant role in stemming this health crisis, and being a part of the solution.

Better-For-You Foods: It’s Just Good Business

According to a recent Hudson Institute report “Better-For-You Foods: It’s Just Good Business”, the packaged food and beverage companies that sell better-for-you products enjoy greater sales increases and returns.  Says Hudson Institute’s Hank Cardello, for the first time, we now have evidence that packaged food and beverage companies selling a higher percentage of better-for-you (BFY) products enjoy greater sales increases, operating profits, investor returns, and reputation scores.

The report also concluded that:

• BFY foods and beverages now account for just under 40 percent of sales in grocery, drug, and mass merchandisers.
• BFY products contributed over 70 percent of sales growth in the last 5 years.
• Companies that grew their BFY products more than their traditional ones delivered more than two times the operating profit growth
• Returns to shareholders were 1.5 times higher for companies selling above-average levels of BFY products.

Clearly there is growing demand for Better-For-You food and beverage products, with more and more people becoming more educated on what they consume, how they consume, and where they buy these products. And with companies realizing that there are profits to be realized and market share to be gained, companies and the public seeking healthier options can will benefit from shared mutual interests.

Track Better-For-You Market Trends

Healthy Living Marketing tracks major market trends that impact Better-For-You food and beverage brands. To receive updates on these important trends, please follow us on Twitter.

Guiding Stars

The Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program contains over 85,000 rated food items and recipes. Designed to make a positive and lasting impact on public health, and recently granted a U.S. Patent, the Guiding Stars algorithm credits good attributes (vitamins, minerals, fiber, whole grains) and debits bad ones (saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, added sodium, added sugars) to determine which foods will garner one (good), two (better), or three (best) stars. The more nutritional value a food has, the more Guiding Stars it receives.

And how has the Guiding Stars program affected the customer’s behavior in-store? According to a study published recent by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the Guiding Stars program has had a positive influence on food purchasing decisions after the implementation of the zero-to-three star rating system and that these changes continue to be significant in achieving healthier food choices in the supermarket. Their conclusion: Increasing rates of obesity and declining diet quality for Americans strongly support the need for effective supermarket point-of-purchase programs, such as the Guiding Stars nutrition navigation program, that provide clear, concise, and simplified nutrition information to guide shoppers’ food and beverage choices.

NuVal System

Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the NuVal System helps shoppers see – at a glance – the nutritional value of the food you buy. How?

NuVal Scores summarize comprehensive nutritional information in one simple number between 1 and 100. Each NuVal Score takes into account more than just the nutrition fact panel.  It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors – the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol). The higher the NuVal Score, the better the nutrition.

The NuVal Nutritional Scoring System is powered by the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI), a patent-pending algorithm for measuring the nutritional quality of foods and beverages based on the influence they have on overall dietary goals.

Developed by a team of leading nutrition, public health, and medical experts, the ONQI algorithm uses the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs – quantitative reference values for recommended intakes of nutrients) and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to quantify the presence of more than 30 nutrients – including vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants; sugar, salt, trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. The system also incorporates measures for the quality of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as calories and omega-3 fats. The NuVal System also takes into account how these nutrients influence health based on broadly accepted, published scientific literature.

The NuVal System takes into account other key factors that measure the quality and density of nutrients, as well as the strength of their association with specific health conditions. For example, trans fat has a very strong association with heart disease, a highly prevalent and serious condition. Therefore, the NuVal™ System assigns a “weighting coefficient” to trans fat that substantially lowers the Score of foods containing it. Those weighting coefficients are determined by the prevalence, severity, and strength of association with health conditions.

Nutrients for inclusion in the NuVal System were selected based on their established relevance to public health as reported and published by the scientific community.

Other National Grocers Produce Their Own Systems

Supermarket chains like Safeway and Publix in the southeastern U.S. have chosen to go solo, and while, not as comprehensive at Guiding Stars or NuVal, are making progress in advising their own customer’s needs. For instance, in the case of Safeway’s Simple Nutrition program, there are 22 benefit messages including messages for lifestyle/dietary needs and specific nutrition or ingredient criteria.

Healthy Living Marketing stays on top of the trends that impact the success of Better-For-You food and beverage brands. To remain on top of these trends, be sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Consider some of the latest trends we have been observing that having an impact –

Health Insurance Costs Continue To Rise Significantly

According to the Kaiser Foundation, the average annual premium for family coverage through an employer reached $15,073 in 2011, an increase of 9% over the previous year. Worse yet, the cost for the same coverage is expected to rise to over $ 35,000 by the year 2025. At this pace, employees will be asked to share more and more of these costs, placing a premium on the importance of health and well-being as a personal preventive strategy.

Americans Are Disconnected From Their Food

According to a recent national survey conducted by US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, a staggering 72 % surveyed know nothing or very little about farming and ranching. And yet, 70% of those same respondents aid their purchase decisions are affected by how food is grown and raised, while 72% say they think about the topic when purchasing groceries. Another important finding of the survey shows that people expect farmers to produce healthy foods, with 79% of those surveyed saying producing healthy choices for all is very important for farmers and ranchers to consider when planning farming and ranching practices.

Are Americans’ Eating Habits Improving?

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) just released the results of its ongoing Nutrition and You trends survey. More than 750 adults were asked by phone about their habits and beliefs regarding diet and nutrition, and the findings are interesting. Here are some highlights:

When asked “On a one to seven scale, how important is diet and nutrition to you personally?” 67% said “very important”, with many more women than men (73 vs. 59% ) saying they believed diet and nutrition are “very important.”

When asked “Are you doing all you can to achieve balanced nutrition and a healthy diet?” 49% responded yes.

And finally, and a very telling question that has stimulated a lot of further questions and discussion, the reasons cited for not doing more to achieve a healthy diet and good nutrition included:

• I don’t want to give up the foods I like (82%)

• I am satisfied with the way I currently eat (75%)

• It takes too much time to keep track of my diet (62%)

• I need more practical tips to help me eat right (47%)

• I don’t know or understand the guidelines for diet and nutrition (40%)

And yet, sadly statistics that bear out the reality of it all, tell us otherwise.

At Healthy Living Marketing, we are constantly tracking trends that impact our Better-For-You clients’ business. We invite you to follow these trends on Twitter (@HLPromo) and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HLMarketing.

Gym Memberships Are On The Rise

Gym membership nationwide in 2010 reached an all-time high of 50.2 million members, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, which surveyed nearly 40,000 individuals on their gym habits. Gym members used their health club an average of 98 days in 2010 — slightly less than twice a week.

When it comes to working out, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts comes out on top for gym memberships. One out of four state residents belonged to a health club in 2010 — more than in any other state. Complimented with time outside the gym doing other physically-active activities, and the local citizenry is well on its way to being one of the healthiest in the country.

United Nations Convenes On The Prevention And Control Of Non-Communicable Diseases

For the first time since meeting on the Aids epidemic on a health issue, world leaders are gathering in New York for a high-level meeting of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on the prevention and control of Non-communicable Diseases. According to the UN, the four main non-communicable diseases—cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases and diabetes—kill three in five people worldwide, and cause immense socioeconomic harm.

Bad Health Impacts Us All

In today’s largely sedentary American work environment, these NCDs (or chronic diseases) are driving up the cost of healthcare; and causing U.S. businesses to suffer considerable financial losses due to lost productivity resulting from absenteeism, disability, and presenteeism (being sick at work). Yet, many of these NCDs can be prevented, mitigated, and/or managed with regular exercise, proper diet, and healthy lifestyle behaviors. In fact, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) that came out in advance of the UN meeting, 87% of all U.S. deaths are due to largely preventable NCDs. Tie that to the fact that 43% of the U.S. population is physically inactive, and we have a real problem – socially and economically.

Benefits For Business

Researchers have documented anywhere from $1.49 to $13.00 return for every dollar invested in employee wellness. Studies show that employees who exercise at least once a week, regardless of their weight, have lower health care costs than their sedentary co-workers. One study, in fact, showed that active employees take 27% fewer sick days and report 14 to 25% fewer disability days than inactive employees. What’s more, workplace wellness programs help attract and retain talented employees.

One expert aptly summarized “Exercise and other workplace wellness programs can help curb the dramatic rise that we are seeing in these non-communicable diseases,” said Moore. “But these programs also bring significant financial benefits to businesses.”

National Food Day

Designed to be similar to Earth Day where environmental awareness has been piqued over the years, the October 24th has been designated as the inaugural Food Day. Seeking to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—Food Day is set to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are the Honorary Co-Chairs for Food Day 2011, and the day is sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit watchdog group that has led successful fights for food labeling, better nutrition, and safer food since 1971.

Food Day’s goals are to –

• Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

• Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

• Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

• Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms

• Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

• Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

For further insight on how new market trends and developments are impacting Better-For-You food & beverage brands, please contact Healthy Living Marketing or call (301) 378-0384.

Recent data points that reinforce this trend include the following:

The global food allergy and intolerance products market is projected to exceed $26 billion by 2017, according to a new report from CompaniesAndMarkets.com. The sector’s explosive growth is expected to continue due to increased diagnosis of digestive health conditions, growing interest for wheat-free and gluten-free diets, improved labeling regulations, and tastier innovations in the category.

According to the Food Allergy and Intolerance Products: A Global Strategic Business Report, the rise in the health-conscious consumer segment has manufacturers investing in “free-from” foods such as those containing less or no gluten, wheat, lactose, cow’s milk, nuts, egg, soy and ominous additives. The market witnessed an avalanche of new product launches in 2010 with savory snacks, energy bars, baking ingredients/mixes, chocolates, and cookies topping the list of new gluten-free introductions.

The large rise in demand for lactose free products has also led several Better-For-You brand companies to focus on formulation of dairy-free products through the modification of their processing techniques.

The report goes on to state that the biggest market for food allergy and intolerance products is the United States, where an estimated 10% of the population has difficulties digesting gluten. Gluten-free foods represent the fastest-growing segment. While gluten-free foods have been targeted at celiac suffers who are required to avoid gluten to lead a healthy life, the products also are embraced by people who perceive that gluten-free diet can help in treatment of disorders such as autism, chronic fatigue, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, multiple sclerosis, migraine and fertility problems.

People Aim to Choose Healthier Foods

According to the 18th Annual Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition commissioned by the United Soybean Board, Americans in 2011 overwhelmingly say they are trying to choose foods that maximize nutrition and health.

In 2011, 87% of those polled expressed concern about the nutritional content of the food they eat, with seven out of ten saying they havechanged their eating habits in the past 3-5 years due to health concerns. Most people (92 percent) find health and nutrition information important when searching for healthy foods at the grocery store. Just under half (49 percent) of Americans feel that information about health and nutrition is too confusing, while 90 percent review the Nutrition Facts panel on packaging when deciding which foods to purchase.

Economic times are tough, but that doesn’t stop people’s interests in adopting healthier behaviors.

Brandspark International and Better Homes & Gardens Magazine recently released the results of their third annual shopper study which included surveys of more than 63,000 American shoppers.

According to the survey, and specific to Food & Health:

• 8 in 10 consumers are looking for products that are healthy.

• 5 in 10 Americans consider themselves to be overweight.

• 7 in 10 consumers are trying to reduce their consumption of processed foods.

• 6 in 10 consumers are looking for food products that can reduce the risk of major health issues.

• 7 in 10 consumers are concerned about the amount of fat in their diet.

According to Robert Levy, President of BrandSpark International, “we have seen much innovation over the past few years and can expect this trend to continue. From a nutritional point of view, consumers are looking for food products that can help them stay healthy and prevent illness. We can also expect to see continued focus on natural ingredients for food, and continued attempts to help consumers eat healthier snacks and control their portion sizes.”

To gain a foothold on a greater understanding of the Better-For-You food and beverage marketplace, and the implications it has upon your branded business, please contact us at (301) 378-0384.