A combination of demographic and lifestyle changes — including an ageing population, lack of exercise in daily life and changing eating habits — has meant that obesity levels have been rising steadily in the UK. This has led to a growing interest in finding weight-loss methods as part of a healthy lifestyle among consumers, the Government and industry.
The popularity of foods that are low in fat and/or sugar has increased during the past decade. Although they were originally marketed mainly on a slimming platform, the focus has turned increasingly to the overall health benefits of reducing the consumption of fat and sugar. The market for reduced-fat and -sugar products has undergone steady growth between 2002 and 2006.
The low-carbohydrate products market was non-existent before January 2004, but grew rapidly in value due to the popularity of eating plans such as the Atkins Diet, which advocated cutting down drastically on the consumption of carbohydrates. However, this proved to be a short-lived trend and the total market for low-carbohydrate food and drink fell sharply in value during 2006.
Despite continuing concerns about obesity levels, and a desire on the part of most consumers to achieve a healthy weight, specialist slimming products (meal replacements, appetite controllers and suppressants, and very-low-calorie diets [VLCDs]) have never achieved mainstream popularity and are unlikely to do so. One reason for this is that many health professionals disapprove of `quick fix' methods of weight loss, preferring to try and encourage people to achieve their desired weight by changing their lifestyles to incorporate healthier eating regimes and more exercise.
Total consumer expenditure on health and fitness is difficult to pinpoint exactly, as it involves different types of spending. Figures from the Family Spending Survey indicate that expenditure on sports and fitness participation by UK consumers declined between 2002 and 2004, but increased again thereafter, although these figures also include expenditure on subscriptions to social clubs.
Key Note forecasts that the reduced-fat and -sugar products market will grow steadily between 2007 and 2011, but that the low-carbohydrate products market will undergo a rapid decline in value. The market for specialist slimming foods will remain relatively flat during the forecast period, while consumer expenditure on sports and fitness participation will enjoy only small year-on-year increases.
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