First, the composition of the American household is changing. Children are the leading consumers of cookies; 97% of those under the age of 12 eat the treats, according to the Simmons (New York) 2003 Kids Survey. However, fewer of today's households have children present. As such, the category is adapting: sales of premium cookies, targeted primarily at adults, have increased sales steadily between 1999 and 2004, the period under review in Mintel's report.
Second, cookies are not considered healthful, on the whole, by consumers. Trans fatty acids, common in cookies and considered “bad” by consumers, must be listed beginning in 2005. Plus, the category's fare is not noted for its lack of sugar, fat or calories. This is important when considering the increased attention more Americans are paying to their eating habits, as the consequences of the long-term effects of obesity seep into the public's consciousness. Particular attention has been paid to childhood obesity and to the high-fat, sugar-rich foods consumed by the youth of America.