December 2011/Prepared Foods -- “All of the blame is being put on food/beverage manufacturing companies and not enough blame or self-reflection on the consumers and parents. Having a soft drink at a meal would be O.K., if parents would make their kids get away from the computers, TV, video games and get moving outside…being active both physically and mentally.”
“It is about the quantity of food. We have trained ourselves in the U.S. to think a serving of meat is equal to two to three decks of cards [in volume] vs. one deck of cards. Or, a serving of cereal is one bowl, which in most cases is 2-3 servings’ worth.”
“Often, people want to place the whole of the blame on the food industry. However, if demand for (unhealthy) products didn’t exist, the industry would not create them.”
-- Respondents to the “2011 Prepared Foods’ R&D Trends Survey: Weight Management Formulations”
During a period of time between July 27-August 15, 2011, Prepared Foods magazine, in conjunction with BNP Media’s Market Research Division, conducted its annual “2011 Prepared Foods’ R&D Trends Survey: Weight Management Formulations.” The focus was to provide information on current trends and growth opportunities for manufacturers and marketers of weight-control products.
Beyond ingredient- and formulation-oriented data presented in this piece, the passion of the subjects shows through. The survey’s 228 respondents volunteered 156 comments on the issue, some of which are scattered throughout this article. Indeed, the crisis of overweight populations is a global one that impacts virtually every country, and the food industry is responding.
The Cost of Obesity “Consumers will look to foods and diet first, before exercise and other lifestyle changes, when it comes to weight control and management.”
“Cost and convenience will continue to be drivers of obesity in North America; moderation may be the most effective approach.”
-- Respondents to the “2011 Prepared Foods’ R&D Trends Survey: Weight Management Formulations”
The issue of being overweight goes beyond personal well-being. Obesity extracts a huge economic burden on society. The January 2011 issue of the McKinsey Quarterly notes, “An obesity pandemic has put pressure on healthcare systems throughout the world.” It reports the UK spent over £4 billion on obesity-related medical costs in 2007, and the U.S. now spends some $160 billion a year; the amount could double by 2018. The newsletter relayed that indirect costs attributed to obesity are even greater and amount to at least $450 billion annually. Examples of indirect costs include $90 billion, due to incremental food expenses, and $30 billion for plus-size clothing paid by individuals. Costs footed by employers include $70 billion in decreased employee productivity and $30 billion in absenteeism.
In an economy where national debt (more than $14 trillion) plays a pivotal political and public policy role, one should ponder the nearly half a trillion dollars per year in costs due to overweight and obese citizens.
While the U.S. is said to lead the world in obesity, other nations are vying for the lead. A World Health Organization table (http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp) lists, by country, the percent of adults that have BMIs equal or over 25 (i.e., that are overweight or obese). They caution the data is not directly comparable; however, it indicates the global nature of the challenge. The table reports 66.9% of the U.S. population was overweight or obese in 2005-2006. Populations in the South Pacific may be even heavier. Some 73.7% of French Polynesians were overweight/obese in 1995, and 93.5% of American Samoans in 2004. Other countries with rates similar to the U.S. include: Panama (67.4% overweight or obese from 1999 data), Saudi Arabia (72.5% in 1995-2000), UK/Northern Ireland (61% in 2002) and Germany (66.5% in 2002-2003).
Who were the leanest? According to the WHO chart, Vietnam checked in with 5.2% in 2002, and 1998 data puts India at 4.5% as overweight or obese. However, obesity levels are creeping up in developing economies, as well. More recent data projected India’s overweight/obesity rate at 18-20% for 2010. See http://tinyurl.com/yj8722d.