NPD REPORTS AMERICANS KIDDING THEMSELVES WHEN IT COMES TO NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS AND DIETINGThat New Crash Diet in January Probably Won't Start Until March, If EverPORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, December 18, 2002 -- It is New Year's resolution time and many Americans are making new promises to themselves about getting a jump-start on a diet and exercise plan. But a new study by The NPD Group Inc., the leading market research firm tracking Americans' eating patterns, shows people are kidding themselves. There is a huge disconnect between what people say and what they actually do when it comes to their weight and eating habits. Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group's Food Consulting Service and author of the 17th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America, says one example of this disconnect is that New Year's resolutions typically get thrown out before the Christmas decorations are even down. "More people than ever before say they want to lose 20 pounds. In January they have intentions to get started, and in fact their focus is on getting active, with gym memberships often rising, but our study shows they're not going to do a darn thing about dieting until March. That's the month when we start to see some actual changes in diet," said Balzer. NPD found 63 percent of Americans say they want to lose at least 20 pounds. This is up significantly from 52 percent of Americans who said they wanted to lose 20 pounds in 1990. NPD data shows the desire to lose weight is especially strong among baby boomers, 68 percent of whom say they want to lose a lot of weight. But what are Americans doing about it? NPD research shows people are actually dieting less than they did 10 years ago, are less focused on counting calories and are spending less time planning nutritious meals. The result: a detailed examination of household eating habits shows diets overall are becoming consistently more out of sync with the USDA's Healthy Eating Index. "We are not eating healthier over time, in fact our diets continue to get worse," said Balzer, who's followed Americans eating habits for 25 years. Instead of counting calories, fat or sugar, Americans increasingly focus on food that simply pleases them most. Seventy-one percent of those surveyed said the most important thing about food is that it looks good, smells good and tastes good, compared to 53 percent who believed this in 1990. Americans often kid themselves about exercise, too. More than 60 percent of American adults say they exercise strenuously at least once a week, but it is estimated that between one-third and one-half of our weight gain is the result of inactivity. "People just aren't honest with themselves," said Balzer. NPD research shows the most frequent exercise is something most of us do anyhow: Walking. Balzer, the expert on American's eating patterns, notes people's eating habits change every five years or so. During the 1980s, many people were focused on reducing their cholesterol intake. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, they became more focused on adding to their diets with vitamins and products fortified with healthy minerals. Now, Balzer predicts, people will turn to medical shortcuts for weight loss, like tummy tucks and gastric by-pass operations. "We could be looking at a tummy-tuck tent in malls for a quick fix. Americans are looking for the easiest way out and it will not be running more marathons," said Balzer. The NPD study also shows:
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Methodology Over 8000 Americans are surveyed by NPD on their daily consumption of food and beverages over a two-week period. That information is supplemented with data collected in 35 NPD databases from consumers, manufacturers, retailers and restaurant operators. To purchase NPDFoodworld's "17th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America," contact Harry Balzer at 847-692-1704 or harry_balzer@npd.com. About NPDFoodworld® NPDFoodworld is the definitive online source of essential market information and insights for the food and foodservice industries. NPDFoodworld offers a complete overview of what Americans eat both at home and in restaurants. Clients gain a unique perspective on eating trends and industry performance. As the only resource of its kind, NPDFoodworld provides the information needed to make critical business decisions. For more information on NPDFoodworld, visit www.npdfoodworld.com. About The NPD Group, Inc. The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD) is a global market information company that measures product movement and consumer behavior across a broad range of industries -- apparel, automotive products, consumer electronics, cosmetics and fragrances, food, foodservice, footwear, housewares, information technology, interactive entertainment, toys and music. NPD's clients, many in the Fortune 500, use this insight to uncover market opportunities, strengthen channel relationships and benchmark industry performance. Since 1967, NPD has introduced numerous industry firsts, most recently combining and calibrating information from consumer panels and point-of-sale tracking via its flagship services, the NPD Worlds. The firm has offices and affiliations in 60 countries. For more information on The NPD Group, visit http://www.npd.com. NPDFoodworld is a registered trademark of The NPD Group, Inc. |