Around the world and here at home, researchers are investigating consumer behavior as it relates to healthy eating. What follows are summaries of key studies that look at the many facets of this fascinating issue: from which kinds of healthy food items consumers prefer to how to ensure that a switch to healthy choices is a profitable one for everyone.
You can read the summaries below. Then use the box at right to download the resources you're interested in.
ROVERETO, Italy — Is Europe bringing back the automat? Claudio Torghele hopes so.
Over the last decade, Mr. Torghele, 56, an entrepreneur in this northern Italian city who first made money selling pasta in California, has developed a vending machine that cooks pizza. The machine does not just slip a frozen pizza into a microwave. It actually whips up flour, water, tomato sauce and fresh ingredients to produce a piping hot pizza in about three minutes.
The machine, which Mr. Torghele calls Let’s Pizza, is only the spearhead of a trend. Restaurants reminiscent of the old Horn & Hardart chain in the United States, which are fully automatic, are also showing up around the Continent.
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This study highlights the importance of communications since it shows that a lack of clear information is what prevents many British Columbians from making healthier diet choices. The study reveals that the prime barrier to “taking action” is the misperception that healthy food is too expensive and that exercise is always too time consuming. The report reviews what causes “information clutter,” and suggests how to avoid using confusing, misinformed or competing messages.
This study looks ahead at Canadian food and beverage consumption to the year 2020 and provides valuable insight into consumer trends. By 2020, for example, there will be fewer children in Canada than 2004. Consumers will be even more disconnected from food preparation, and if existing patterns continue, there will be more prepared foods and takeout. But the study also shows Canadians are becoming more educated label readers and are seeking to more actively manage their health and prevent disease, and that by 2020, brand choice will become less of a status symbol and more about expression of individualism. The report looks at developing opportunities for domestic agriculture and the agri-food sector, given these trends.
Creating Healthy Environments for Youth: Arena Survey ReportThis brief overview provides background information on a healthy food choices initiative undertaken in two pilot arenas in southern Ontario. Early results show that patrons have been very receptive to healthy food options and these menu items often sell out. As for what motivated consumers to purchase specific items, convenience topped the list (73%) followed by cost (13%), freshness (8%) and volume or size (6%). Currently, the top five items purchased (from most to least) are: coffee, tea, pop and sport drinks, French fries, chips and popcorn.
This study done by Strottman International Inc. provides valuable insights into the way kids perceive issues related to healthy eating, sickness and disease and obesity. For example, kids care about making a healthy food choice only “for Mom's sake” and not necessarily for “health's sake” (63% said eating healthy food “will make mom/dad happy”). It also reported which stereotypes prevail: children strongly associate overweight body figures with kids who are picked on, but rank sedentary lifestyle and obesity low in “dangerousness” compared to wearing a seatbelt or smoking.
This commentary by the Eldorado County Health Officer provides a compelling argument for employers to consider the benefits of providing healthy food and beverage choices where products are available for sale through vending machines. In short, the report finds that cleaning out junk foods from workplace vending machines will improve the bottom line: healthier workers are absent less. So the report says it's time for employers to do their part to address the obesity issue, which is the number one driver of the rising incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stoke and cancer.
This U.K. report produced by the Soil Association and Organix (a food company that campaigns to raise standards in the quality of food fed to children) provides an important industry perspective. The report reveals a “shocking disconnection” between the aspirations of policies on health eating and the kind of food and drink for sale in hospitals and sports centres across England and Wales. The Soil Association and Organix conclude that “Hospitals and sports centres should be beacons of best practice, where good food is readily available and healthy eating messages are communicated to the public.”
This article provides an important overview of a strategic marketing initiative undertaken by a major U.S. food retailer to promote healthier food choices in their stores. The initiative was undertaken in response to clear customer desires, and provides strong evidence of the industry's leadership role in providing healthy alternatives. The system uses independently developed criteria that ranks products' nutritional qualities using a star system. This concept of a hierarchy of health is what sets this program apart from other programs that use logo systems as a way to call out products' healthful attributes. The star rating system has been successful because it helps address an unmet consumer demand for a simple and convenient way to shop for healthy foods.
This 2002 report published by the Health Education Trust in the U.K., describes a study designed to investigate the economic viability of providing healthier drink alternatives in school-based vending machines in 12 schools. For both suppliers and retailers, the report contains important business information regarding sales and profitability. Five things made the difference in cases where schools were commercially successful: the location of vending machines — that they were easy to supervise and stock; machine/ product harmony — a good match between the characteristics of the machine and product it provides; staff commitment to the benefits of healthier food choices for kids; customer education; and monitoring product sales and maintaining stocks of healthy choice items.
This Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Report shows how Canadian universities, governments and industry are leading the way in creating functional foods and natural health products to feed the global appetite for healthy lifestyles.
