Change is hard. A review of consumers’ progress in shifting to healthier lifestyles is a testament to that fact.
Yes, consumers have made some changes, increasing spending on fruits and vegetables, “light” products, and functional foods and beverages, for instance.
But, as a whole, these changes are not enough. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers are still overweight or obese, and consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains are dramatically below where they should be.
CPG manufacturers and retailers have addressed growing consumer demand for healthier products through heavy investment in new product development, health and wellness marketing and consumer education on websites and in-store.
The next phase will be more about getting ahead of consumer demand -- stimulating new demand by making healthy eating easy, affordable and accessible to all.