According to the US department of health, about 50% of adults in America struggle with preventable chronic diseases. Many of these diseases were reported to be related to physical inactivity and poor eating habits. These range from cardiovascular diseases to poor bone health, to type 2 diabetes.
Work done by May and colleagues (2012) showed that the overall prevalence of hypertension/prehypertension among US adolescents who are aged between 12 and 19 was 14%. 22% of this demography was also reported to have borderline high/high low density lipoprotein cholesterol. This study concluded that youth who are obese or overweight are predisposed to cardiovascular risk. Reports by Harrell and colleagues show that obesity in US children have tripled between 1970 and 2000, risk of cardiovascular diseases has also increased as well. The study concluded by recommending tackling the problem of obesity instead of focusing on other problems that may have stemmed from it.
Food is important to overall well-being, while this fact may not be new, the interesting point here is that, consumers are catching on to this important fact. The shift in consumer perspectives is fueling the growth of new food brands catering to the need of the health conscious consumer.
As emerging technology brings information to the fingertips of consumers, people’s perspective on food & health continue to evolve. These educated consumers are driving change in the marketplace. However, the trends observed in the industry today may be the tip of the iceberg as consumers continue to demand transparency from food brands.
Label Insight Food Revolution Study which surveyed 1500 consumers reported that 83% of respondents find value in having more information about their food products beyond information on the label. 37% of respondents are willing to switch brands to favor brands that provide more information. As consumers continue to explore food as a way to improve their overall well-being, two educators with keen interest in food weigh in on what the food industry needs to pay attention to attract and maintain brand loyalty.
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