The 2005 US HealthFocus Trend Report builds on evidence amassed by the company over the past 16 years, during which time more than 16,000 households have been quizzed as to their shopping and eating attitudes.
According to HealthFocus president Linda Gilbert, many of the emerging health and wellness trends are now converging to reshape how consumers think about their health.
In particular, health is now intrinsically tied up in consumers' minds with notions of wellness - that is, physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. Nutrition is, of course, a crucial part of this, but it is by no means the be-all and end-all. Eating choices must be balanced with other aspects of life, too.
By taking this into account and marketing products that play to the whole picture, companies can improve their chances in a sector where multinationals are competing with innovative start-ups to deliver healthy options that consumers actually want.
"This is a critical time for brands and companies to consider their strategies and how they align to where shoppers are headed in their thinking and behavior toward health," said Gilbert.
All about attitude
Picking up on the importance of overall wellness to the consumer, one of the key pieces of advice contained in the report is that the health benefits of a product should connect on an attitudinal or emotional level, not just play to physical needs or rational judgment.
The best of all worlds
However healthy a product is or is perceived to be, it is not going to be a best-seller unless it tastes good.
"More than ever, Taste is King and Pleasure is Queen," according to the report.
Consumers today - especially the baby boom generation - feel they are entitled to the best of all possible worlds: both taste and nutrition; luxury and affordability; natural and convenience.
Marketers should therefore resist compromising indulgence by highlighting the health side too heavily, but rather deliver a doubly-attractive product by marrying up the 'virtuous' with the 'irresistible'.
Weight loss gains
When it comes to weight loss, the report notes that consumers are no longer concentrating on reaching an ideal weight, but on managing the consequences of being overweight - be they social, financial or health-based. Moreover, healthy choices that consumers can actually live seem to be ousting strict diet regimes.
HealthFocus' advice on weight loss products is two pronged: speak to the consequences or benefits of weight loss - such as increased energy or combating tiredness, rather than the pound-shedding process; and replace the deprivation message with one of satisfaction, built around satiety and hunger management.
Measurable results
Consumers do find nutritional solutions believable, according to the report, and are constantly looking for new ways to help their body's natural processes function better - be it through oats for high cholesterol, fortified water or whole grains.
But they also want to see proven results and have resources at their fingertips to test efficacy. Marketers can avoid falling foul of consumer skepticism by stating the results they can expect to achieve.
What's inside
Another area in which the general public is increasingly savvy is ingredients. HealthFocus predicts that there will be a backlash against chemicals in their food, in the form of chemical calories, fake fats, monosodium glutamate and artificial sweeteners. Instead, they will be looking to detox and cleanse their systems.
Given the number of new health foods ingredients that are becoming popular, such as prebiotics, probiotics and phytochemicals, manufacturers must keep abreast of the latest developments, and learn how nutrients and ingredients can be combined for the best possible benefit.