More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and seeking ways to tackle obesity has become a top priority for US health authorities, as overweight people are at significantly higher risk of developing hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
However, Mintel’s research found that 71 percent of Americans think they are in excellent or good health – and only a quarter of survey respondents said they have been diagnosed as, or think they are, obese or overweight.
Senior analyst at Mintel Krista Faron told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “I think there is just a tremendous amount of self-deception. At the core, very few people want to admit they are not healthy.”
"Right now we say one thing, but then our actions contradict those perceptions and best intentions,” she said. “All companies, from healthcare to food, need to get adults who are at risk or ill to recognize their issues, accept responsibility and make lifestyle changes.”
Food makers’ role
Faron said that although the emphasis should be about getting Americans to take responsibility and make the first move towards a better lifestyle, food companies can also play a part in helping people to make healthy choices.
“I really want to emphasize that more important than anything else is personal responsibility,” she said. “But specific guidelines and recommendations are what’s most helpful. We are overwhelmed with messages on healthy eating but on a very general level…What we need is very, very targeted guidance that moves beyond these general guidelines.”
She mentioned personalized plans in particular as a way to help individuals change their lifestyles, such as iPhone applications and internet-based diet plans.
“Of course, it’s always going to boil down to consumers to make the first move,” she added.
Broader choice, affordable choice
In addition, she said that companies should be offering as many healthy choices as they can, although she admitted that this is something that food companies are already striving toward.
“Manufacturers should continue to broaden their portfolios…They need to make those choices available and also affordable, which has been a sticking point in the past.”
The survey also found many behavioral contradictions, with 65 percent of respondents saying they are trying to eat healthier foods, but 59 percent saying they eat the foods they like “regardless of calories”.
Nine in ten survey respondents said they think it is either very or somewhat important to live a healthy lifestyle.