Low-carb dieters come unstuck quickly
low-carb band-wagon as an increasing number of reports are
suggesting that this fad is slowly running out of favour with
consumers. A survey published yesterday by the Harman Group stated
that Americans find low-carb diets twice as difficult to stick to
as all other diets.
The study found that only 14 percent of low-carb dieters actually quit the diet because they had reached their weight loss goal, compared to 29 percent of all weight loss dieters.
This discrepancy was explained by the relative difficulty of keeping to a low-carb diet. Fifty-two percent of those who quit a low-carb diet did so because "it was too hard to maintain", while only 26 percent of people on other diets quit because they had had enough.
"Our research has shown time and time again that true marketplace change is consumer driven," said Harvey Hartman, founder, chairman and CEO of the Hartman Group. "It is imperative that the food and beverage industry understand the true consumer behavior underlying the hype that so often accompanies consumer trends."
Last week, NutraIngredientsUSA's sister publication FoodandDrinkEurope, reported that the US market research firm InsightExpress suggested that more than half of American consumers who have tried a low-carb diet have already given it up, preferring instead to count calories and fat content as a more effective means of losing weight.
InsightExpress' survey showed that fewer than 10 percent of Americans are currently on a low-carb diet, and that even fewer are likely to start one, with most participants citing "efficacy shortfalls and the perception that low-carb foods and diets are an unhealthy way to eat" as the main reason for avoiding low-carb regimes.
More importantly, perhaps, the survey also found that consumers place carbohydrates lower on the list of important nutritional considerations when selecting groceries than other factors such as calorie content (the top consideration for 40 per cent of those questioned), fat (37 per cent) and cholesterol (31 per cent). Carbohydrate content was the deciding factor for just 30 per cent of Americans.
"Based upon consumer attitudes and opinions, manufacturers of food products may want to carefully consider committing additional product development, marketing, and financial resources to low-carb offerings," said Lee Smith, president and COO of InsightExpress.
