Half of U.S. consumers want to lose weight

Even though we are already a month and a half into 2020, some resolutions remain top of mind for U.S. consumers. According to The NPD Group, losing weight is still a top goal for half of the U.S. adult population. Some of these consumers will not follow a diet plan, opting instead to lose weight by carefully choosing the food they eat, while about 25% of consumers will adhere to a diet plan.

Instead of adhering to a formalized diet or nutrition plan, 16% of consumers say that they are following “my own” diet, which might include eating more healthful foods and beverages, limiting the amount of food eaten, and other changes in eating behaviors. The keto diet, which began in the 1920s as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy and became popular as a weight loss and muscle building diet several years ago, is followed by 5% of U.S. adults. Another 4% of adults follow intermittent fasting, the popularity of which has been fueled by medical studies showing the effectiveness of this diet in improving overall health. The remaining percentages of consumers who follow a diet plan to lose weight is fragmented across a host of other diet programs, reported NPD.

“From the standpoint of food manufacturers and foodservice operators, dieting and trying to lose weight are big consumer behaviors,” said Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst. “The opportunity is to help consumers follow through on their goals by positioning products and menu items to a specific diet, like keto-friendly, or innovate on new products that deliver on what consumers are looking for in terms of dieting or losing weight.”

Press release