BWI: Nielsen’s Global Survey Indicates Urban Indians Wary of Weight Gain

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Nielsen Global Survey
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 12:25 PM IST (06:55 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Economy, Food & drink, Lifestyle, People, Social issues; Business: Business services, Clothing & accessories, Healthcare, biotechnology & pharmaceutical, Household & personal care products & services, Media & entertainment, Retailers; Healthcare
--------------------------------------------------
Nielsen's Global Survey Indicates Urban Indians Wary of Weight Gain
Almost half actively trying to lose weight with more choosing exercise over dietary change; Intend to reduce processed foods in favor of natural foods as skepticism towards health claims on food labels persist

New Delhi, Delhi and Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Tuesday, January 24, 2012 -- (Business Wire India) -- Nielsen, a leading global provider of insights and analytics around what consumers watch and buy, today released a new report indicating that in urban India, almost forty two percent of online consumers feel that they are overweight. Amongst those attempting to control their weight, an exercise regimen is the most preferred option chosen by 79 percent. The next most popular option is making dietary changes, as indicated by 65 percent of consumers who consider themselves overweight.

There is also a preference for natural, organic foods as well as an increased desire to reduce the intake of processed foods.

Nielsen's 2011 Global Survey of more than 25,000 Internet respondents in 56 countries also shows that globally, approximately half of all consumers surveyed (48%) are trying to lose weight and of those, more than three-quarters (78%) are trying to lose weight through dieting. Other countries where respondents prefer exercising to changing their diet are Thailand and South Korea. Consumers in North America and European countries indicate a preference for changing their diet in order to lose weight.

"The urban Indian consumer is still focused on being healthy but more seem to think that physical exercise is perhaps more effective than dietary changes. This is in contrast to the developed world where dietary changes are preferred - indicating an opportunity for food manufacturers and retailers to be a solution-provider to the weight-conscious Indian shopper. This trend has already been a source of innovation for some marketers but we feel the demand within this market hasn't been fully tapped yet." said Adrian Terron, Executive Director, Retailer & Shopper, Nielsen India

Changes in Diet

A closer look at the dietary shifts intended by Indian consumers who are making changes to their diet lists the cutting down of fatty foods as being the strategy of choice by a majority (77%),of online consumers, followed closely by a reduction in intake of chocolates and sugar (67%) . This is lower than in 2008, when over eighty percent of those making dietary changes were consuming less fatty foods, and over seventy percent were consuming less sugar.

On opting for a healthier option, given a choice between products with sugar content, but without artificial substitutes versus products which might have reduced calories with artificial substitutes, 40 percent of respondents respond that neither option is healthy.

A Fresher Perspective on Food

Across urban India, fresh and organic foods are preferred by over 60 percent of respondents who are changing their diet to lose weight, while over half of them are reducing their consumption of processed foods and a nearly half proportion intend to reduce the amount of food to they consume.

In keeping with the focus on consuming healthy foods, Indian consumers are shopping for food items that promote health benefits. Slightly more than half of urban Indian consumers claim to regularly shop for whole grain, high fibre products and purchase iodine enhanced cooking salt, followed by buying cholesterol reducing oils (37%) and fruit juices with added supplements. Yoghurts, soy milk and drinks containing 'good' bacteria appeal to only over a tenth of consumers surveyed.

"The shift towards more natural, fresh foods highlights the need for food manufacturers and retailers to recognize that a more aware, health-conscious shopper is looking at processed food and its impact on their health more closely. In such a scenario, products with natural ingredients that promote authentic health benefits are more likely to stand out and be included in the regular purchase cycle" said Terron.

Distrust & Confusion over Health Claims persist

Eleven percent of Indian consumers do not understand the nutritional labeling on food packaging with a further 37 percent claiming to understand it only in part. And the trust factor across product claims differs depending on the nature of claim. Forty one percent lay more belief in food products labeled with vitamin information, while only a third of respondents always believe claims of food being 'all natural'. Products with claims of being non-artificial see the lowest proportion of believers (21%).

"At the point of sale, the more authentic and trustworthy the food labeling, the more likely shoppers are to going to add these items to their shopping basket. Ambiguous claims or those products that do not make a convincing case for being 'natural' are likely to be viewed with suspicion and will be shunned by shoppers who are increasingly seeking off-the-shelf solutions to stay healthy." observed Terron.

Even when it comes to dining out, 45 percent of respondents say that this should be always displayed on fast food restaurant menus, and roughly a third say it should be stated on the menus of sit-down dining-chain restaurant.

About the Nielsen Global Survey

The Nielsen Global Survey was conducted in March/April 2011 and in August/September 2011 and polled more than 25,000 consumers in 56 countries throughout Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on their Internet users, and is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers and has a maximum margin of error of ±0.6%. This Nielsen survey is based on the behavior of respondents with online access only. Internet penetration rates vary by country. Nielsen uses a minimum reporting standard of 60 percent Internet penetration or 10M online population for survey inclusion. The Nielsen Global Survey, was established in 2005.

About Nielsen

Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

To view the photograph, please click on the link given below:

Nielsen Global Survey Healthy Eating Ref
For picture(s)/data to illustrate this release click below:

http://www.BusinessWireIndia.com/attachments/1(19).pdf
1(19).pdf


CONTACT DETAILS
Tarini Mathur Kaul, Nielsen Global Survey, +91 (11) 66029029/ +91 9654400458, Tarini.Mathurkaul@nielsen.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ECONOMY, FOOD, LIFESTYLE, PEOPLE, SOCIAL, BUSINESS SERVICES, CLOTHING, HEALTHCARE, HOUSEHOLD, MEDIA, RETAIL, HEALTHCARE

If you wish to change your Business Wire India selection please click on this link http://www.businesswireindia.com/media/news.asp and use your personal username and password to login.

Submit your press release at http://www.businesswireindia.com