Ladies Who Want To Be Lighter Some Consumers Insights

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Ladies Who Want To Be LighterSome Consumers
Insights
Understanding Atkins SeminarThe Food and Drink
Innovation Network Staverton ParkSusan
Holder 7th April 2004
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Purpose of the Research

• A snapshot from the real world of the consumer
• What do they understand about Atkins
• To collect some insights
• Add the consumer voice to the debate

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Research Method and Sample

• 2 focus group discussions with women
• A spread of ages 30 55 years and
• Social class B, C1, C2
• Pre children, children and post children life
  stages
• All claimed they would like to be much lighter
• Divided between the avid Atkins and avid anti -
  Atkins
• Conducted in 2 locations on evenings of 24th and
  25th March 2004
• Richmond, Surrey
• High Wycombe, Bucks

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BACKGROUND
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An Introduction to Ladies Who Want to be Lighter

• Diet is an increasingly complex issue and
  presents women with real life dilemmas and
  conflicting attitudes and emotions
• They are obsessed with being slimmer/lighter but
  do not want to be obsessed with or dominated by
  their shape/weight
• They love the huge variety, range and choice of
  food that is available to them in the stores but
  worry about their lack of time to select wisely
  and their self discipline to say no
• They work hard, continually multi tasking,
  complaining about insufficient time for
  themselves and their level of stress but feel
  guilty about taking treats and rewards
• They are hyper conscious of the need to develop a
  healthy lifestyle (both for themselves and their
  household) and to eat more sensibly but lack
  sufficient knowledge to do it or else life just
  gets in the way.

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Dieting A Fact of Life

• They know they need to when their clothes wont
  fit distress purchase
• Theyve tried lots of different diets before
• It is difficult to stick to diets and maintain
  the weight loss afterwards
• Problems with boredom/appetite appeal, sweet
  tooth/cravings and cooking for others at home who
  do not want to diet
• Diets are often started for a reason/specific
  purpose i.e. holiday, post binge, special event
  and/or for health reasons.
• They know exercise is efficacious/helps weight
  loss but ..
• Diets are only undertaken for a period of time
  usually until the goal weight is achieved
• They are frequently dieting on their own but
  working in a group and/or following a
  formula/system is more motivating and aids
  success for example Weight Watchers, Slimming
  World, Slim - Fast, Special K, Rosemary Conley
  and Atkins

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Dieting Some of the Underlying Issues

• While everyone does it, dieting is not a positive
  concept/construct today, it has a lot of negative
  baggage
• There was much discussion about moving forwards
  from dieting towards the ideal of a healthy
  eating regime or the maintenance of a healthier
  lifestyle
• From sacrifice to balance
• From torture to contentment
• A few managed it, but acknowledged it took time
  and willpower
• Others were still thinking and talking about it,
  not sure how to move on looking for someone to
  tell them how. Who is and what are the triggers?
• Supermarkets are about taste, choice,
  convenience, temptation and seduction and dieting
  is about deprivation, shame and failure
• If food is the new sex where is the Joy of Sex
  manual for weight loss and healthy eating?

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THE ATKINS (LOW CARB) DIET TODAY
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Atkins Diet - Advocates

• All those who followed the diet had been
  successful
• They lost weight
• Dropped 1 or 2 dress sizes
• Lost 1 2 stone
• I looked better and people commented
• A notable benefit was a lack of cravings/hunger
• This made it easier to stick to
• It is similar to diets/regimes recommended by
  nutritionist
• But despite their success and repeat usage they
  still had reservations
• Is it safe?
• Will it harm me in the long term?
• Is it healthy?
• Didn't Atkins, the man, die young and obese!

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Atkins - Doubters

• Not sure what it is all about, dont know enough
  details except ..
• Doesn't it involve eating steak and eggs
• I dont eat red meat
• What about mad cow disease
• I dont want to stuff my face full of all that
  greasy bacon, fat and
• cream, and fried foods.uugh
• You eat lots of fat .and cream
• Can that be healthy, what about the calories
• Thats what we have been told to avoid all these
  years
• Eating lots of fat cant be good for you it
  goes against everything
• youve been told
• Is it safe, is it healthy?
• Especially in the longer term
• Dont think its normal
• Im confused with all the other health messages
• On the TV programmes they said ..
• cant really remember, but think it was negative

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CONSUMER CREATED POSSIBILITIES FOR RE
LAUNCHING THE ATKINS (LOW CARB) DIET
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How to Communicate the Low Carb Message?

• Translate it into English and re name it
• No jargon please
• Show how everyone looses weight fast
• With minimal hunger and cravings
• Tell us what we can and cant eat
• Give it a friendly English advocate
  /presenter/champion
• Jamie or Delia, who know about tasty food and
  recipes
• Have less emphasis on the fat
• Leave out the greasiness
• Emphasise chicken and fish not steak and eggs
• Think about balance and relationship with other
  systems
• What about low salt, low fat and 5 a day and
  the calories
• Make it female
• Get rid of the frying pan and big fat steaks

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How to Communicate the Low Carb Message/2

• Make it simple and understandable
• Educate us
• No thick books please
• Make it sound normal and natural
• Involve someone/authority who is trustworthy and
  credible
• Give us reasons why
• Reassure about health and safety, especially long
  term
• Nutritionist /doctor endorsed
• Highlight it is the scientific angle that makes
  it work
• Discuss the role of exercise
• Suggest how to adapt it to your lifestyle
• How it can help you change to and maintain a
  healthy regime
• How to integrate it into the household/family

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How to Communicate the Low Carb Message/3

• Show ways to save time and effort
• A wider range of tasty foods and snacks available
• Make it easy to select and count carbs in store
• Fast to recognise/symbols and signs
• Better, clear pack designs
• Overall, it should be easy and simple to follow
  and to stay healthy
• I dont want to worry about food, I want to get
  on with my life and wear the clothes I want to
  wear, have more time in the day
• And dont forget about building in treats and
  rewards
• I want to enjoy my life to relax with a glass
  of wine

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CONSUMER INSIGHTS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION
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Insights from Ladies Who Want to be Lighter

• They want to be lighter in mind as well as body
• Diets are limiting, restrictive, complex,
  temporary
• Atkins is perceived as masculine, heavy and a
  diet
• Plus it has baggage
• In the marketplace women are bombarded by choice
• And they love it
• Low carb is currently limited by being a diet
  rather than food
• Calling it a diet restricts choice
• See the bigger picture
• The opportunity is in creating relationships with
  low carb food
• Making it simple, easy even fun

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