Marketing around calorie count is one way to cash in on the diet trend. About 45 million Americans … [+] start a diet each year, spending $33 billion annually on weight loss products. That’s a big market and, for many, a big opportunity.

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It’s that time of year again: New Year’s resolution season. But new year or not, more Americans are resolving to do something with a big impact on the food and beverage industry: going on diets, from Weight Watchers (now WW) to Jenny Craig, Flexitarian to gluten-free, Keto and more. Americans’ appetite for diets is surging, making these regimens a bigger force in food and beverage.

Plant-based, Volumetrics, the Mediterranean, the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) and Mayo Clinic are just a few. When Americans shop for groceries, they increasingly want items that fit their food plans, as dieting becomes a bigger force when it comes to dividing the food and beverage pie.

There are, really, two types of diets: formal dietary programs (often for weight loss) and “special diets” (often less formal) designed to provide specific health benefits, such as battling dementia for instance. Taste matters. But so does health. Many companies can harness this force to grow sales.

A numbers game

Dieting is about as American as apple pie, even if obesity remains a national issue. Nearly 20% of Americans say they are on a “special” diet, up from 14% in 2007-2008, according to a study by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Losing weight remains the biggest motivator, with nearly 10 percent of Americans 20 and older on a weight-loss or low-calorie diet. More women are on diets than men, and more adults aged 40 and older than aged 20–39. Younger people are more likely to eat what they want, while older people more often opt for what they “should.”

Marketing around calorie count is one way to cash in on this trend. About 45 million Americans start a diet each year, spending $33 billion annually on weight loss products, according to Boston Medical Center. That’s a big market and, for many, a big opportunity.

Diets focused on reducing diseases or allergies also are catching on, providing an opportunity to … [+] market foods around particular benefits.

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Diets focused on reducing diseases or allergies also are catching on, providing an opportunity to market foods around particular benefits. About 180 million Americans have food allergies that affect the way …….

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/louisbiscotti/2021/12/21/dieting-for-dollarshow-fb-cos-can-fatten-the-bottomline/