Are we living in a wellthy time?

For some time now, there has been a renewed interest amongst consumers about their health and wellness, and in recent years, we have seen a conscious shift in the industry to produce healthier offerings to meet the demands of this growing trend. However, attitudes to health and wellness are evolving and the sheer availability of knowledge around this topic is resulting in a blur between wellness and health, and a new generation of consumers who are concerned with their “wellthy” status are becoming more prevalent.

With more marketers and retailers selling health as a status symbol, and with the recession often making other aspirational goals less attainable, the low cost availability of fitness has resulted in a shift of consciousness in consumer attitudes. According to a 2010 study conducted by Mintel, it found that 73% of people surveyed believed that physical fitness was an important component of being ‘well’ and 74% said that it was part of feeling good about themselves and presenting a positive image to others. Over the last few years there has been a real shift in brand development for retail products and we have seen a change in the positioning of fitness as a personal brand enhancement to tie in with these viewpoints.

With this trend set to increase, as Clive Moxham of Leathams takes a closer look at what to expect in these “wellthy times”:

Paleo/ Cavemen Eating

The Paleo or Caveman diet has hit the headlines a lot recently as many combine this way of eating with exercise in a bid to get fit. The plan advocates people to only eat those foods that would have been consumed by our hunter-gatherer (Paleolithic) ancestors. This means avoiding all processed foods and sugar, and limiting carbohydrates, specifically, avoiding grains and focusing on animal protein, non-starchy vegetables, and fruits.

Gluten Free and Wheat Avoidance

This trend has been around for some time and the increased “free from market” suggests that its popularity is on the rise. Once, the 'free-from' market was a niche area, with products like wheat-free bread of gluten-free flour only available from health food shops or specialist outlets. However, now with as many as 25 million people suffering from food intolerances*, and with the market growing by 15% in the last year, this £238 million market shows no sign of slowing down.

Eat to match your Genes

Nutrigenetic tests, which look at your genes and then calculate what types of food are beneficial to you, are set to be big business and with claims of being able reduce your risk of developing diet-related diseases and help with the weight loss battle, it seems to be gaining in popularity. People are literally eating to suit their genes in an attempt to achieve a cleaner and healthier lifestyle.

Eater-tainment

A major new trend is the food experience, where food appears in new and hybrid forms to provide a better consumer experience. The term,‘eater-tainment’ has been coined to describe this trend which includes food with music and exercise and experiences such as bringing the consumer closer to food by serving it on farms, in fields and in breweries. An example of ‘eater-tainment’ is the restaurant ‘Bounce’ in London. Known as the home of ping pong, the restaurant mixes eating with playing table tennis and has successfully generated a real buzz and eating experience.

Au Natural

Natural food is big this year and consumers are on the lookout for food that is simpler, less prepared and more in-tune with nature. Foraged foods are predicted to become more popular and naturally occurring flavour combinations are set to be the order of the day.