From The January/February 2003 Issue of Natural Grocery Buyer

Survey Says: Americans Worried About Wellness

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, created an unexpected fallout: Americans are now much more concerned about their health and wellness.

According to a survey of 2,000 American households conducted by the Natural Marketing Institute, 55 percent of all consumers care more about personal health and wellness than they did a year ago. Particularly affected are the groups NMI identifies as "fence sitters" and "eat, drink and be merrys." They, along with Americans who are already healthy eaters, are becoming more knowledgeable and inquisitive and are looking for products with ingredient lists that detail health benefits and functionality along with explicit lifestyle integration, NMI wrote in the 2003 Health & Wellness Trends Report.

Other trends NMI believes will be hot in 2003:

• Look for the organic craze to move beyond the food category and into other areas such as personal care products, supplements and clothing. NMI reports that more than 40 million households, or 39 percent of Americans, use organic products, accounting for $6.9 billion in U.S. organic food and beverage sales in 2002.
  
  
• As the American obesity epidemic continues, consumers will increasingly search for more effective ways to lose weight that don't call for major sacrifices. Watch for the introduction of more functional weight-loss foods and beverages.
  
  
• An aging population means more foods, beverages and supplements designed especially for medical conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and intestinal disorders.

  —V.U.