slimming investigation report with the United States Food and beverages :

Judging by retail sales and new product trends in 2004 and 2005, the low-carb bubble appears to have burst, and marketers are scrambling to identify the "next big thing" in weight loss. The U.S. Market for Weight-Loss Products and Trends: Moving From Low-Carb to Low-Sugar and Low-Glycemic, a revised and updated Packaged Facts report, examines emerging trends in the U.S. market for weight-loss foods and beverages, where low-carb has begun to yield ground to other key "Lows," from low-fat to low-sugar and low-glycemic, in a variety of important product categories. It also surveys recent developments in weight-loss-related food ingredients (including artificial sweeteners), current government nutritional guidelines and product regulation, and the evolution of leading diet plans such as Atkins and Weight Watchers, exploring in detail how the weight-loss market is moving from an emphasis on narrowly defined "trend" diets (such as low-carb) towards an approach that integrates weight loss with overall good health.

Using Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) data, the report quantifies sales of weight-loss foods and beverages for 2001-2005 in five core categories: Frozen Dinners & Entrees, Desserts, Food Bars, Meal Replacement Liquids & Powders, and Diet Candy. These key market segments are also compared and contrasted with standout weight-loss products in a variety of "trend" categories, ranging from baked goods and cereal to condiments and beer. The market is also quantified through custom-tabulated Productscan reports that analyze weight-loss-related package tag trends across all food and beverage categories. Sales are projected through 2010, based on an examination of current and coming trends that offer new growth opportunities in key food and beverage categories.

Also provided are profiles of leading weight-loss food and beverage marketers such as Atkins Nutritionals, H.J. Heinz Co. (Weight Watchers), Nestle (Stouffer's Lean Cuisine), and Slim-Fast Foods Co., as well as mainstream marketers who are moving more heavily into the weight-loss realm, including Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, Inc. and General Mills, Inc. Demographic profiles of key consumer demographic groups are also included, based custom tabulations of Spring 2005 Simmons Market Research Bureau data.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

• Scope and Methodology
  • Scope of Report
  • Product Categories and Market Quantification
  • New Product Trends
  • Exclusions
  • Report Methodology
  • Weight-Loss Eating and Product Trends 2004: Comparison and Review
• The Market
  • U.S. Retail Sales of Weight-Loss Products
  • Sales of Weight-Loss Products in Core Categories
  • Market Share by Category
  • Figure 1-1: Share of U.S. Mass-Market Sales of Weight-Loss Products by Category, 2001 vs. 2005 (percent)
  • Supermarkets Garner Half of Total Retail Sales
  • Weight Loss Central to General Health Initiatives
• Competitive & Market Share Trends
  • Overall Marketer Rankings by 2004-2005 Sales Gains
  • Nestle Maintains Leadership But Loses Share in Frozen Dinners
  • Silhouette Boosts Dreyer's in Desserts, But Breyers Also Makes Strides
  • Slim-Fast Close to Losing Food Bar Crown
  • Russell Stover Still on Top in Candy, But Others Gaining Ground
  • Few Bright Spots in Meal Replacements
• Marketing & New Product Trends
  • Premium Brands Go for More "Lows"
  • Changing Diet Trends Prompt Rebranding Efforts
  • Folding Weight-Loss into General Health
  • Advertising Expenditures for Weight-Loss Products
  • Low-Carb Introductions Fall Hard and Fast
  • Trends in Low/No Sugar and Low Glycemic
  • Fewer Fats, Lower Calories in New Products
• The Consumer
  • 25% of Adults Are Dieting
  • Figure 1-2: Percentages for Selected Weight-Loss Behaviors, 2005 (U.S. adults)
  • 18% Count Calories
  • The Guilt Factor
  • Dairy Products Lead in Low-Fat
• Looking Ahead
  • Trends and Opportunities

Chapter 2: Introduction

• Overview of U.S. Weight-Loss Trends
• The Post-Low-Carb Landscape
• Overweight/Obesity Trends and Statistics
• Seeking a Quick Fix
• Government Guidelines & Regulation
• "MyPyramid" and the Food Industry
• Protecting the Food Industry
• Focus on Kids
• Substitutes and Reformulation: Reaching New "Lows"
• Sugars and Carbohydrates
• Fats and Cholesterol
• Diet and Weight-Loss Plans

Chapter 3: The Market

• Market Size and Composition
• U.S. Retail Sales of Weight-Loss Products
• Table 3-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Weight-Loss Products, 2001-2005 (in millions of dollars)
• Sales of Weight-Loss Products in Core Categories
• Table 3-2: IRI-Tracked Sales of Core Weight-Loss Products, 2001-2005 (in millions of dollars)
• Frozen Dinners & Entrees
• Table 3-3: IRI-Tracked Sales of Weight-Loss Frozen Dinners & Entrees, 2001-2005 (in millions of dollars)
• Desserts
• Table 3-4: IRI-Tracked Sales of Weight-Loss Desserts, 2001-2005 (in millions of dollars)
• Food Bars
• Table 3-5: IRI-Tracked Sales of Weight-Loss Food Bars, 2001-2005 (in millions of dollars)
• Meal Replacement Liquids & Powders
• Table 3-6: IRI-Tracked Sales of Weight-Loss Meal Replacement Liquids & Powders, 2001-2005 (in millions of dollars)
• Diet Candy
• Table 3-7: IRI-Tracked Sales of Weight-Loss Diet Candy, 2001-2005 (in millions of dollars)
• Market Share by Category
• Table 3-8: Share of U.S. Mass-Market Sales of Weight-Loss Products by Category, 2001 vs. 2005 (percent)
• Supermarkets Garner Half of Total Retail Sales
• Figure 3-1: Share of U.S. Weight-Loss Product Sales by Retailer Type, 2005 (percent)
• Figure 3-2: Share of U.S. Mass-Market Sales of Weight-Loss Products by Retailer Type, 2005 (percent)

• Market Growth Factors and Forecasts
  • Weight Loss Is Central to General Health Initiatives
  • New Growth in Whole Grains
  • Cutting Sugar, Boosting Sales
  • Wellness and Weight Loss
  • Advantages and Challenges
  • Diet Leaders Loosen Restrictive Plans
  • Diverse Weight-Loss Tactics in Multiple Categories
  • Core Categories
  • Trend Categories
  • Ingredient, Formulation, and Marketing Innovation

• Projected Market Growth
  • Projected Total U.S. Retail Sales of Weight-Loss Foods and Beverages, 2005-2010
  • Table 3-9: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Weight-Loss Products, 2005-2010 (in millions of dollars)
  • Weight-Loss Desserts Set the Pace
  • Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Weight-Loss Products by Category, 2005-2010
  • Table 3-10: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Weight-Loss Products by Category, 2005-2010 (in millions of dollars)
  • Figure 3-3: Projected Total Retail Market Share of Weight-Loss Products by Category: 2005 vs. 2010 (percent)