Trend: Fight against obesity

Megatrend: Wellness

As obesity starts to become a worldwide problem government offices as well as private businesses try to win the fight against the pounds with a variety of new approaches.

Trend-Description:
Over 60 percent of U.S. adults, age 20 years and older, are overweight, almost half of them are obese. More than half a million people are dying each year due to poor diet and physical inactivity. The cost of diet-related diseases is up in the 70 – 80 millions annually. The fight against fat is also no longer just an American problem. In Europe, 20 percent of kids ages 5 to 17 are obese and in China there are 290 million kids suffering from obesity. Although the main cause of obesity is still believed to be the excessive intake of calories combined with insufficient exercise, the United States Department of Health and Human Services last year officially classified obesity as a disease. As a result, Medicare now covers obesity-related health problems, as long as the treatment is proven to be effective. But aside to that, a variety of other models and business ideas are emerging trying to help and even hoping to get their part of the market.

Cases

UK: By September 2006, school cafeterias in the U.K. will no longer be able to sell junk food, if a plan by the country’s education secretary goes ahead. Started by the so-called Naked Chef Jamie Oliver who didn’t stop criticizing school lunches in his British reality show “Jamie’s School Dinner”, the country got more aware how important it is to eat healthy meals.

NYC: Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz tries to fight obesity in the state by taxing “junk food”, similar to the tax on tobacco or liquor. The generated funds would be used for obesity education programs.

Under the slogan “Lighten Up Brooklyn” borough president Marty Markowitz challenged his fellow Brooklynites to loose some weight. The participants could either go on a diet individually, or sign up with Weight Watchers or other organized weight-loss programs. The only premise was show up for a regular weigh in. After eight weeks Markowitz had lost 11 pounds, the borough of Brooklyn (6,000 participants) 82,655 pounds.

Gym: The contestants of the Gold Gyms 12-week-transformation had exactly 3 month to get in shape. With diet tips, instructions of a personal trainer and the motivation not only to win a better body but a couple of hundreds in prize-money, many contestants lost over ten inches of body fat.

Web: For just 5 dollars a month, ItsMyBod.com offers reward points in exchange for a healthier lifestyle. By entering workout and eating routines individuals or families can collect points on this website and exchange these into spa-visits, dinners, flights or vacations.

Trend Impact
Movies like “Supersize me” or Shows like Jamie Oliver’s “Jamie’s School Dinner” raise not only the awareness of the problem but lay the foundation of a nation or even worldwide discussion of the problem. Obesity is not only an individual problem anymore but affects the state budget, health insurance and the life span of many people. Of course it is possible to fight the extra weight individually, but that does not seem to be quite enough. People tend to be more motivated if they don’t find themselves left alone, if there is some sort of competition or incentive, helping them to establish a healthier lifestyle.

ItsMyBod

Golds Gym

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