A quote from the E-Book produced by QEP marketing clinic :- "This E book is not a Diet Book ! Rather it is an analysis of why and how obesity occurs from an emotional and sensory taste perspective and how it drives consumer preference for short term gain for potential long term pain . In addition, the book suggests how the food industry could help develop healthier food and beverages which appeal to consumer preference The Information in this book is derived from qualitative research over the last 30 years conducted by QEP marketing clinic using our proprietary methodology and systems . These insights are drawn from over 7000 groups , each run on average for 2 hours in duration , amongst a total of well over 35,000 research respondents covering more than 5,000 different food and beverage existing brands, products or new product development concepts . This experience has provided a wealth of practical insight and knowledge into understanding the emotions behind taste and delivering consumer preference from that understanding "
- 1. A Publication of QEP Marketing Clinic Obesity The Food
Industry and Consumer Preference
2. Table of Contents
About&this&Book&&the&Company&and&the&Author&
Chapter&1&&The&problem&of&Obesity&
Chapter&2&&Fat&&Salt&&Sugar&&The&Villains&
Chapter&3&&The&Food&Industry&&The&Elephant&&&the&
Rollercoaster&
Chapter&4&&Consumer&Learnt&Behavior&of&Obesity&
Chapter&5&&EmoJons&and&Taste&&The&Real&Cause&of&
Obesity&
Chapter&6&&How&OvereaJng&AddicJon&Occurs&
Chapter&7&&Changing&Consumer&Taste&Preference&&A&
PotenJal&SoluJon& Conclusion& 3. About This Book
This&book&is¬&a&diet&book&&
Rather&it&is&an&analysis&of&why&and&how&obesity&occurs&from&an&emoJonal&and&
sensory&taste&perspecJve&and&how&this&drives&consumer&preference&for&short&
term&gain&for&potenJal&long&term&pain&
&In&addiJon,&the&book&suggests&how&the&Food&industry&could&develop&healthier&
food&and&beverages&which&appeal&to&consumer&preference&
The&informaJon&in&this&book&is&derived&from&qualitaJve&research&over&the&last&
30&years&conducted&by&QEP&MarkeJng&Clinic&using&our&proprietary&methodology&
and&systems.&
These&insights&are&drawn&from&over&7,000&groups,&each&run&on&average&for&two&
hours&in&duraJon,&amongst&a&total&of&well&over&35,000&research&respondents&
covering&more&than&5,000&dierent&food&and&beverage&exisJng&brands,&products&
or&new&product&development&concepts.&
This&experience&has&provided&a&wealth&of&pracJcal&insight&and&knowledge&into&
understanding&the&emoJons&behind&taste&and&delivering&consumer&preference&
from&that&understanding.& 4. About QEP Marketing Clinic
Based&in&the&US&and&UK&we&are&a&food&and&drink&market&research&company&that&
helps&large&global&brand&owners&to&gain&compeJJve&advantage&by&understanding&
why&and&how&consumers&make&their&taste&choices&through&emoJonal&
preference.&
Our&company&has&over&30&years&experience&researching&over&7,000&food&and&drink&
products,&helping&to&gain&consumer&preference&for&companies&globally&such&as&
Kra[,&CocaCola,&Kelloggs,&PepsiCo,&Mars&and&Diageo&amongst&others.&
By&using&proprietary&qualitaJve&and&tools&and&methodology,&including&our&recently&
introduced&global&Mobile&and&Web&based&market&research&tools&we&understand&
the&posiJve&and&negaJve&emoJons&in&a&products&taste&and&texture&to&deliver&
compeJJve&advantage&in&exisJng&and&new&brands.&
For&more&informaJon&visit&
www.qepmarkeJngclinic.com&
We&also&publish&a®ular&blog&on&Consumer&Preference&of&EmoJon&and&Sensory&
Taste&h_p://blog.qepmarkeJngclinic.com/blog&&
QEP&MarkeJng&Clinic&is&the&branded&trademark&of&QEP&Research&Inc&and&QEP&
Research&Ltd.& 5. The Author
About&the&Author:&&Derek&Roberts&
Derek&started&his&long&and&acJve&
career&in&FMCG&markeJng&as&a&
graduate&trainee&with&Cadbury&
Schweppes.&A[er&a&number&of&
promoJons&he&progressed&to&
an&internaJonal&markeJng&role&
in&Smith&Kline&Beecham&(the&
precursor&to&GSK).&
He&then&became&NPD&Director&
for&Bass&brewers,&the&UKs&
largest&brewer.&&
In&this&la_er&role&he&became&personally&aware&of&QEP&
MarkeJng&Clinic&and&recognized&and&acJvely&used&its&
unique&methodology&on&several&projects&with&success&as&a&
client.&
He&subsequently&joined&the&company&in&2001&and&now&runs&the&
internaJonal&arm&of&the&company&including&the&Mobile&and&Web&
service,&based&out&of&Chicago&and&London&
6. CHAPTER ONE The Problem 7. The Problem World Statistics
According&to&the&WHO,&worldwide&obesity&has&doubled&since&
&1980&&www.who.int/en/&
In&2008&more&than&1.4&billion&adults,&20&and&over,&were&overweight,&of&
these&500&million&were&obese& .&&
More&than&10&%&of&the&worlds&populaJon&was&obese&
Overweight&and&obesity&are&the&[h&leading&risk&for&global&
&deaths.&&
At&least&2.8&million&adults&die&each&year&as&a&result&of&being&
&overweight&or&obese.&
&In&addiJon,&44%&of&the&diabetes&burden,23%&of&the&coronary&heart&
disease&burden&and&between&7%&and&41%&of&certain&cancer&burdens&are&
a_ributable&to&overweight&and&obesity&according&to&WHO&studies&
This&problem&is&increasing&in&the&young&&
In&2011,&more&than&40&million&children&under&the&age&of&ve&were&
overweight& 8. The Problem Developing Worldwide
Once&considered&a&highincome&country&problem,&overweight&and&
obesity&are&now&on&the&rise&in&low&and&middleincome&countries,&
parJcularly&in&urban&selngs&according&to&the&WHO&
Globally,&more&people&die&of&obesity&related&causes&than&starvaJon&&
&More&than&30&million&overweight&children&under&5&are&living&in&
developing&countries&and&10&million&in&developed&countries.&
China&has&opened&its&rst&clinics&for&dealing&with&childhood&obesity&
and&the&problem&is&increasing&in&other&developing&countries&
Where&there&is&a&growing&auent&middle&class&such&as&China,&India&
and&Brazil&a&caloric&high&Western&diet&follows&.&and&so&does&
obesity& 9. The Problem Obesity BMI Definition
Overweight&and&obesity&are&dened&as&abnormal&or&excessive&fat&&
accumulaJon&that&may&impair&health.&
Body&mass&index&(BMI)&is&a&simple&index&of&weightforheight&that&is&
&commonly&used&to&classify&overweight&and&obesity&in&adults.&&
It&is&dened&as&a&person's&weight&in&kilograms÷d&by&the&square&&
of&their&height&in&meters&(kg/m2).&
The&WHO&deniJon&is:&a&BMI&greater&than&or&equal&to&25&is&&
overweight&a&BMI&greater&than&or&equal&to&30&is&obesity&
&BMI&provides&the&most&useful&&populaJonlevel&measure&of&
overweight&and&obesity&as&it&is&the&same&for&both&sexes&and&for&all&ages&
of&adults.&&
However,&it&should&be&considered&a&rough&guide&because&it&may¬&&
correspond&to&the&same°ree&of&body&fat&in&dierent&individuals.&
10. The Problem The Home of Obesity
In&America,&considered&to&the&home&of&obesity&the&American&Heart&
FoundaJon&www.heart.org/HEARTORG/&
&state&that:&
66%&(144&million)&of&all&US&ciJzens&are&overweight&or&obese&based&on&the&
BMI&scale&&
Of&these&33%&(71&million)&are&obese&
1&in&3&children&(5&to&19yo)&are&overweight&or&obese&
These&gures&are&a&higher&%&in&low&income,&low&educaJon,&high&
unemployment&areas&reecJng&the&general&US&populaJon&trends&in&
obesity&
Compared)to)a)historical)study)conducted)in)1973)and)1974))a)study)
conducted)in)2008)and)2009)showed)that)5)=mes)as)many)children)
were)obese)in)the)US)
Caloric&consumpJon&is&increasing,&in&addiJon&the&evidence&is&that&these&
calories&are&empty&&i.e.&low&in&nutrients,&which&aects&general&health&
11. The Problem Public Attempts to Change
Many&health&authoriJes,&government&and&consumer&bodies&frequently&
appear&in&the&media&staJng&the&size&of&the&problem&so&the&general&public&
are¬&ignorant.&
&Many&celebriJes&campaign&for&healthier&eaJng,&parJcularly&for&the&
young&including&in&the&US,&Michelle&Obama&who&heads&a&naJonal&US&
campaign&to&champion&healthier&eaJng.&&
This&has&resulted&in&Federal&grants&to&encourage&healthier&school&meals&
despite&claims&of&higher&wastage&and&less&school&meals&being&consumed&
due&to&childrens&resistance&to&the&healthier&food&
There&are&also&plans&to&bring&clearer&labeling&&for&processed&food&&&
beverage&packaging&to&assist&consumers.&
Such&public&authoriJes&receive&excellent&publicity&from&the&media&for&
their&good&work.&
In&turn&there&are&a&plethora&of&diets&and&schemes&to&assist&in&dieJng&and&
healthy&eaJng,&although&these&o[en&seem&to&vary&and&conict&in&advice.&
Many&consumers&religiously&follow&the&latest&fads&and&fashion&in&healthy&
eaJng&and&dieJng& 12. The Problem The Obvious Answer
To&avoid&being&overweight&or&obese&&the&physical&answer&is&simple.&&
Balance&the&calories&you&eat&with&the&calories&you&expend&in&energy&
form&through&acJvity:&energy&in&&energy&out&
&Ideally&the&calories&you&take&in&are&in&a&balanced&format&of&healthier&
nutriJous&sources&such&as&fruit,&vegetables,&pulses,&grains,&with&some&
dairy&and&meat/&sh&protein&according&to&the&WHO&
So&the&&quesJon&must&be&asked&&if&the&problem&is&idenJed&&and&
serious&and&its&cause&is&known&&&why&is&it&sJll&a&problem?&&
Surely&responsible&minded&logical&&consumers&will&appreciate&the&
problem&and&act&accordingly&in&their&behavior&to&avoid&obesity?&
&Why&is&the&problem&sJll&growing?&Somebody&must&be&to&blame!&
Perhaps&it&is&all&the&Food&Industries&fault&who&manipulate&the&poor&
consumer&to&do&the&industries&whim&so&that&huge&prots&can&be&made&
&or&maybe&there&is&more&to&it&than&that!&&
13. The Problem Causes
The&causes&of&obesity&are&highlighted&as&being&:&
The&increased&consumpJon&of&high&caloric&processed&and&fast&food&
containing&sugar,&fat&(and&salt)&&
The&general&decline&in&manual&labor&as&society&changes&to&more&
sedentary&oce&based&occupaJons&using&less&physical&acJvity&
The&food&industry&has&come&into&much&criJcism&as&they&are&accused&of&
oering&food&and&beverage&which&encourage&obesity&&
They&also&seem&to&oer&confusing&advice&/&direcJon&to&consumers&by&the&
use&of&obtuse&labeling&on&packs&
Indeed,&there&are&many&calls&for&the&Food&industry&to&be&forced&to&limit&fat&
&salt&&sugar&&levels&from&public&and&private&health&bodies&around&the&
globe&
Plus)declare)the)unhealthy)ingredients)clearly)on)the)pack)in)the)form)of)
a))health)warning.)Such)an)ini=a=ve)may)seem)fanciful)but)thats)what)
the)cigareHe)industry)also)thought)years)ago!) 14. CHAPTER TWO Fat
Salt Sugar = The Villains 15. Fat Salt Sugar Fat
Fat&/&Salt&/&Sugar&are&at&the&core&of&excessive&eaJng&and&the&problem&
of&obesity.&&
Consumers&who&are&overweight&are&mainly&unhealthy&as&a&result&of&
consuming&too&much&calories&through&sugar&and&fat.&
As&part&of&this&process&the&food&they&eat&also&has&high&level&of&salt&
which&can&lead&to&high&blood&pressure&problems&&
The&big&problem&is&that&singly&or&in&combinaJon,&fat&&salt&&sugar&are&
major&carriers&of&taste&in&a&food&
Not&only&do&they&carry&the&taste&through&the&mouth&they&also&have&a&
taste&of&their&own&plus&bring&out&the&best&taste&in&other&ingredients&
In&addiJon&sugar&and&fat&have&also&a&major&contribuJon&to&enhancing&
mouthfeel&texture&of&products&in&conjuncJon&with&helping&the&
product&ow&through&the&mouth& 16. Fat Salt
Sugar Different types of Fat
Looking&at&the&problem&of&fat,&certain&fats&are&more&unhealthy&than&
others&and&can&cause&higher&levels&of&heart&disease&
Generally&the&consensus&is&that&monounsaturated,&polyunsaturated&and&
omega&3&found&in&oily&sh&are&benecial&to&physical&and&to&a&certain&
extent,&emoJonal&health.&
Even&saturated&fat&&found&in&red&meat&and&certain&dairy&products,&has&
been&found&to&have&benecial&properJes&and¬&the&villain&it&was&once&
thought&&but&again&there&is&some&debate&over&this&&
Monounsaturated&fats&are&found&in&olive,&canola,&peanut&and&sesame&oil&
as&well&as&certain&nuts,&avocados&and&olives&
Polyunsaturated&fat&is&found&in&soybean,&corn,&saower&oil,&soymilk&and&
tofu&
Saturated&fats&are&found&in&red&meat&and&many&dairy&products&such&as&
cheese&!& 17. Fat Salt Sugar Trans Fats - A Villain
What&is&clear&and&unequivocal&is&that&the&villain&of&fat&is&trans&fat&which&is&a&
normal&fat&molecule&that&has&been&altered&during&a&process&called&
hydrogena+on.!During&this&process,&liquid&vegetable&oil&is&heated&and&
combined&with&hydrogen&gas&This&makes&food&more&stable&and&less&likely&to&
spoil,&which&is&ideal&for&food&distribuJon&and&prolonged&shelf&life&&
The&scienJc&view&is&that&no&amount&of&trans&fats&is&healthy.&Trans&fats&
contribute&to&major&health&problems,&from&heart&disease&to&cancer.&
&However,&the&primary&source&of&trans&fats&comes&from&various&processed&
and&fast&food&such&as:&
Baked&goods&&cookies,&crackers,&cakes,&muns,&pie&crusts,&pizza&dough,&
and&some&breads&like&hamburger&buns&
&Fried&foods&&doughnuts,&French&fries,&fried&chicken,&chicken&nuggets,&and&
hard&taco&shells&&
Snack&foods&&potato,&corn,&and&tor
