Healthy Kids II - Parents need help

Parents say retailers aren't doing enough to help them find healthy foods. I suggest parents should start looking in the produce department; it's not that tough to find something healthy...
From a news release about a new study from Information Resources Inc.



IRI information gathered from multiple sources, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that 21 percent of U.S. children aged 6 to 17 are currently identified as overweight. By 2020, that number is projected to jump to nearly one-third of all U.S. kids. In the report, IRI highlights the following three factors as the root of childhood obesity:
-- Less activity -- Only one-third of U.S. high school students currently meet recommended levels; participation in school physical education programs dropped 14 percentage points between 1991 and 2003.
-- Mass marketing of food-related messaging -- The average 8-12 year-old sees 7,600 TV ads per year promoting various food items, such as candy, snacks, and fast food. Only one in 50 is deemed to be for healthy products.
-- More entertainment -- Currently, 61 percent of kids ages 9-15 play video games on a daily basis; children ages 8-18 spend an average of 44.5 hours in front of a computer, TV or gaming screen -- more than any other single waking activity.
IRI findings show that parents are increasingly looking to outside influences, such as schools, government agencies, and, particularly, grocery retailers, to support them in making healthier meal choices for their children. According to the study, 75 percent of parents confirm that they are making a conscious effort to purchase healthy foods, yet just 35 percent believe that retailers are doing a good job of helping them find healthy selections for their families. For retailers, this gap offers an open opportunity to meet the challenge of better in-store communication and a more informative health-focused shopping experience for parents, translating into a sizeable revenue growth potential for responsive retailers.
The report urges retailers to commit to a strong family wellness program as part of their overall customer service and store communications plan. Tapping into the emerging market of health-focused parents, IRI recommends the following action steps by retailers to meet this new shopper-focused demand:

1. Implement new "better-for-you" standards across product categories to clearly segment better-for-you products from mainstream products
2. Collaborate with manufacturers to optimize availability of healthy assortments
3. Develop in-store shopper education and navigation initiatives


According to IRI's Seitzinger, a focused effort on the part of CPG retailers and manufacturers will benefit kids, parents and retailers alike.