Talking food: Beyond the health hype
Category : Article
Appeared in the Consumer Life section of Economic Times, 21st September 2010
The article explores the Indian consumers’ relationship with health - rife with seemingly paradoxical situations, all with their own “consumer logic”
The article explores the Indian consumers’ relationship with health - rife with seemingly paradoxical situations, all with their own “consumer logic”
NEARLY 50% of all Indian adults in the 25-34 age group and 60% of those in the 35-44 age group “make conscious attempts to eat healthy”, according to a Datamonitor consumer survey. Many packaged food companies in India seem to agree, going by the intensification of efforts in the “eating healthy” space. From soya milk to oats, from sugar-free confectionery to low-fat milk, sweeteners, margarines, cornflakes, fruit juices, this space is buzzing with action. While the high visibility of packaged health products reflects the serious intent of companies, a closer look at the revenues of some of these brands show that the results have been mixed. Time perhaps to step back and ask a few basic questions. Are companies taking this whole business of “eating healthy” a tad too seriously? How interested is the average Indian consumer in health? What is “eating healthy”? Where do packaged foods fit in this context of health?
Firstly, while there is a fuzzy appreciation about the need to both exercise and modify food intake, physical activity ranks above controlling food intake — in the hierarchy of things which help one be healthy. It’s also important to recognise that there is such noise and hype around “health”, that people feel somewhat pressured to talk the talk. So rather than be seen as out of synch with today’s world, many people would tend to nod their heads vigorously to loaded questions on eating healthy. Hidden in the “I do, I do, I do” is a statement of intent rather than a statement of action.
Secondly, though at a broad level, it’s true that consumers are becoming more health conscious, packaged food is not the only area where they seek health from. While there are packaged foods such as cornflakes and MFDs which consumers believe deliver “extra health”, health is really in the realm of the food we eat everyday at breakfast, lunch, dinner. Green vegetables/ daal, chawal/ chapatti and milk (and derivatives) are the three gods of health; and given that these gods are worshipped on a daily basis in most homes, “conscious attempts to eat healthy” happen on a daily basis.
So there is no greyness in what consumers consider to be healthy. Neither is there greyness in what consumers perceive to be “unhealthy” — chocolates, ice creams, samosas, namkeens/ chips are the usual suspects. The greyness resides in the plethora of foods which lie between these two extremes. Biscuits, noodles, fast food (some) are conveniently classified by consumers as “neither healthy nor unhealthy” – all residing in the nether land where expedient rationales can justify their consumption. Noodles walk the tightrope, but aatta noodles take the evil out of the maida and tilt them towards the healthy end of spectrum.
It is interesting to note that products which are “unhealthy” or “neither healthy nor unhealthy” are all typically meant for snacking. Despite the odd poha/dhokla, it’s not surprising that fried food forms the cornerstone for most Indian snacks — oil along with blood runs in our veins. For us snacking is all about catering to the taste buds and it would not be an exaggeration to say that a “healthy snack” is an oxymoron for the average Indian. And with everyday main meal occasions available to make one feel virtuous about eating healthy, why burden the poor chocolate with the weight of health expectations?
But beyond indulgence foods, there are opportunities for packaged foods in the health space. One is the area of everyday snacking — food which everyone likes to have to keep hunger at bay, but ends up feeling a little guilty about. A health angle here provides reassurance and assuages guilt, while providing succour to the taste buds. The other is the breakfast
space which, among the three main meal occasions, is most open to experimentation – and is relevant for “eating healthy”. Both MFDs & cornflakes leverage this – riding as they do on the morning milk fixation of Indians.
In sum, getting carried away by health is easy to do in an environment when there is so much talk around it. What is clear is that Indian consumers’ relationship with health is rife with seemingly paradoxical situations, all with their own “consumer logic”. By this logic, you take a walk in the park in the morning, and pack in a parantha (topped with butter) for breakfast, and still consider yourself as following healthy practices. The need to go beyond scratching the surface on health is imperative — to get the consumer to buy your “health” product, not just in consumer research, but in the marketplace too. And understanding the nuances of health and consumer logic is key to successfully tapping the health platform beyond niche markets.
So there is no greyness in what consumers consider to be healthy. Neither is there greyness in what consumers perceive to be “unhealthy” — chocolates, ice creams, samosas, namkeens/ chips are the usual suspects. The greyness resides in the plethora of foods which lie between these two extremes. Biscuits, noodles, fast food (some) are conveniently classified by consumers as “neither healthy nor unhealthy” – all residing in the nether land where expedient rationales can justify their consumption. Noodles walk the tightrope, but aatta noodles take the evil out of the maida and tilt them towards the healthy end of spectrum.
It is interesting to note that products which are “unhealthy” or “neither healthy nor unhealthy” are all typically meant for snacking. Despite the odd poha/dhokla, it’s not surprising that fried food forms the cornerstone for most Indian snacks — oil along with blood runs in our veins. For us snacking is all about catering to the taste buds and it would not be an exaggeration to say that a “healthy snack” is an oxymoron for the average Indian. And with everyday main meal occasions available to make one feel virtuous about eating healthy, why burden the poor chocolate with the weight of health expectations?
But beyond indulgence foods, there are opportunities for packaged foods in the health space. One is the area of everyday snacking — food which everyone likes to have to keep hunger at bay, but ends up feeling a little guilty about. A health angle here provides reassurance and assuages guilt, while providing succour to the taste buds. The other is the breakfast
space which, among the three main meal occasions, is most open to experimentation – and is relevant for “eating healthy”. Both MFDs & cornflakes leverage this – riding as they do on the morning milk fixation of Indians.
In sum, getting carried away by health is easy to do in an environment when there is so much talk around it. What is clear is that Indian consumers’ relationship with health is rife with seemingly paradoxical situations, all with their own “consumer logic”. By this logic, you take a walk in the park in the morning, and pack in a parantha (topped with butter) for breakfast, and still consider yourself as following healthy practices. The need to go beyond scratching the surface on health is imperative — to get the consumer to buy your “health” product, not just in consumer research, but in the marketplace too. And understanding the nuances of health and consumer logic is key to successfully tapping the health platform beyond niche markets.
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