The slowdown in healthcare cost inflation, often attributed to the 2007-2009 recession, has generated questions such as what caused it and whether it will last. Notably, as Figure 1 shows, the rate of healthcare inflation has dropped to historically low levels, suggesting structural factors could also be a major driver of the slowdown.
July 18, 2017Discussion of the merits of nutritional supplements can be tricky, in the same way topics such as politics and religion are sometimes best avoided. That’s because you have two very polarized types of people when it comes to supplements: the “true believers” who believe that the supplements they take help to keep them healthy, and may have personally experienced positive results from taking specific supplements, and the “unfaithful,” who may point to studies that prove (to them) that vitamins and...
September 4, 2014The times, they are a changin’: the percentage of consumers who prefer “alternative medicine” to standard medical practice has risen from 17% over the past 10 years, a 37% jump. The trend extends deeply into the realm of pain management, which continues down an inclusive path that suggests success for alternative therapy professionals.
March 21, 2017This past February, New York Yankee Mark Teixeira announced intentions to hit 30 home runs and collect 100 RBIs during the then-upcoming Major League Baseball season. Prior to 2012, these numbers would have been lofty yet attainable goals for a superstar of Teixeira’s stature. But in recent years the two time all-star first baseman appeared snakebitten having missed extensive time due to injuries that tarnished his reputation as one of baseball’s most feared sluggers. Fast forward four months ...
June 18, 2015Consumers are looking for foods that provide health and wellness benefits and contain ingredients that address illness mitigation. Packaged Facts data from a January-February 2014 survey notes that 57% of consumers are looking for foods with nutrients that address health concerns. Among the nutrients consumers are keying in on is protein. Protein provides many benefits, including its support of weight management and proper growth, immune, heart and respiratory function. According to Packaged F...
July 9, 2014There is a huge gap in how men and women respond to endorsements of nutritional supplements from famous people. I discuss this gap and what it means for how supplement marketers can most effectively advertise to each gender in Packaged Facts’ report, "Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., 7th Edition". However, I thought I would break down those results a little more in this blog since the results are so fascinating.
November 16, 2016The recent attention being paid to plant proteins, both by ordinary consumers and the food industry, begs the question, are consumers more willing to eat less meat to help save the planet than they are to reduce their own chances of developing heart disease?
November 2, 2016Better-for-you snacks are positioned as healthier than conventional snacks, based on health claims and characterizations that consumers perceive as important to health such as clean label, low fat, low sodium, plant-based, and low/no added sugar.
September 16, 2021