A fascinating new report just came out analyzing young men’s attitudes about health and well-being. The study was done by Euromonitor International and looked at men 15-29 in eight countries (US, Brazil, the UK, France, Germany, India, China, and Japan) and found that most guys in that age groups place a high value on regular exercise, nutrition (meaning plenty of fruits and veggies, reducing fat and salt, cutting back on alcohol, and drinking plenty of water), not smoking, and keeping their stress levels under control.
However, there’s still something of a disconnect between what they say and what they actually do to achieve their health goals. It seems that good intentions are competing with the time constraints of a busy life, too many unhealthy food choices, and too any hours working behind a desk.
“The pressures and temptations of modern life contribute greatly to the challenges young men face with making fundamental lifestyle changes. We see it in rising obesity rates and high levels of smoking prevalence. But this also presents opportunities for marketers to educate young male consumers on proper nutrition, weight-loss plans, and available health and wellness products,” says Daphne Kasriel, Consumers Editor at Euromonitor International.
“Efforts to further educate young men about healthy eating may also be supported by young men’s love of sports. The rapid expansion of sports nutrition products into mainstream retailing continues to appeal to this demographic and speaks to the larger market for sports-related products and services,” adds Kasriel.
The report, which also looked at how marketers could best reach the young male demographic, identified several sectors that could most benefit from increased health awareness among young male consumers: better-for-you, naturally healthy & organic foods, mineral waters, sports nutrition, food intolerance products, and men’s sports apparel.
Key findings from the survey include:
- Countries in which young men were most aware of the dangers of hidden sugars and fats – the UK and US – are those that are most associated with “junk foods”.
- Taking health supplements/vitamins was most common among young men in the US (51%) and least common in Japan and France (18% and 19%, respectively).
- Smoking among this generation is highest in France, where 36% of young men smoke regularly, while 40% of British and 39% of German young men drink alcohol regularly.
- Chinese men were most concerned about eating fruit & vegetables: 90% thought this was important, versus just 67% in France.
- As many as 34% of young men were found to be on a weight loss diet (versus 36% of all respondents). This was highest in the UK (41%) and lowest in China (26%).
- Red meat avoidance and vegetarianism/veganism were also significantly higher among young men (30%) than among the general population (23%).
- The sports nutrition segment was very dynamic in both the UK and Brazil, where sales in US dollar terms soared by 128% and 131%, respectively, between 2006 and 2011, to reach US$373 million and US$191 million. In Japan, however, growth was sluggish.
The Annual Study 2011 survey that serves as the basis for this report was conducted on-line in the following eight markets: US, Brazil, the UK, France, Germany, India, China, and Japan. The survey comprises five sections, and other findings are available through Euromonitor’s Passport Survey market research database.
For more information about the report please visit:
About Euromonitor International
Euromonitor International is the world’s leading provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis. We have more than 39 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.
We deliver market research solutions to support strategic planning for today’s increasingly international business environment. Our research offers in-depth market analysis on consumer goods and services industries worldwide, as well as economic, demographic and socio-economic data and insight on countries and consumers.
Euromonitor International is headquartered in London, with regional offices in Chicago, Singapore, Shanghai, Vilnius, Santiago, Dubai, Cape Town, Tokyo, Sydney and Bangalore, and has a network of over 800 analysts worldwide.
