Everyone has either adopted or wants a healthy lifestyle seemingly overnight, and big food brands, particularly those of the fast food variety, are suffering as a result.
A healthy and balanced lifestyle is one that’s complete with exercise and healthy eating, making it a far cry from the fast food craze responsible for the worldwide obesity epidemic.
During a panel discussion held at the 2015 Most Powerful Women Summit, it was reported that the top 25 food and drink companies have lost an estimated $18 billion in sales and market share over the past 5 years. The panel attributed the decline to Generation Y’s desire for food with simpler and healthier ingredients, as well as their push for the companies the buy from to be transparent.
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One Gen-Y shopper, Erica Simons, and her husband decided to change their diet to organic and all-natural food after having their first child, mainly because the things they read on packaged food and the increasing incidence of food recalls frightened them.
Simons explained that, as a mother, she wants her children to be healthier and have the best food options possible. She is a stern believer that parents must lead by example.
According to Jennifer Bean, an assistant teaching professor in the University of Missouri’s nutrition and exercise department, the healthy eating trend won’t yield positive results unless it’s consistent, stating:
“If you worry about eating clean because it’s the cool thing to do and then just stop after a month, that won’t help. Health trends don’t really mean healthier people. They’re just trends.”
Bean added that health trends don’t mean healthier people. Society, she says, is too focused on finding a quick and easy solution to being healthier when there is in fact none, at least not yet.
Healthy living requires a level of discipline that most people simply don’t have. It’s not about being sexy or glamorous, but having a balance between eating fiber, fruits and vegetables and taking care of yourself.
She warns that we need to be careful about what we think is healthy because labels can be misleading, and food companies will do just about anything they can to sell their products.
Are you are among the many to be swept up by the healthy living craze? If so, what’s your true motivation for wanting such a lifestyle? Let us know in the comments below.
