Pandemic disrupts seasonal weight management sector as emotional eating takes a toll

13 Jan 2021 --- After nearly a year of lockdown restrictions and social distancing requirements across the globe, many consumers are resorting to home workouts to keep fit, while others are putting on the pandemic pounds as a result of eating for comfort.

The halt of people traveling to the office, physically grocery shopping and exercising outdoors has reduced people’s total daily energy expenditure to the degree that it becomes a health concern. 

The result is an increased demand for ingredients that can support a healthy weight, with the emotional and physical health sectors overlapping. 

NutritionInsight speaks to industry experts from Gelesis, Gencor, OptiBiotix Health and PLT Health Solutions about the pandemic’s various influences on the weight management sector and what lies ahead for 2021.

Pandemic disrupts a seasonal business
For decades, weight management has been a seasonal business. Weight loss products are traditionally marketed just after the holidays. The time frame of this is from January – responding to consumers’ New Year’s fitness resolutions – and through the first half of the year leading up to summer. 

“Since 2020 and the pandemic, that trend has been changing,” says Steve Fink, vice president of marketing at PLT Health Solutions.

Throughout 2020, Google Trends reported that more people than ever searched for “weight loss” outside the peak season in January. 

Innova Consumer Survey 2020: Average of UK, US, Spain, France, Brazil, India, Germany, Mexico, China and Indonesia.Consumers in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand were all in the top ten countries searching for ways to manage their weight. 

The highest peak took place in May last year when national lockdown restrictions first came into place. 

“Now that most parts of Europe and the UK are facing tougher restrictions in the New Year [2021], we’re likely to see increased focus on weight management products once again,” chimes in Steven Riley, director of marketing and consumer sales at OptiBiotix Health.

COVID-19 heightens obesity concerns
Throughout the pandemic, there has been growing evidence that links obesity and COVID-19 with an increased risk of intensive care unit (ICU) usage and higher mortality rates. 

Riley adds that this is leading to greater awareness from consumers that their weight and general well-being can impact how they respond to health risks. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made headlines when he acknowledged his own weight played a role in his battle with COVID-19, consequently declaring a “war on obesity” after spending time in an ICU fighting the virus earlier last year.

Eating our feelings
The uncertainty the pandemic has brought to every aspect of life has caused increased snacking and emotional eating. 

To combat this phenomenon, consumers are looking for “satiety without stress,” notes Mariko Hill, product development executive at Gencor. This could mean ingredients that can reduce both appetite and stress. 

In this space, Gencor offers Slimaluma, a standardized extract of Caralluma fimbriata that is clinically-proven to support weight and stress levels. 

Also, PLT Health Solutions’ Supresa Crave Control is derived from the stigmas of Crocus sativus L. flowers and induces a feeling of well-being and stress reduction over time to address the source of stress-related overeating.

More emotional support needed
A 2020 consumer survey from Gelesis found that nearly three in five US consumers (58 percent) say they need more support to lose weight. Moreover, 42 percent don’t feel their health care provider helps enough with their weight loss goals. 

According to Gelesis’ fall 2020 survey, 71 million US consumers have gained weight throughout the pandemic.“It’s important to note that this survey is about the real mental and emotional struggle Americans face as a result of weight gain. Our survey shows that people of all generations need more support,” affirms Elaine Chiquette, PharmD, Gelesis’ chief scientific officer.

This widely taps into the Innova Market Insights’ top F&B trend for 2021 called “Mood: The Next Occasion.”

According to a 2020 Innova Market Insights consumer survey, 53 percent of global consumers have taken action to improve their physical well-being, followed by mental and emotional well-being (44 percent) and spiritual time (32 percent). 

Functional foods target holistic health approach
Maintaining her stance from a previous Special Report, Hill at Gencor argues that consumers should take a holistic health approach to manage their weight. 

For example, OptiBiotix Health provides a functional fiber under the company’s WellBiome brand. 

The mineral blend aids general health and well-being, supporting digestive, metabolic and heart health instead of a strict weight management focus.

Mindful of last year’s disruptive events, however, Hill predicts the weight sector will also expand and be incorporated into a broader range of product offerings such as functional foods and beverages. 

With consumers spending more time at home than ever before, nutritional solutions that can be easily integrated into daily diets and lifestyles are an easy win.

“We have seen an increase in the use of weight loss ingredients into functional foods – like meal replacements, shakes and beverages,” adds Fink from PLT Health Solutions. 

Supresa is PLT Health Solution’s response to a market keen on science-backed appetite suppressants.“It just takes imagination and listening to what the consumer wants.”

Science at the forefront of 2021 predictions
The arrival of COVID-19 vaccinations has gotten consumers “heavily invested” in the science behind the vaccine, says Riley. 

This interest in scientific knowledge is trickling down to the food and nutrition industry, where consumers want more information on how certain ingredients work.

“Weight loss is a prime example of this since there is no healthy method that leads to a quick win. Instead, consumers will look for more sustainable methods to achieve weight loss,” Riley envisions.

Gelesis also prioritizes an evidence-based approach to weight management with “proven science as well as a new type to treatment.” 

“That has certainly been our focus with Plenity,” says Chiquette, referring to Gelesis’ weight management aiding supplement that expands water in the stomach to induce feelings of satiety more quickly.

She adds that the evidence-based trend has led to Plenity being currently available in limited supply, but will become more widely available later this year.

“Health has taken on greater importance than ever,” she concludes, “so my hunch is that in 2021 we will see renewed focus – beyond the typically short-lived New Year’s resolutions – on living a healthier lifestyle and managing weight.” 

By Anni Schleicher