Banish the image of a man's shopping cart piled with frozen pizza and chips and topped with a six-pack. According to data in the recently published study from HealthFocus International, St. Petersburg, FL, "The 2005 HealthFocus Trend Report," men are looking for more healthful foods, too. It shows that men are taking more responsibility for their own food choices, with 62% always or usually choosing foods for health reasons, and concludes that men often think about the healthfulness of a product or the nutritional value of what they eat
Furthermore, "In the last two years, men have gotten more involved in familial health," says Linda Gilbert, president, HealthFocus International. "While women continue to generally feel responsible for maintaining healthy families, the statistics show that men are becoming more health active, not just for themselves but for their families."
According to the company's research, only 46% of men queried in 2002 felt they had a great deal of control over what their family ate vs. 57% of men today. Additionally, a greater number of men now always or usually make food choices based on what the whole family will enjoy63% compared to 56% two years ago.
The study also points out that 59% of men feel it is important to look healthy, a four-point increase over two years ago. They also recognize the link between looking healthy and eating healthfully.
"While healthy choices are becoming more important to men, it is critical to understand that their motivations are quite different from women's," notes Gilbert. "Men are more motivated by extrinsic benefitssuch as looking productive, accomplished and in controlwhile women are more motivated by intrinsic benefitssuch as 'feeling better about myself.'
The study further reveals several additional factors that can help in the design of new, healthier products for this market: Fewer men are price-sensitive than women (51% of men vs. 60% of women), and they are also less likely to put emphasis on label claims such as "lower in sugar," "sugar free," "fresh" or "whole grain."
