Fitness trend boosts RTDs, nutritional shakes

“I want to lose weight.” That’s been one of the top four New Year’s resolutions for the past decade, according to a recent survey conducted by FC Organizational Products, makers of “To-Do” lists. However, more people every year are resolving “to become more physically fit,” which goes a long way to explaining why ready-to-drink nutritional shakes and meal replacement bars are hotter than diet aids right now. 


Conversely, diet tablets have been trending down over the past three years, in part because sales of market leader Alli are down 35.4% for the 52 weeks ended Oct. 30, 2011, according to SymphonyIRI Group data across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart).


NBC’s reality show “The Biggest Loser,” now entering its 13th season, still is raising awareness around the need for weight loss, even though viewership is slightly declining. Nonetheless, “Biggest Loser” generates that kind of feel-good-about-losing-weight message — especially as “Biggest Loser” trainer Bob Harper’s diet aids gain a little more traction. Outside of the potential of that product, the growing sales of diet aids Hydroxycut and SlimQuick are the exception to the downtrend in diet-aid tablets.

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Diet/Weight Loss Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.