24 Jun 2010 --- Obesity rates, which have been steadily rising in Europe and the United States, are now increasing in Asian nations as well. While healthy eating and lifestyle management are the key solutions to weight management, they remain challenging for many consumers. As a result, the weight management ingredients market offers significant prospects worldwide.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the market earned revenues of $7.5 million in 2008 and estimates this to reach $13.9 million by 2015. The applications covered in this research service are satiety ingredients/appetite suppressants, fat burners (thermogenic ingredients) and other weight management ingredients.

"Greater economic activity and rising disposable income levels of working professionals in Asian nations such as China and India are resulting in a consumer shift away from traditionally produced food toward a convenience-based western diet that is further exacerbated by more sedentary lifestyles," according to Frost & Sullivan. "The resultant rise in obesity rates is spurring consumer interest in active health management, fuelling market growth."

Tackling and managing obesity is an enormous challenge, both for governments and for the food industry, because the associated health burden affects other industry sectors as well. Weight management ingredients are the food and beverage industry's answer to this spreading global predicament and their popularity is growing globally thanks to an extensive range of food, beverage and supplement products.

However, issues regarding the placement of herbal medicines on the market, together with the length of time it takes for novel foods to be approved for human consumption in Europe, are the major problems for food manufacturers, restricting manufacturer innovation and causing hesitancy in the market. Additionally, raising awareness among consumers represents a primary challenge for food and beverage manufacturers globally, though this can be facilitated with successful product legislation.

"Creating products that are both functional and palatable is another challenge, with several of the accepted weight management ingredients having an undesirable taste profile," explains the report. "Taste is a key area of concern for food and beverage manufacturers in relation to the finished product's efficacy and desirability, making functionality and taste equally important."

To succeed in the global weight management ingredients market, manufacturers should find innovative ways to prolong ingredient lifespan, work toward securing favourable legislation, and introduce new ingredients into this market.

"Manufacturers should focus on building brand equity, by utilising co-branding," concludes the report. "Furthermore, they should provide technical documentation and a clear illustration of the benefits and safety associated with each individual weight management ingredient, in order to facilitate effective marketing messages from food and drink manufacturers."

If you are interested in more information on this study, please e-mail Monika Kwiecinska, Corporate Communications, at monika.kwiecinska@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country.

Opportunities in Global Weight Management Ingredients is part of the Food & Beverage Ingredients Growth Partnership Services programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Heart health ingredients, bone & joint health ingredients and digestive health ingredients. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

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