Inadequacy pushes consumers toward alternative dietary lifestyles

(Copyright © Karen Struthers/Shutterstock.com)

Choose low-fat dairy products. Eat less saturated fat. Choose lean meats and deli products.

These statements represent some of the official dietary recommendations and even though we may not always take them into consideration when shopping at the supermarket, or when buying takeaway, we know what it takes to be healthy.

In recent years, however, a number of alternative dietary lifestyles have emerged, and whether they are called paleo; low carb, high fat; or just low carb – they tout the opposite of conventional guidelines.

The question is what causes consumers to seek out alternative nutritional routes when dietary recommendations guaranteeing health already exist? In terms of marketing, where does this leave food industry brands when alternatives like low-carb dietary lifestyles operate outside of core brands and their values?

Birgitte Friis Ølgod addresses these questions in her thesis at CBS, entitled: “You are what you eat – and the company you keep”, in which she examines what causes consumers to drastically change their dietary lifestyle to follow the low-carb approach but also the opportunities that open up for the food industry with these trends.

Independently defining what health is
To find the answers to her questions Friis Ølgod followed low-carb blogs and Facebook groups, where dedicated followers encourage, comfort and inform each other about the low-carb lifestyle. She also interviewed eight followers of this life-changing dietary choice.

The life-changing aspect that emerged piqued Friis Ølgod’s curiosity to explore what causes followers to choose this lifestyle.

“There are a few adherents of a low-carb diet who choose this direction because they suffer, for example, from allergies. But very few people are forced to change their dietary habits for that reason. The majority simply choose one day to be adherents of a low-carb diet, creating a distinctive identity for themselves that involves being extremely critical of official, mainstream dietary recommendations,” explains Friis Ølgod, describing one of the conclusions of her study.

Low-carb enthusiasts feel that the official dietary recommendations failed them. Despite following them to the letter, they never achieved a sense of healthiness, which is a key reason that they turn to alternative dietary lifestyles.

“Many low-carb fans are driven by a sense of inadequacy in relation to conventional health recommendations. Following the official guidelines hasn’t worked for them. Low carb, on the other hand, led to a feeling of success. Supporters feel energetic and healthy, a result linked to making their own choices in terms of lifestyle. The latter is important. The sense of independence and taking control of the direction of their own lives is essential for these consumers,” says Friis Ølgod. 

This tendency is not unique for this group of consumers. There is a general trend toward consumers becoming more critical and sceptical of authority, for instance, of official dietary recommendations.

“We have instead become much more selective in our consumption patterns. We pick from here and there based on the motto that health involves feeling good, not following certain guidelines,” believes Friis Ølgod.

In that way, the low-carb lifestyle represents a clash with orthodoxy, but a paradoxical one. Choosing to join the low-carb bandwagon means encountering new authorities, but in this case the ‘authorities’ are not as obvious or vociferous about their role as an authority.

“It turns out, after all, that a number of alternative authorities influence low-carb supporters, especially in the form of blogs and communities that deliver clear and authoritative rules, for example, the principles of the diet. The leading figure of the low-carb movement in Denmark, Jane Faber, represents one of those authorities, even though the preface in her books insists that she is not,” explains Friis Ølgod. 

Coconut oil and extra-fat sour cream
Of interest is the position of food industry brands in this changing climate, especially because low-carb supporters choose to act in a certain way without being tied to a leading brand.

Friis Ølgod does not believe that this development prevents brands from playing a role in relation to alternative dietary lifestyles. To get on the ball, brands need to learn to listen to the forums that are so vital to the development of the identities of followers of various dietary lifestyles.

“Brands need to understand that they have a new role. They’re no longer the centre of attention but must instead listen to the dialogue occurring among followers of a certain diet, allowing them to adapt to the needs that arise in the various movements. This is already happening with regard to low-carb approaches. Businesses are listening more. Extra-fat sour cream is now available at convenience stores and something as exotic as coconut oil, which is important for low-carb supporters, is available at discount grocery stores,” states Friis Ølgod.

Another compelling consideration is predicting when market adaptation might be thought of as too mainstream for low-carb supporters if more and more people decide to follow their dietary lifestyle.

Friis Ølgod believes the case may be that part of the identity of low-carb followers is their association with a minority group that represents a revolt against official recommendations.