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Food portions and consumer vulnerability

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View the page of Nicholas Ford

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Nicholas Ford seeks to provide understanding on the influence of food intake on consumer vulnerability and how this manifests within people’s lives.

Image courtesy of interviewee. March 4, 2024

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This video video discusses a research study that is part of a larger project examining new product development in the context of an aging society. It highlights significant demographic changes indicating that by 2031, one in six individuals globally will be aged 60 or over, with substantial implications for society and businesses, particularly in the food and drink sector.

The study focuses on how aging affects food consumption and intake requirements. While biological aging and its impact on appetite have been well-studied, the research aims to explore psychological and social changes related to aging that affect eating habits. Through qualitative interviews with older adults, aged from their early sixties to early nineties, the researchers found that factors such as the departure of children from home or the loss of a spouse diminish motivation to cook and enjoy communal meals, leading to reduced food intake.

Key findings indicate that inappropriate food portion sizes contribute to "consumer vulnerability," a term referring to feelings of powerlessness over food choices. Many participants reported that smaller portion sizes helped them consume more food. The results suggest that food marketers and businesses can improve older consumers' experiences by offering appropriately sized products to support sufficient food intake and mitigate vulnerability.

The study proposes that tailored retail environments, such as delicatessens, can empower older consumers by providing individualized portion options while still appealing to other demographic groups. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of addressing the unique dietary needs of an aging population in product development and marketing strategies.

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X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:LOCAL=00:00:00.000,MPEGTS=900000

00:00.035 --> 00:01.165
This study forms part

00:01.165 --> 00:04.445
of a larger research project exploring the development

00:04.445 --> 00:08.445
of new products in the context of an aging society.

00:09.185 --> 00:12.165
So to give you a bit more detail in that context, according

00:12.225 --> 00:13.805
to the World Health Organization,

00:14.425 --> 00:18.605
by 2031 in six people in the world will be age 60

00:18.655 --> 00:19.805
years or over.

00:20.545 --> 00:23.365
In fact, already by 2020 the number of people aged 60

00:23.385 --> 00:27.085
and above outnumbered children younger than five years old.

00:27.825 --> 00:31.125
By 2050, the world's population of people aged 60 years

00:31.125 --> 00:34.405
and older will double to around 2.1 billion.

00:35.105 --> 00:39.405
So this is a demographic shift unlike any other in human

00:39.405 --> 00:43.045
history, and it's one that will have far reaching societal

00:43.185 --> 00:44.605
and economic implications.

00:45.505 --> 00:47.405
But for us here in the faculty of business

00:47.405 --> 00:49.485
and law, it also has implications

00:49.485 --> 00:51.445
and opportunities for businesses.

00:52.185 --> 00:54.485
Now, our research focuses primarily on the food

00:54.485 --> 00:55.965
and drink industry, as well

00:55.965 --> 00:58.845
as the wider fast moving consumer goods sector.

00:59.905 --> 01:01.845
And we focus on these industries

01:02.065 --> 01:05.965
as they produce products which are central to health,

01:06.155 --> 01:07.805
wellbeing, and quality of life,

01:08.115 --> 01:09.965
including obviously among older people.

01:10.465 --> 01:13.165
Now, in this particular study, we were seeking to explore

01:13.165 --> 01:16.765
how the process of aging affects food consumption

01:16.975 --> 01:20.965
activities, specifically food intake requirements.

01:21.865 --> 01:24.325
Now, within the gerontological literature,

01:24.415 --> 01:27.645
which is the study of aging, aging is understood

01:27.645 --> 01:30.725
to be a multidimensional process consisting of biological,

01:31.275 --> 01:33.925
psychological, and social changes.

01:35.105 --> 01:38.165
Now, there is considerable scientific research into the

01:38.165 --> 01:40.405
effects of biological aging in this area

01:40.825 --> 01:44.245
and how these changes can contribute to reduced appetites

01:44.535 --> 01:45.605
among some older people

01:46.145 --> 01:48.645
and what's rather unpleasantly known within that literature

01:48.645 --> 01:50.405
as the anorexia of aging,

01:51.155 --> 01:54.165
however, we found there was much less insight into the

01:54.165 --> 01:56.485
effects of psychological and social aging.

01:57.065 --> 01:59.165
So in our study, what we wanted

01:59.165 --> 02:02.445
to explore were these other dimensions to a greater extent

02:02.945 --> 02:06.445
and to understand how they affected food consumption habits.

02:06.835 --> 02:09.885
What we did was employ a qualitative approach

02:10.065 --> 02:12.045
to our study study.

02:12.045 --> 02:15.725
Our main data collection method was in-depth qualitative

02:15.735 --> 02:18.245
interviews with older participants.

02:19.065 --> 02:20.125
So the ages

02:20.125 --> 02:22.805
of our participants ranged from people in their early

02:22.805 --> 02:25.565
sixties to some in their early nineties.

02:26.465 --> 02:28.445
Our sample included both men

02:28.445 --> 02:31.925
and women, people living with others, such as their spouse

02:32.545 --> 02:34.445
and people living independently.

02:35.305 --> 02:38.805
So we used a semi-structured approach to our interviews

02:38.895 --> 02:41.845
where we had a number of pre-planned questions

02:41.845 --> 02:43.685
that we wanted to go through with people,

02:44.225 --> 02:48.165
but also to allow for the exploration of unexpected

02:48.585 --> 02:50.845
and fruitful avenues as they emerged.

02:51.435 --> 02:53.045
This also allowed our participants

02:53.105 --> 02:54.765
to expand on their experiences

02:54.905 --> 02:57.365
and their feelings, thus providing us

02:57.435 --> 02:58.805
with greater insight. In

02:58.805 --> 03:01.965
Our our data, we conducted the interviews in our

03:01.965 --> 03:05.805
participants' homes providing a relaxed atmosphere

03:06.135 --> 03:08.525
where people could feel more open with us,

03:09.345 --> 03:11.285
but also they could refer specifically

03:11.305 --> 03:12.605
to particular products,

03:12.855 --> 03:16.005
which was often really useful in terms of aiding like recall

03:16.005 --> 03:17.365
of particular experiences

03:17.985 --> 03:20.965
and thus enhancing the reliability of our data.

03:22.035 --> 03:24.485
Typically, our interviews lasted from somewhere

03:24.485 --> 03:27.285
between an hour to 90 minutes in length.

03:27.465 --> 03:29.485
We conducted 20 of those interviews

03:30.385 --> 03:32.445
and we were recording the interviews, of course,

03:32.445 --> 03:34.405
with the permission of our participants,

03:35.105 --> 03:37.645
and then transcribe those for analysis

03:37.935 --> 03:40.565
where we conducted thematic analysis,

03:40.815 --> 03:42.645
where we identified patterns

03:42.705 --> 03:44.845
and contradictions within the data.

03:45.035 --> 03:48.005
What we found was evidence of different aspects

03:48.265 --> 03:51.845
and dimensions of the aging process contributing

03:51.845 --> 03:53.405
to reduced food intake.

03:53.695 --> 03:55.565
Among many of our participants,

03:56.435 --> 03:58.405
several participants described

03:58.405 --> 04:00.725
what they felt were natural declines in

04:00.925 --> 04:02.165
appetite as they grew older.

04:02.675 --> 04:05.325
However other, however others also mentioned

04:05.585 --> 04:08.725
how life events, therefore the effects of social aging

04:09.305 --> 04:11.645
had contributed to reduced food intake.

04:12.305 --> 04:16.045
So for example, grownup children leaving the home,

04:16.145 --> 04:18.645
or in some cases sadly law,

04:18.675 --> 04:20.365
suffering the loss of a spouse.

04:21.385 --> 04:25.005
Events such as these reduced motivation to cook

04:25.585 --> 04:30.005
as opportunities for commonality, which is the act of eating

04:30.005 --> 04:33.725
with others as a communal activity were diminished.

04:34.665 --> 04:37.565
So for some participants, the food waste,

04:37.615 --> 04:41.525
which resulted from this, served almost as a sort

04:41.525 --> 04:44.485
of implicit unwanted reminder of some

04:44.485 --> 04:46.725
of the more negative aspects of the aging process.

04:47.985 --> 04:52.605
In some cases, this almost reinforced a negative mindset

04:53.025 --> 04:56.485
around growing older, potentially creating something

04:56.485 --> 04:59.285
of a vicious cycle, which led to the onset

04:59.305 --> 05:02.525
or acceleration of the anorexia of aging.

05:03.355 --> 05:05.685
Therefore, we believe that our findings indicate

05:05.685 --> 05:10.245
that inappropriate food portion sizes can contribute to

05:10.245 --> 05:12.485
what is known as consumer vulnerability

05:13.095 --> 05:14.365
among some older people.

05:15.185 --> 05:17.845
So consumer vulnerability is a concept from the marketing

05:18.125 --> 05:20.245
literature, which describes feelings

05:20.245 --> 05:23.925
of powerlessness over one's consumption experiences

05:24.655 --> 05:28.165
where we place rater dependence on others

05:28.625 --> 05:29.685
and external sources

05:29.945 --> 05:33.285
to create greater fairness in the marketplace.

05:34.145 --> 05:38.325
So in this case, it was placing greater dependence on food

05:38.325 --> 05:39.765
and drink businesses

05:39.945 --> 05:43.765
and retailers to provide products in appropriate portion

05:44.015 --> 05:47.325
sizes to facilitate adequate consumption

05:47.425 --> 05:49.045
of food among older people.

05:49.195 --> 05:50.925
This is a demographic shift

05:50.925 --> 05:52.525
that's unlike anything we've ever seen

05:52.525 --> 05:53.845
before in human history,

05:53.865 --> 05:56.005
and the implications are really far reaching

05:56.625 --> 05:58.005
in the the context of our study.

05:58.155 --> 06:01.205
What we felt our findings highlighted was the opportunity

06:01.385 --> 06:02.925
for food businesses

06:03.025 --> 06:05.965
and food marketers to contribute to the maintenance

06:06.185 --> 06:08.765
of adequate food consumption In later life,

06:09.635 --> 06:13.645
through suitable apportionment, food marketers may be able

06:13.645 --> 06:18.525
to provide products which offer discreet low level support

06:18.745 --> 06:22.125
to older consumers in maintaining sufficient levels

06:22.185 --> 06:25.565
of food consumption, and in turn contributing

06:25.565 --> 06:29.165
to a reduction in future experiences of vulnerability.

06:29.985 --> 06:33.765
In fact, in several cases, our participants narratives

06:34.515 --> 06:39.325
implied or even directly stated that smaller portion sizes

06:40.085 --> 06:42.805
actually led them to consume greater amounts of food.

06:43.675 --> 06:46.925
However, we recognize that acceptance

06:46.925 --> 06:49.525
of smaller products in actual shopping context

06:50.215 --> 06:51.485
isn't entirely clear,

06:51.745 --> 06:54.125
in particular in a multi demographic society.

06:55.025 --> 06:57.365
So there may be other opportunities for firms

06:57.625 --> 06:58.725
to offer greater value

06:58.725 --> 07:02.165
through reduced apportionment without alienating other

07:02.405 --> 07:04.405
consumers, and they can do that perhaps

07:04.405 --> 07:07.245
through tailoring their retail service environments

07:07.825 --> 07:11.605
to include more facilities such as delicatessens

07:11.825 --> 07:15.365
or bakeries, which were used by some participants,

07:15.665 --> 07:18.125
almost like a positive coping mechanism

07:18.465 --> 07:20.285
or a tool to overcome this problem.

07:21.305 --> 07:23.885
The provision and availability of facilities such

07:23.885 --> 07:27.645
as this which allow for individualized apportionments

07:28.835 --> 07:32.925
will facilitate effectively increased consumer empowerment.

07:33.585 --> 07:36.525
In turn, what we think is this might reduce experiences

07:36.585 --> 07:39.085
of consumer vulnerability among older people,

07:39.465 --> 07:42.365
whilst not disadvantaging other groups of consumers

07:42.585 --> 07:44.925
who may still require larger portion sizes.

07:45.485 --> 07:45.605
I.

00:00 - This study forms part of a larger research project exploring the development of new products in the context of an aging society. So to give you a bit more detail in that context, according to the World Health Organization, by 2031 in six people in the world will be age 60

00:18 - years or over. In fact, already by 2020 the number of people aged 60 and above outnumbered children younger than five years old. By 2050, the world's population of people aged 60 years and older will double to around 2.1 billion. So this is a demographic shift unlike any other in human history, and it's one that will have far reaching societal and economic implications. But for us here in the faculty of business and law, it also has implications

00:49 - and opportunities for businesses. Now, our research focuses primarily on the food and drink industry, as well as the wider fast moving consumer goods sector. And we focus on these industries as they produce products which are central to health, wellbeing, and quality of life, including obviously among older people. Now, in this particular study, we were seeking to explore how the process of aging affects food consumption

01:16 - activities, specifically food intake requirements. Now, within the gerontological literature, which is the study of aging, aging is understood to be a multidimensional process consisting of biological, psychological, and social changes. Now, there is considerable scientific research into the effects of biological aging in this area and how these changes can contribute to reduced appetites among some older people and what's rather unpleasantly known within that literature

01:48 - as the anorexia of aging, however, we found there was much less insight into the effects of psychological and social aging. So in our study, what we wanted to explore were these other dimensions to a greater extent and to understand how they affected food consumption habits. What we did was employ a qualitative approach to our study study. Our main data collection method was in-depth qualitative interviews with older participants.

02:19 - So the ages of our participants ranged from people in their early sixties to some in their early nineties. Our sample included both men and women, people living with others, such as their spouse and people living independently. So we used a semi-structured approach to our interviews where we had a number of pre-planned questions that we wanted to go through with people, but also to allow for the exploration of unexpected

02:48 - and fruitful avenues as they emerged. This also allowed our participants to expand on their experiences and their feelings, thus providing us with greater insight. In Our our data, we conducted the interviews in our participants' homes providing a relaxed atmosphere where people could feel more open with us, but also they could refer specifically to particular products,

03:12 - which was often really useful in terms of aiding like recall of particular experiences and thus enhancing the reliability of our data. Typically, our interviews lasted from somewhere between an hour to 90 minutes in length. We conducted 20 of those interviews and we were recording the interviews, of course, with the permission of our participants, and then transcribe those for analysis where we conducted thematic analysis,

03:40 - where we identified patterns and contradictions within the data. What we found was evidence of different aspects and dimensions of the aging process contributing to reduced food intake. Among many of our participants, several participants described what they felt were natural declines in appetite as they grew older. However other, however others also mentioned

04:05 - how life events, therefore the effects of social aging had contributed to reduced food intake. So for example, grownup children leaving the home, or in some cases sadly law, suffering the loss of a spouse. Events such as these reduced motivation to cook as opportunities for commonality, which is the act of eating with others as a communal activity were diminished. So for some participants, the food waste, which resulted from this, served almost as a sort

04:41 - of implicit unwanted reminder of some of the more negative aspects of the aging process. In some cases, this almost reinforced a negative mindset around growing older, potentially creating something of a vicious cycle, which led to the onset or acceleration of the anorexia of aging. Therefore, we believe that our findings indicate that inappropriate food portion sizes can contribute to what is known as consumer vulnerability among some older people.

05:15 - So consumer vulnerability is a concept from the marketing literature, which describes feelings of powerlessness over one's consumption experiences where we place rater dependence on others and external sources to create greater fairness in the marketplace. So in this case, it was placing greater dependence on food and drink businesses and retailers to provide products in appropriate portion sizes to facilitate adequate consumption

05:47 - of food among older people. This is a demographic shift that's unlike anything we've ever seen before in human history, and the implications are really far reaching in the the context of our study. What we felt our findings highlighted was the opportunity for food businesses and food marketers to contribute to the maintenance of adequate food consumption In later life,

06:09 - through suitable apportionment, food marketers may be able to provide products which offer discreet low level support to older consumers in maintaining sufficient levels of food consumption, and in turn contributing to a reduction in future experiences of vulnerability. In fact, in several cases, our participants narratives implied or even directly stated that smaller portion sizes actually led them to consume greater amounts of food. However, we recognize that acceptance of smaller products in actual shopping context

06:50 - isn't entirely clear, in particular in a multi demographic society. So there may be other opportunities for firms to offer greater value through reduced apportionment without alienating other consumers, and they can do that perhaps through tailoring their retail service environments to include more facilities such as delicatessens or bakeries, which were used by some participants, almost like a positive coping mechanism

07:18 - or a tool to overcome this problem. The provision and availability of facilities such as this which allow for individualized apportionments will facilitate effectively increased consumer empowerment. In turn, what we think is this might reduce experiences of consumer vulnerability among older people, whilst not disadvantaging other groups of consumers who may still require larger portion sizes. I.

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