Consumer Insight Report: Marketing Strategies for Obesity

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of consumer insights related to obesity, particularly focusing on the Australian context. It begins with an introduction highlighting the increasing prevalence of obesity among young people and the associated health risks. A literature review examines prior research on weight loss and management, including studies on long-term weight maintenance, the effects of green tea-caffeine mixtures, and dietary causes of obesity. The report then delves into relevant theories, such as self-determination theory and operant conditioning theory, to explain the psychological and behavioral aspects of weight management. The core of the report focuses on marketing strategies for healthcare service providers offering weight loss programs, including STP marketing, internet marketing, and public relations. The report concludes with recommendations, suggesting STP marketing as a potentially effective approach, and references supporting research.

CONSUMER INSIGHT
REPORT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................1
Theories.......................................................................................................................................2
MARKETING STRATEGIES.........................................................................................................3
RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION...............................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Obesity is one of the major health issue which is faced by the people in this generation.
The youth in Australia are heavily engaged in consuming energy dense food and following
inactive lifestyles. Even though this lifestyle followed by young Australians just start from
suffering from being overweight and then obesity is lead towards major health issues like
diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and other chronic diseases. This subject on which
the report will be prepared is significant for realising the need of following a healthy lifestyle by
having a control on their body weight. This report will be focusing on youth and working
sections in Australia, and will analyse their lifestyle and daily routine. These sections of the
Australian society are the major part creating development for nation but if they follow such an
unhealthy lifestyle, life expectancy ratio is expected to be on steep decline.
LITERATURE REVIEW
There are a number of researches priorly conducted research on similar subjects related to
'Weight Loss and Weight Management'. According to Walsh, the research is conducted on 'long
term weight loss and management' and focused on a general perception that people doesn't
succeed in maintaining their weight loss for a long term. The researcher was successful in
realising that there was an amount of almost 20% of overweight people who could successfully
manage to lose weight for a long term by losing 10% of their initial body weight and maintained
to weight health for at least a year (Jakubowicz and Froy, 2013). The research also concluded
that they possibly manage to loss their weight and manage that weight as they were engaged in
high level physical activities and had to intake a healthy diet inclusive of low calorie and low fat.
As per the view point of Rastmanesh, he was indulging in conducting his project on the
effect of a green tea-caffeine mixture for maintaining weight after losing body weight. The
researcher also threw light on eating and activity behaviour of those individuals who are engaged
in losing weight and managing to maintain their weight after losing it. He also made a conclusion
that long term maintenance of body weight lost as unsuccessful. He also suggested that treating
obesity is necessary as for losing weight but it is also essential for reducing risks of morbidity
and mortality (Mason and et.al., 2011).
A previously conducted research has also focussed on the diet and nutritional causes for
obesity and strategies to reduce the same. Kushner came to a result that major reasons of obesity

as heavy intake of energy dense foods, sugar-sweetened soft drinks and the sedentary lifestyle
that people are living. He also recommended that excessive marketing of fast food outlets and
foods with high energy densities lead to attract the people towards them and thus they must not
fall into such marketing traps (Li and Heber, 2012).
Theories
Li and Heber explained that 'self-determination theory' as a theory of motivation,
concerned with supporting tendencies of natural and intrinsic form as for the behaviour effects in
a healthy manner. He also said that it is a macro theory regarding personality and motivation in
human that is concerned with inherent growth tendencies in people and their psychological
needs. It relates with the motivation behind those choices that people make without any influence
from external sources or any interference from the outer portion. Self Determination theory
focuses on a certain degree at which behaviour of a person is motivated within and by himself
and keep himself determined.
1. Self-determination theory can be certainly useful for individuals who are suffering from
obesity due to their unhealthy dietary practices and sedentary lifestyles which they have

to follow for their living. Obese people could psychologically be strong on their decision
to lose weight by adapting a better and active lifestyle and they have to follow a healthy
diet plan to lose their weight (Esposito and et.al., 2011). That decision they make by
themselves and activities they choose to pick for improving their own personality applies
self-determination theory. They are not influenced by any other people or other external
sources, but the decision was taken by themselves to develop their personality by
following a healthy lifestyle inclusive of some active physical activities.
2. Operant Conditional Theory is a kind of study in which strength of human behaviour can
be changed by modifying the consequences of that particular behaviour, for example,
punishment and reward. In case of operant conditioning, the interest in performing an
activity is to be rewarded or punished in order to control the activity and its behaviour.
Reinforcement and punishment are considered to be the significant tools by which the
modifications are made in the operant behaviour. The terms which are going to be
mentioned are on basis of certain effects on that particular behaviour, and the effect can
either be positive or negative.

Sources: Operant conditioning theory, 2017
 Positive reinforcement is the term used when a behaviour is rewarded or followed by
another level of behaviour of a better reward, to increase frequency of that particular
behaviour. For example, an individual in gym trying to lose weight completes his usual
set of crunches successfully, and trainer gives him another set of declined crunches as for
faster loss of weight (Sarwer, Dilks and West-Smith, 2011).
Illustration 1: Operant conditioning

 Negative reinforcement involves the escape as to avoid that certain behaviour as to
increase that behaviour's frequency. Here, the gym trainer makes him do more reps of
crunches as he failed to complete the previous set. Positive punishment is occurred when a behaviour leads to a avoidable stimulus, which
would be followed by results such as decrease in that certain behaviour. In this case, the
trainer will make him do a minute of military drill as he completed his set of crunches
successfully as to create a great impact in the process of losing weight.
 Negative Punishment occurs when a behaviour' is followed by a stimulus being removed
resulting in frequencies being reduced in the behaviour. For instance, trainer would order
to the individual to run several kilometres as he was not able to complete his set of
crunches.
MARKETING STRATEGIES
For any organisations which are involved in production of goods or services that are to be
taken to customer, so that shall be utilised to fulfil their needs. Healthcare service providers in
Australia are being aware of the increasing issue of obesity in the nation. Organisations in the
healthcare sectors has decided to provide services to the obese individuals so as they could lead a
healthy lifestyle, but they need to get themselves introduced in market along with the services
they are going to provide. Here are some marketing strategies that could be possibly made
applicable for the weight loss services provided by healthcare sector:
 STP Marketing: STP marketing, where 'S' stands for segmenting, 'T' is for targetting and
'P' indicates positioning (Larsen and et.al., 2010). This strategy of marketing is to be
made applicable by health care service providers for their services related to weight loss
after realising their target customers. STP marketing implies to divide the customers into
segments who may need and not need the services they will be providing soon. After the
segmentation of market, a particular segment of customer will be targeted who are in
need to lose their weight. After deciding the target customers, the healthcare service
providers will then position their product in such a way that it would be made available to
the target customers in the society.

Sources: STP marketing strategy, 2017
Segmentation are basically done on geographic or demographic basis. Geographic
base of segmentation divides the market according to geographic boundaries and sections.
Demographic segmentation classifies customers on the basis of their age, financial status,
education, ethnicity, etc. the market segment targeted by the healthcare service providers are the
youth and working class people, who are engaged in inactive lifestyle and consumes unhealthy
diet. Positioning lets the product or service regarding weight loss fulfil the needs of obese
customers in losing their weight and maintain a healthy weight as to satisfy the users of service.
 Internet Marketing: Internet marketing involves utilizing web based sources to
influence the customers towards the product introduced by the health care sector for
curing the issues of weight loss in obese youth. The healthcare organisations can take
their marketing to websites, blogs, portals, tools of social media and mobile applications.
Online marketing is considered to be one of the best channels in this digital era to market,
advertise and communicate with customers of every market, including the health and
social care services. Internet marketing provides a platform of effective marketing which
are also profitable in aspects of time and money (Teixeira and et.al., 2010).
The organisations in healthcare sector can target blogs and websites related to
health and fitness for marketing their services related to weight loss. Social media is a best
platform where the service providers could find most of their targeted customer, that is, young
Illustration 2: STP marketing strategy

and working class people are more engaged on social sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Therefore, it would be an ultimate source of taking the product or service to the customers.
 Public Relations: This is where the organisations use the formats of major media sources
to have access to the communication towards customers. The organisations in the health
and social care sector needs to plan and generate publications such as press releases and
newspaper articles as to receive free public exposure (Neve and et.al., 2010). Public
relations can also include interviews on channels of broadcast media as to communicate
the issues regarding obesity and unhealthy lifestyles and solutions they have found to
cure it. News channels in electronic media, that is, majorly in television and print media
instruments such as newspapers are the most used sources to handle the relations with the
internal and external public of all organisations.
RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
According to the evaluation of all those marketing strategies discussed above, their
advantages and disadvantages, and possible impacts they could make on the customers, possibly
apt marketing strategy for this case is STP marketing. Segmenting, targeting and positioning in
market could possibly help the organisations in health and social care sector to identify that
segment of market who needs services for weight loss and weight maintenance. First of all, the
strategy will help them in classifying market into segments and then will help in realising whom
they could actually target as the users of such services. And then after recognising the needs of
that particular targeted segment in market and their needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle, their
appropriate positioning will help them attract more customers in their market segment, and help
them lead a fit lifestyle after they are provided with the services to maintain their healthy body
weight.

REFERENCES
Esposito, K., and et.al., 2011. Mediterranean diet and weight loss: meta-analysis of randomized
controlled trials. Metabolic syndrome and related disorders. 9(1). pp.1-12.
Jakubowicz, D. and Froy, O., 2013. Biochemical and metabolic mechanisms by which dietary
whey protein may combat obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The Journal of nutritional
biochemistry. 24(1). pp.1-5.
Kushner, R.F., 2014. Weight loss strategies for treatment of obesity. Progress in Cardiovascular
Diseases. 56(4). pp.465-472.
Larsen, T.M., and et.al., 2010. Diets with high or low protein content and glycemic index for
weight-loss maintenance. New England Journal of Medicine. 363(22). pp.2102-2113.
Li, Z. and Heber, D., 2012. Sarcopenic obesity in the elderly and strategies for weight
management. Nutrition reviews. 70(1). pp.57-64.
Mason, C., and et.al., 2011. Dietary weight loss and exercise effects on insulin resistance in
postmenopausal women. American journal of preventive medicine. 41(4). pp.366-375.
Neve, M., and et.al., 2010. Effectiveness of web‐based interventions in achieving weight loss and
weight loss maintenance in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review with
meta‐analysis. Obesity reviews. 11(4). pp.306-321.
Rastmanesh, R., 2011. High polyphenol, low probiotic diet for weight loss because of intestinal
microbiota interaction. Chemico-biological interactions. 189(1). pp.1-8.
Sarwer, D.B., Dilks, R.J. and West-Smith, L., 2011. Dietary intake and eating behavior after
bariatric surgery: threats to weight loss maintenance and strategies for success. Surgery
for Obesity and Related Diseases. 7(5). pp.644-651.
Teixeira, P.J., and et.al., 2010. Mediators of weight loss and weight loss maintenance in middle‐
aged women. Obesity. 18(4). pp.725-735.
Walsh, B.T., 2013. The enigmatic persistence of anorexia nervosa. American Journal of
Psychiatry. 170(5). pp.477-484.
Online
Skinner - Operant Conditioning. 2015.[Online]. Available through:
<https://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html> . [Accessed on 8th June
2017].