LIFE STYLE AND HEALTH

Dr. Arpita Khare
Associate Faculty, MBA(IT)
IIIT-Allahabad

The evolution of markets has been to a great extent, responsible in bringing about a change in the lifestyle of the community as a whole. The market forces have redefined not only the needs and wants relationship, but they have also forced the consumers to re-explain their priorities. The changes that are apparent in the social set up can be largely said to have been due to psychographics changes so visible in the society.

Marketing has redefined not only the value definition, but it has changed the lifestyle of the society by creating need for products and services which were till now not required. There has been considerable impact on the lifestyle and health of the Indian consumers with regard to their eating Fast Foods. Changing psychographics have led to redefinition of the society's needs and even though with more options for convenience products, the effect on health relate issues cannot be ignored.

Fast Food as a sign of the times:

Early in the 19th Century, at the start of the Industrial age when people had to work for 12-14 hours a day, there was scarcely any time for long breaks for eating. The first snack bars and kiosks sprung in front of factories. Today quick meals outside the home have become as an essential part of our lifestyle.

Chiefly, but not exclusively, teenagers and young adults use fast food facilities. The large food chains have pulled out all the stops of modern marketing, targeting primarily young consumers. They entice their potential customers with TV spots, children parties, gift for small children and ambiance, i.e., child and teenager friendly. The atmosphere is filled with gaiety and youth feel it has the right mix of fun, food and freedom to hang about. Experts have coined the tem "Mcdonaldization" to describe the phenomenon.

Impact of Fast Food:

It is difficult to provide a qualitative distinction between fast food and traditional food. The best way to distinguish the fast foods is to use the formal characteristics:

Many people equate fast foods with convenience foods. The fast foods restaurants emphasize on:

a) Self service like Mcdonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Wimpy's , Nathus, Haldiram.
b) Take out (or take away) businesses that sell ready to eat foods and beverages on the street corner.
c) Snack stands with counters or a pair of stand up table so that customers can purchase the food items while strolling on the road side.

Large food chains are subject to strict regulations and inspections concerning the nutritional compositions of their product line and hygiene. In recent times fast foods has been under sharp criticism due to:

i. Children prefer to eat fast food and cold drinks and it is causing concern because it has lead to severe problems like diabetes, increase in obesity, problems related to blood pressure etc. in children. Sweetened drinks supply unnecessary calories in the form of sugar and it leads to various health related problems.
ii. A direct consequence of unbalanced and fat rich food, low in nutritive fibres can lead to constipation and reflux.

Psychographics and their Impact on Marketing

Life style variables are defined by how people spend their time(activities), what they consider important in their environment(interests), and what they think of themselves and the world around them(Opinion). Lifestyle variables are also known as psychographics and some activities, interests, and opinions that illustrate lifestyle are listed as:

Lifestyle trends have altered the social structure of the society and have also modified the cultural and social implications of behavior. Changes in lifestyle are occurring due to the change in the aspirations and the value system of the society. Consumers are aspiring for a better quality life and more gratification related to product usage. This creates a demand for better quality products at lesser process. Lifestyle also reflects the use of commodities and how it relates to the consumers value and cultural frame.

Reasons for changes in Society's Lifestyle

As marketer, one needs to identify the reasons for the shift in tastes and preferences of consumers from traditional and conservative looking product lines to more varied, modern and liberal assortment of commodities:; a few critical aspects can be enumerated:

This change is more visible in metropolitan cities, as greater varieties of products and services are available. With both parents working the disposable income has increased and to alleviate the feeling of guilt of not being able to spend more time with their children weekends have become important. Most children earlier were not decision makers as they are toady about eating ay McDonalds and having a Pepsi and a Chowmein. Earlier decision makers were parents or grand parents but now mothers' entry of freedom finds a reflection in the child's outcry for "Mc Donalds".

Whether motivated by guilt or fatigue or pressure of work, the parent -centered family has changed its orbit and become child-centered. For most families cultural values have been transmitted to children by their grandparents, but with increased urbanization, grandparents play an increased trivial role in the transmission of values. Extended families have given way to nuclear families. Technology has filled the void of grandparents and mothers as keepers of culture. Today's Cartoon Network, MTV, Pogo and Nickelodeon increasingly serve as a combination babysitter and values transmitter. The spread of MTV videos and cable networks around the globe injects previously diverse culture with a virus of values more global in appeal then mere music, dress and food.

There is greater demand for personal freedom and a revolt against the parental authority, cultural values and morals. The traditional focus has been replaced by a more modern and global lifestyle where pursuit of pleasure and instant gratification become paramount. With the break up of joint families, the financial burden of the family has to also shared by the husband and wife. Career has provided women with greater financial and emotional freedom, and it becomes and important ingredient in explaining the needs and aspirations.

This new generation not only believes in having their individual ideas, but also greater self expression and ambition, and interestingly they are going to be an important force to be reckoned with.

Impact of Fast Food on changing Psychographics

As eating out became a frequent phenomenon, fast food industry has tried to redefine its menu according to the Indian plate. The success of McDonald has been it global and local mix of products. The international attributes associated with the company's fun, quality, consistency, value, convenience, quick service and being a family restaurant are being astutely followed in India. Even the advertisements take into account the local appeals and situations with which the consumer can identify with himself.

Other MNCs like Pizza Hut offers a 100 percent Halal menu in Hyderabad. In Ahmedabad it has a 100 percent vegetarian restaurant that serves a special Jain Menu. Salad dressings and the brownie fudge is eggless, and at it all its 22 outlets, the non-vegetarian preparations are separated from the rest.

Dominos Pizza offers localized toppings like paneer pindi chana and chattinad chicken. It has also introduced a non-pizza offering called "Hot Sams" ( a samosa stuffed with chettinad style chicken). Changing the existing eating habits is difficult if not impossible. No Indian is going to feel psychologically satisfied after a burger or a pizza. But still, with pressures of less time and availability of burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, cold drinks, pizzas at every nook and corner, people are willing to adapt themselves to this new lifestyle.

However, the implications of this life style are serious and cannot b ignored. As actual nutrient value in these type of junk food is much less than the traditional food, it raises the question whether the parents are wise to comply with the demands of their kids about Pepsi and Pizza? Is it advisable to acquiesce to this new culture which is creating serious problems like diabetes, obesity and heart diseases not only in youth but also in small children.

Diabetes among the age group of between 20 and 20 was rare earlier, but it has become very prevalent now. The increase in obesity among the young is because of the popularity of western-style fast food.

Worldwatch, an independent research organization on the environment policy, projects that Indian's Fast Food industry was growing by 40pecent per year and will generate over a billion dollars in sales by 2005. Due to lack of awareness about the ill-effect of fast food, people ignore the long-term implications.

It is a bitter truth to swallow: About every fourth person on the earth is too fat. Obesity is fast becoming one of the world's leading reasons why people die. In an astonishing treatment to globalization, this outbreak of girth is occurring just as doctors are wining the fight against a number of vexing diseases. Already, a third of all deaths globally are from ailments linked to weight, lack of exercise and smoking. As India fights to wipe out malnutrition, its urban elite is facing its own crisis due to sedentary lifestyles and fatty cuisines.

In India, more than a quarter of the 5 million people who die from heart attacks and strokes every year are younger than 65. Obesity also plays a significant, if poorly understood , role in many cancers. WHO data shows cancer accounts for about 12.5 per cent of the world's deaths, and that rate is expected to increase dramatically. Mostly, in developing countries. Technology is changing people's activity levels even in the poorest nations, where backbreaking work and hauling water form wells was the norm. People spend more time sitting in car, at the computer or infront of television. Telephones, cars and computers all came from the freedom from hunger and fear. But it has a bad side effect, and we should wake up to the realization.