AUSTIN, Texas (December 11, 2007) More than 75 percent of Americans would prefer to never again make a New Year's resolution, wanting instead to adopt long-term healthy lifestyle solutions, according to a new survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI), the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket.
The national survey asked participants if they could choose one resolution, what it would be. Survey results revealed:
- Thirty-three percent of respondents chose making the world a better place as their top resolution in 2008
- Thirty-two percent of those surveyed responded spending more time with family would be their choice
- Coming in a surprising third, twenty percent of respondents claimed that losing weight and adopting healthy habits would be the resolution they would choose
- Only twelve percent cited budget management and eating out less as their choice
The survey was conducted as part of Whole Foods Market's “ReSOLUTIONS Start Here” program developed in partnership with Debra Fine, a nationally recognized communication expert and author of The Fine Art of Small Talk and the newly released The Fine Art of Big Talk. The program is designed to help shoppers adopt healthy, long-term lifestyle solutions and avoid short-term fixes like New Year's resolutions. Whole Foods Market will launch the program in stores and online during the New Year's season.
To help shoppers on the path to long-term healthy lifestyle change, Whole Foods Market has placed commonly made resolutions into lifestyle ReSOLUTIONS categories including:
- reDISCOVER a better world — people are looking for simple ways to give back, help preserve the Earth and help the people of the world thrive
- reEMBRACE the family table — people want to gather together and eat at home more, enjoying meals that are healthy and taste great
- reSHAPE my body / reFRESH my health — people who want to lose weight, feel better and make lifestyle changes they can live with, including tips for getting on the right track to healthy weight loss
- reBALANCE my budget — people who are committed to eating well on a budget
With its new “ReSOLUTIONS Start Here” program, Whole Foods Market has committed to provide educational, action-oriented tips, recipes and shopping lists to help shoppers engage each key lifestyle ReSOLUTION category.
The survey also found nearly 70 percent of respondents would be more likely to make positive changes if they did so with someone else. Ninety-three percent of those surveyed cited a family member, spouse or best friend as the person who would most help them make positive lifestyle changes.
While the survey found support from others is important for lasting change, important too is the type of support, with positive feedback viewed as a far more effective support mechanism than negative feedback. Three quarters of respondents said positive reinforcement would inspire them to kick-start and maintain a healthy lifestyle, while only a combined 14 percent of respondents cited either guilt or an insulting remark as strong motivators.
To help people communicate positively with family and friends in order to adopt long term ReSOLUTIONS, Whole Foods Market enlisted Fine to provide conversation tips and strategies relevant to each lifestyle category. Following simple communicative guidelines with a loved one or friend during times of change can often mean the difference between making solutions for lasting change and uninspiring one-time resolutions.
“Every conversation is an opportunity for success,” says Fine. “We all look to others for support when making life changes, whether it's a commitment to having family dinners at least three times a week or losing five pounds. The way we communicate with one another, along with the necessary tools, is really the key to successful change.”
Fine will author a blog on Whole Foods Market's Web site and provide regular tips and feedback throughout January to help people kick-off healthy lifestyle changes they can maintain for years to come. Fine's communication expertise coupled with educational resources from Whole Foods Market provides shoppers with a holistic approach to adopting ReSOLUTIONS for lasting positive change.
Several valuable program resources designed to help shoppers embrace long-term lifestyle solutions can be found at the Whole Foods Market family of stores, and include the following take-home materials:
- Be Good to Your Whole Body — Pick up this booklet, chock full of terrific tips to help shoppers control their weight, in the Whole Body department. Topics include supporting healthy digestion and metabolism with fiber, essential fats, probiotics and enzymes and the nutrients needed for effective weight loss
- Meals for Four for Under $15 — Designed for the busy weeknight cook and featuring 365 Everyday Value? products, this brochure includes healthy meal ideas made with ingredients that cost $15 or less. From Whole Wheat Pasta with Pesto and Artichokes to Soy Ginger Chicken and Winter Greens, recipes feature healthy ingredients, simple preparation and great values
- “ReSOLUTIONS Start Here” Recipe Booklet — We included 14 new food ideas to help make your commitments stick, such as Scallops with Creamed Spinach and Beet Carpaccio Salad
Shoppers are encouraged to visit Whole Foods Market's Web site at www.wholefoodsmarket.com to learn more about Whole Foods Market's ReSOLUTIONS program and explore a variety of program resources including several informational podcasts being offered throughout January on healthy weight loss topics, such as nutrition, best on-the-go snacks and cleansing.
About the Survey
The Whole Foods Market New Year's ReSOLUTIONS survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Whole Foods Market, the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket. The survey was conducted via telephone Nov. 15–18, 2007 and contacted 1,007 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States. Using Opinion Research's CARAVAN methodology, the data was collected from a national probability telephone sample, a form of random-digit-dialing (RDD). Respondents were asked seven questions about their opinions on New Year's resolutions.
