1% urban millennials opted for fad diets during pandemic

Concerned about weight gain, over 70 per cent of urban millennials leaned towards "fad diets" — including keto, intermittent fasting, and weekly detox plan — during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey released on Friday.

The survey titled "Changing lifestyles and dietary habits of Urban Indian consumers post COVID-19" covered 1,000 respondents across the four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata.

"It outlined that weight watchers must understand the significance of having meals on time and consuming nutrient-rich breakfast. Further, it found that 71 per cent of urban millennials leaned towards the popularity of fad diets to maintain weight," read the findings of survey.

The survey was conducted jointly by London-based market research company Euromonitor International and PepsiCo India between March 2020 till February 2021. While "increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains including oats" emerged as one of the key trends during the pandemic, over 40 per cent of its respondents were found to "skip breakfast", said the report tracking a changing dietary pattern, particularly amongst urban millennials.

Over 30 percent prefer consuming oats for breakfast as a "main dish" for its nutritional value, digestibility and weight management qualities, it noted. "Forty four per cent of urban millennials skipped breakfast and delayed meals due to increased household chores and late start to the day. Men skip breakfast more often than women," it added.

Further, according to the report, with immunity emerging as one of the top concerns among the urban millennials, nearly "60 per cent" of them admitted of starting doing "yoga and walking/running" during the COVID-19 pandemic for their physical and mental wellness.

"Popular fad diets are supporting this behaviour of skipping breakfast. However, COVID-19 has brought about some positive dietary changes as well among the younger group, with increased intake of fruits, salads, and oats, and improved the willingness to look for healthier alternatives while shopping", said Vidhi Sharma, consultant, Euromonitor International.