The low-carb craze and America's expanding girth are media darlings right now, capturing prime space and prime time in newspapers, magazines, television, radio and the Web. NPD Vice President Harry Balzer and Chief Industry Expert Marshal Cohen recently shared their perspectives on "The Big American Consumer" at Retail's Big Show 2004, sponsored by the National Retail Federation. The pair's presentation addressed business opportunities that have arisen from U.S. consumers' collective weight gain – including increased sales of plus-sized and big and tall apparel, niche markets to be explored and the impact weight and size issues are having across many of the industries NPD monitors. Here, we recap one angle of the presentation, focusing on parallels between the food and fashion industries.

An important link between food and fashion is the notion that despite their interest in diets and losing weight, consumers are accepting their weight and size in a way our experts haven't seen before. Today, the most common size in women's sportswear is 14, and in all retail channels, the emphasis on plus sizes is evident. "It seems that consumers have adjusted their standards and accepted that they're not going to be thin, which elevates their expectations of the fashion options available to them. They expect to wear the same styles and brands as their smaller-sized counterparts, and manufacturers and retailers are listening," Marshal Cohen said.

NPD's Eating Patterns In America study reinforces this concept of consumers' acceptance of their body size and image. The graph below highlights a significant shift in consumers' mindset, showing consumers are moving away from perceiving overweight as unattractive.

A continued interest in licensed products over the past few years is another factor linking the food and fashion industries. Just as consumers shop for designer brands in department and specialty stores, today they're also shopping for "designer foods." One look at grocery store shelves or a review of some of today's hottest restaurants confirms the influence of designer-branded food items. "Licensing may be just as important in the food and foodservice industries as it is in fashion," Harry Balzer said. "We're seeing it everywhere, from television chefs with their own lines of sauces and snacks to restaurants that feature famous brands on their menus. Many restaurant chains are tying in with weight-loss programs, offering menu items and appetizers that fit consumers' interest in healthier lifestyles. This attention to licensing should continue in the year ahead."

Another branding issue important to both food and fashion is the rise of private-labeled products. It's boosting margins in both industries, and consumers are literally eating it up. In fashion, retailers like Target have created store brands consumers that consumers have come to recognize and seek out. "We know consumers like the sense of exclusivity associated with designer brands, and many retailers are creating that same image and sense of prestige with brands sold only in their stores. Consumers feel they're getting special or designer lines at more value-oriented prices, and they're coming back for more," Marshal said.

Similarly, in the food and beverage industry, consumers are treating what once would have been considered the "generic" store brand as equals to many national brands. "Private label in food is one way of controlling food costs – and in this country, that's critical as consumers won't spend more on food. U.S. consumers will never let food costs rise faster than their incomes. Offering private label brands is one way the industry responds to keep prices down," Harry said.

Find out more about the food and health issues that matter most to today's consumers with The Dieting Monitor, new from NPD's National Eating Trends.