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General Mills, the maker of Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Cocoa Puffs, reported better-than-expected earnings last week, which was seen as a hopeful sign for the packaged-food industry—and likely a devastating indicator for the country’s health.
The company’s stock has been down about 1 percent this year, which pales in comparison to the S&P 500, which is up about 16 percent. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company—weeks ago—informed investors that the quarterly results would be on the higher end of their earlier forecast, but the results were even better than expected, riding on the back of a 2 percent increase in organic net sales.
The report pointed out that the company believes that the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the way American consumers appreciate “cooking and baking,” in an apparent reference to those heating up Progresso Chicken & Sausage Gumbo out of the can.
When the COVID War was launched over a year ago, on 24 March 2020, we published the article “STAY HOME, EAT, AND DIE,” which predicted that a locked-down society would blow up from eating more low-quality foods and exercising less.
We wrote, “As people sit around being fed fear and anxiety by the news coming out of their giant screen TVs, laptops, iPads, and smartphones, they will likely resort to eating increased amounts of snack foods, most of it saturated with sugar, fat, salt, and artificial ingredients.”
On 10 November 2020, in our article, “FATTEN UP WITH FAST-FOOD TREND RISING,” we reported, “While the economic shutdown has decimated much of the restaurant industry, the junk food sector has suffered less than most others; some chains are thriving.”
According to the American Psychological Association, almost 50 percent of Americans reported gaining weight since the coronavirus appeared, with the average gain being close to 30 pounds.
Harvard’s Health Letter, which was released on 1 June, pointed to a small study by JAMA Network Open that tracked 270 middle-aged men and women across the U.S. from February to June 2020.
“During that time, participants’ weight steadily increased by about 1.5 pounds per month. If that monthly weight gain has continued from February 2020 until June 2021, that would be a 25-pound weight gain,” the report said.
TRENDPOST: For years, the Trends Journal has been offering solid research into developing healthy eating habits, which not only help maintain a proper weight but can quickly improve one’s emotional state of mind.
In October 2019, we published definitive proof that the Mediterranean diet, which includes natural foods without excess saturated fat and chemical additives, as a helpful guide. (See our article, “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: ‘MEDITERRANEAN’ MOOD SWING.”)
In October 2019, months before the COVID War began, we wrote in the Trends Journal: Yes, there will be a continuing growing market in sectors such as organic, plant-based, and juicing, however, it will account for but a small percentage of the total population’s addiction to junk/fast/low-quality food. For OnTrendpreneurs®, a huge market exists for new, innovative weight loss/fitness products and programs.
(For more, see our article, “READY TO EXPLODE, READY TO IMPLODE.”)
TREND FORECAST: As we have forecast, the “Whole Health Healing” trend will find new life, particularly among Generation Z and Millennials who will be forced by economic decline to spend their food dollars wisely and seek alternative health modalities.
Among the winners in the medical profession will be chiropractors who are more natural healing-based and provide more affordable health care.
In addition, the self-responsibility resurgence will mirror what followed the 1987 stock market crash: the ending of the “shop until you drop” era and the ushering in of a “New Age” movement where people seek a higher meaning in life rather than just spending money.