It's that time of the year again, where many of us make a promise to better ourselves by making resolutions and many of us break them before we even reach the end of January.
Whether standing in front of the Sydney Opera House for the annual fireworks, or holding a glass of champagne at a friends house in Byron Bay, excitement rather than logic takes a hold of us. We welcome the new year and hope to change ourselves for the better and some of us make resolutions to spend more time with our families while others make resolutions to be a better person.
My resolution was to get fit, eat healthy and better myself in every possible way and help my body recover from all the terrible stuff I have subjected it to in the past couple of years. Most of all, my adventurous neighbour, Caroline - a connoisseur of scuba diving, skydiving and swimming with dolphins - inspired me to want to live life to the fullest in 2010.
I'm not the only one; according to recent survey conducted by independent market analyst Datamonitor, the top resolution for 2010 in Australia was focusing on better health, food and well being.
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A staggering 71 per cent of Australians were more concerned about improving their health and getting fit, through exercise, diet and life choices.
After gaining an extra kilo or two or more during the festive season, some of us will fall prey to special gym deals that will lock us into year long contracts that will probably never be used, or starve ourselves only to binge eat later.
Many psychologists believe that our resolutions never stick because we get lost in the excitement of it all and make resolutions that seem like ultimatums instead of progressions and within few days, weeks, or months, reality sets in and we go back to our old habits.
According to Datamonitor's consumer markets analyst Katrina Diamonon, the secret to a successful resolution is to do it in moderation and not take drastic actions.
For example, for those of us who resolve to be healthier when it comes to the issue of alcohol consumption, make a compromise instead of an ultimatum - instead of banishing alcohol, they opt for 'healthier' versions of the drinks such as low-carb beers. To lose weight, instead of starving yourself or hitting crazy hours at the gym and then dropping off the radar again, improve your health by routinely relying on the nutritional information on product packaging to help make drink, food and alcoholic choices.
What exactly are Australians looking for on the labels to influence their purchases? According to the Datamonitor, 46 per cent of Australians look for products labeled 'low sugar or no added sugar' while 44 per cent look for 'low or reduced fat'.
Datamonitor the problem wasn't necessarily in the nutritional information but more due to the consumer's focus on labels claiming foods are 'reduced fat', while failing to notice the carbohydrate or salt levels. Just because it is 'reduced fat' doesn't necessarily mean it is within the recommended level.
However, Datamonitor also found that less than one-in-four Australians deem the general nutritional claims made by manufacturers to be trust worthy.
What else should we expect to see in 2010?
Salt will be the new villain and people will be more consciences about their sodium intake, if the Drop the Salt! Campaign by the Australian Division of World Action on Salt & Health (AWASH) has its way.
With the increase in consumer awareness in product formulation and nutritional information, manufacturers might have to watch out what they put in if they want to keep the consumers buying their products.
"In short, if Australians make a real effort to review the actual ingredient composition of the foods they eat, they give themselves the best chance of achieving those ever-elusive new year's resolutions once and for all," Diamonon said.