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VALS™ Lens Applying VALS™ to current events October 2014

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In this issue:

In Nutrition: Gut Reaction

Sales of food with gluten-free (GF) and probiotic labels are growing. Buyers may be overly cautious, or they may be experiencing gastric distress: Research suggests that use of antibiotics and germophobic practices may be contributing to gluten sensitivity. Roughly 4% of US adults report buying GF products, though fewer than 20% of buyers indicate they suffer from food allergies. Innovators are about twice as likely as average to buy GF-labeled foods; Thinkers and Achievers are about 40% more likely than average to do so. Antibiotic use kills "good" gut bacteria. To counteract this negative effect, about 4% of US adults buy probiotic food and supplements that contain live, friendly bacteria that supposedly aid gut health. Innovators are 133% more likely than average to buy probiotics, Thinkers are some 62% more likely, and Achievers are only 6% more likely to do so. About 1% of US adults buy both gluten-free and probiotic products. Innovators are three times more likely than average to buy both, Thinkers and Experiencers some 20% more likely, and Achievers 32% less likely than average to do so.

Read more about the possible connection between gluten sensitivity and friendly gut bacteria

In Fashion: The Eighteenth Century and Now

In Septembers for the past decade or so, New York City has hosted Fashion Week—a week of exclusive runway shows at which designers show their spring collections. This year's runway shows exhibited the usual mix of directional styles and wearable styles—the outlandish and the semipractical, depending on the designer. Through the years, styles change, new fabrics (such as synthetics) become available, and colors wax and wane in popularity. Regardless of the time period, however, clothing needs change very little. To celebrate the 2014 Fashion Week, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is comparing women's clothing styles from the eighteenth century with some of today's fashions. In general, Thinkers are very interested in history but not in "fashion." Experiencers, by contrast, are very interested in fashion but not in history. Many Innovators, however, are interested in both. Highly curious, socially conscious Innovators are an excellent target for the foundation because they are the most likely of all consumers to support the arts and culture through donations.

Learn more about women's fashions in the eighteenth century and now

On TV: Satire Moves

In 2015, Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report on Comedy Central) will take over from David Letterman as host of The Late Show on CBS. With much fanfare, CBS announced that the show will continue live from New York City. Colbert—a 49-year-old clean-cut, apolitical comedian, American satirist, and writer—started as a member of Chicago's Second City comedy troupe; in later years he appeared frequently as a news correspondent on episodes of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The choice to replace Letterman with Colbert is interesting, because avid viewers of the two programs—people who watch at full attention—differ somewhat from one another. Almost 1% of adults are avid Letterman viewers, in comparison with almost 3% of adults who are avid Colbert viewers. Letterman has a more diversified viewer base; Believers, Thinkers, Survivors, and Innovators (in rank order) are more likely than average to watch the program at full attention. Colbert's audience is narrower than Letterman's; only Innovators and Thinkers are more likely than average to watch at full attention—Innovators are four times more likely than average to do so. The host change may boost CBS ratings, but Believers and Survivors may not continue as avid viewers, because few understand satire.

Watch a clip of Letterman and Colbert

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