Caffeine Survey Reveals Most, Least Caffeinated Cities

• Press Release
• Source: HealthSaver
• On 9:00 am EST, Tuesday January 13, 2009

NORWALK, Conn., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The second annual HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey, commissioned by HealthSaver, a national emerging health care discount service, found that the most caffeinated city in the country is Tampa, followed by Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090113/NY58247 )

The least caffeinated cities are Riverside/San Bernardino, followed closely by Atlanta, San Diego, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Dallas. The survey considered numerous caffeine sources, including coffee, tea, sodas, energy drinks, chocolate, pain relievers and caffeine pills.

Considering caffeinated coffee consumption alone, it was no surprise that Seattle ranked No. 1 nationwide for the second consecutive year.

The HealthSaver 2008 Caffeinated Cities Survey, released today, was conducted to determine the caffeine consumption habits and attitudes of consumers across the U.S., and to learn more about cultural views and health benefits of this morning pick-me-up, afternoon alert booster and late-night indulgence.

"With the advent of rich, high-end coffees, soaring popularity of energy drinks and national fascination with green tea, our HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey has brewed up some very interesting trends, findings and results," said Brad Eggleston, vice president of HealthSaver. "This groundbreaking research is an important tool to help educate about the health benefits of moderate caffeine consumption in the United States."

The health benefits of caffeine are plentiful and well-documented in numerous studies in recent years. Coffee and tea, in particular, have emerged as good health food sources that can lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, and cirrhosis of the liver, as well as lift your mood, treat headaches and even lower risk of cavities. Caffeine also enhances athleticism, endurance and performance, according to health care experts.

"Even though at one time coffee was considered harmful to your health, at this point there is no compelling research to indicate that, in fact, is true," said Dr. Peter R. Martin, Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology and the Director of the Institute of Coffee Studies, Vanderbilt School of Medicine. "Newer studies actually prove coffee in moderation is good for one's health."

    Here's the buzz on the most and least wired cities:
    Most Caffeinated Cities

        2008                                  2007
    1.  Tampa                             1.  Chicago
    2.  Seattle                           2.  Tampa
    3.  Chicago                           3.  Miami
    4.  New York                          4.  Phoenix
    5.  Los Angeles                       5.  Atlanta


    Least Caffeinated Cities

        2008                                  2007
    1.  Riverside/San Bernardino          1.  San Francisco
    2.  Atlanta                           2.  Philadelphia
    3.  San Diego                         3.  New York
    4.  Minneapolis/St. Paul              4.  Detroit
    5.  Dallas                            5.  Baltimore

Other cities surveyed in 2008 include Baltimore, Miami, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

For the second year in a row, Seattle ranked No. 1 in coffee consumption, with 55 percent of residents surveyed saying this elixir of alertness would be the most difficult caffeine product to give up.

Nearly one-half (49 percent) of all respondents nationwide said they drink caffeinated coffee every day, while cola and tea tied with a 20 percent daily consumption rate. Sweets containing chocolate ranked fourth among caffeine products, with a 13 percent daily consumption, the survey found.

    Some key survey findings:

    Most Coffee Consumption
    Regular coffee & specialty coffee drinks

        2008                                  2007
    1.  Seattle                           1.  Seattle
    2.  Miami                             2.  Boston
    3.  San Francisco                     3.  Houston
    4.  Los Angeles                       4.  Chicago
    5.  Tampa                             5.  Miami


    Least Coffee Consumption
    Regular coffee & specialty coffee drinks

        2008                                  2007
    1.  St. Louis                         1.  Dallas
    2.  Riverside/San Bernardino          2.  New York
    3.  Houston                           3.  St. Louis
    4.  Phoenix                           4.  Atlanta
    5.  Detroit                           5.  Philadelphia


    Most Cola Consumption
    Regular Coke, regular Pepsi, Mountain Dew

        2008                                  2007
    1.  Houston                           1.  Chicago
    2.  Minneapolis/St. Paul              2.  Dallas
    3.  St. Louis                         3.  St. Louis
    4.  Chicago                           4.  Atlanta
    5.  Washington, D.C.                  5.  Tampa


    Least Cola Consumption
    Regular Coke, regular Pepsi, Mountain Dew

        2008                                2007
    1.  New York                        1.  Philadelphia
    2.  San Francisco                   2.  New York
    3.  Riverside/San Bernardino        3.  Miami
    4.  Boston                          4.  Seattle
    5.  San Diego                       5.  San Francisco


    Most Tea Consumption
    Green tea, iced tea, black tea

        2008                                2007
    1.  New York                        1.  Miami
    2.  Tampa                           2.  Tampa
    3.  Baltimore                       3.  Washington, D.C.
    4.  Boston                          4.  Philadelphia
    5.  Atlanta                         5.  Atlanta


    Least Tea Consumption
    Green tea, iced tea, black tea

        2008                                2007
    1.  Minneapolis/St. Paul            1.  Minneapolis/St. Paul
    2.  Miami                           2.  Detroit
    3.  San Francisco                   3.  San Francisco
    4.  Detroit                         4.  Seattle
    5.  Seattle                         5.  Boston


    Most Chocolate Consumption
    Candy, ice cream, cake, cookies

        2008                                2007
    1.  Seattle                         1.  Chicago
    2.  Phoenix                         2.  Atlanta
    3.  Chicago                         3.  Minneapolis/St. Paul
    4.  Detroit                         4.  Phoenix
    5.  Boston                          5.  St. Louis


    Least Chocolate Consumption
    Candy, ice cream, cake, cookies

        2008                                2007
    1.  Atlanta                         1.  Los Angeles
    2.  Dallas                          2.  Riverside/San Bernardino
    3.  Riverside/San Bernardino        3.  Houston
    4.  San Diego                       4.  Miami
    5.  Philadelphia                    5.  Dallas


    Most Energy Drink Consumption
    Red Bull, Monster etc.

        2008                                2007
    1.  Atlanta                         1.  Riverside/San Bernardino
    2.  Riverside/San Bernardino        2.  Los Angeles
    3.  Tampa                           3.  Chicago
    4.  Seattle                         4.  Miami
    5.  San Diego                       5.  New York


    Least Energy Drink Consumption
    Red Bull, Monster etc.

        2008                                2007
    1.  Dallas (tie)                    1.  Philadelphia
    1.  Baltimore (tie)                 2.  San Francisco/Oakland
    3.  Washington, D.C.                3.  Houston
    4.  Detroit                         4.  Dallas/Ft. Worth
    5.  Philadelphia & St. Louis (tie)  5.  Boston


    Cities Most Likely To Say Caffeine Is Good For You

        2008                                2007
    1.  New York                        1.  Seattle
    2.  Miami                           2.  Chicago
    3.  Baltimore                       3.  Miami
    4.  Minneapolis/St. Paul            4.  San Diego
    5.  Tampa                           5.  Boston


    Cities Most Likely To Say Caffeine Is Bad For You

        2008                                2007
    1.  Detroit                         1.  Los Angeles
    2.  Phoenix                         2.  Riverside/San Bernardino
    3.  Riverside/San Bernardino        3.  San Francisco
    4.  St. Louis                       4.  New York
    5.  Houston                         5.  Atlanta


    Cities Most Addicted To Caffeine

        2008                                2007
    1.  Seattle                         1.  Boston
    2.  Philadelphia                    2.  Minneapolis/St. Paul
    3.  Phoenix                         3.  San Diego
    4.  St. Louis                       4.  Chicago
    5.  Los Angeles & Boston (tie)      5.  Atlanta


    Cities Least Addicted To Caffeine

        2008                                2007
    1.  Chicago                         1.  New York
    2.  Tampa                           2.  Philadelphia
    3.  San Francisco                   3.  Miami
    4.  Houston                         4.  Houston
    5.  Riverside/San Bernadino         5.  Tampa

Consumers tipped their coffee cups on a variety of caffeine-related trends:

• For the second straight year, nearly one-half of all respondents (42 percent) said coffee/specialty drinks would be the hardest to give up.
• Men are much more likely than women (47 percent vs. 39 percent) to say coffee would be the hardest to give up, similar to the first annual survey.
• Nearly three-fourths (72 percent) of all respondents said they are not addicted to caffeine.
• Among age groups, the older the consumer, the more likely they are to say coffee would be the most difficult caffeinated product to give up, a pattern similar to that found last year.

Other key findings of the study:

• Women are more likely than men to say they are addicted to caffeine (29 percent of women vs. 24 percent of men).
• A majority (64 percent) said they consume about the same amount of caffeine as they did a year ago.
• More than one-fourth (28 percent) consume less caffeine now than they did a year ago.
• The younger the age group, the more likely they are to say they consume more caffeine than a year ago.
• Among respondents consuming less caffeine, 53 percent said it is because they are seeking to improve their health; and nearly one-fourth (24 percent) of those consuming less caffeine are doing so because of a change of diet/currently on a diet plan.
• More than one-fourth said they consume more caffeine than a year ago because their everyday routine is more demanding. Another six percent said it was because they have more access to caffeine, and 2 percent said they consume more because of fatigue due to sleep problems.
• Over one-half of respondents said they are way over their ideal weight (12 percent) or over their ideal weight (54 percent). Only four percent said they were under their ideal weight.

HealthSaver, an emerging health care discount program, offers savings on prescriptions, vision care, complementary and alternative health care treatments, vitamins and supplements by mail and more than 1,500 fitness clubs nationwide, including select Bally Total Fitness, World Gym and Ladies Workout Express locations.

Survey Methodology

Prince Market Research, an independent marketing research company, was commissioned to conduct a nationally representative telephone study with consumers in 20 major metropolitan areas in the U.S. to learn more about their use of caffeine in everyday beverages and food. All telephone calls were conducted between July 1 and Aug. 21, 2008, during which period, a total of 2,005 interviews, lasting between of five and seven minutes, were completed. No incentive was offered and the sponsor of the research was not revealed. The margin of error is +/- 2 percent.

About HealthSaver

HealthSaver offers discounts of 20 percent on vision care, as well as discounts of 10 to 50 percent on prescriptions at participating pharmacies, 20 percent off complementary and alternative health care treatments and fitness club benefits. HealthSaver also offers discounts of 10 to 35 percent on dental care services at some 42,000 participating provider locations nationwide, including routine cleanings, X-rays, fillings, orthodontics, and even popular cosmetic dentistry procedures such as teeth whitening. Members can also save from 5 to 50 percent off vitamins and supplements by mail. Discounts are based upon reasonable and customary costs or manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) and are only available from participating providers. HealthSaver is not an insurance product or service. More information about HealthSaver is available online at www.healthsaver.com or toll free by calling 1-800-7HEALTH (1-800-743-2584). HealthSaver is offered by Affinion Group, a leader in the membership, insurance and loyalty marketing businesses, providing products and services that touch the lives of millions of Americans.

About Affinion Group

As a global leader with nearly 35 years of experience, Affinion Group (www.affinion.com) enhances the value of its partners' customer relationships by developing and marketing valuable loyalty, membership, checking account, insurance and other compelling products and services. Leveraging its expertise in product development and targeted marketing, Affinion helps generate significant incremental revenue for more than 5,300 affinity partners worldwide, including many of the largest and most respected companies in financial services, retail, travel, and Internet commerce. Based in Norwalk, Conn., the company has approximately 3,300 employees throughout the United States and in 10 countries across Europe, and markets in 14 countries globally. Affinion holds the prestigious ISO 27001 certification for the highest information security practices, is PCI compliant and Cybertrust certified. For more company and investor information visit http://www.affinion.com.

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