WASHINGTON — You’d think with more than one-third of the U.S. population weighing in at obese, diet products would be big business — but lately, that’s not the case.

Turns out, ‘diet’ is out and ‘zero’ is in.

The number of new food products launched in the U.S. in 2011 with the label “diet” has plummeted compared to other years, according to FoodNavigator-USA.

Market researchers say that’s because the term “diet” is associated with depriving oneself, so food marketers are turning more positive messages such as “zero.”

“We’re seeing a sea change where consumers are seeking out products more for what they contain and less for what they don’t contain,” Tom Vierhile, datamonitor product launch analytics director, tells Food Navigator.

Datamonitor also says that 55 percent of consumers are actively trying to lose weight and 22 percent are trying to maintain their weight.

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