Assignment 9A: Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

·        WHO:

o   I would say that the group that would fall outside of my market boundary would be people who do not have food allergies or sensitivities or a family history of food allergies. I interviewed three people of this nature and they felt as though it was a good idea for people who were beginning to display symptoms. The three believed that since they did not have a history of this issue that they would not be affected in the future and there would not need to take a food allergy test.

o   Interviewee number four was a father of two younger children, aged 3 and 7. He mentioned that maybe children under the age of 5 should not take these tests. In his opinion, they are still too young and developing at a rapid rate and their sensitivities could be all over the place. He thinks it should be an option for older children maybe starting in second or third grade.

o   Another person I interviewed, age 40, mentioned that she would probably cap the age around 30. She felt as though 30 was young enough and that after that age any dietary changes might be rare. (She has no medical background, though)

·        WHAT:

o   Interviewee number four did bring up a good point by saying that our bodies change as we age and that can impact our stomachs. Although this solution can provide insight and a means to become prepared, it will not stop the body from growing and developing.

§  For example, when my mom was in grade school she was very allergic to chocolate and she could eat as many mangos as she wanted. Suddenly, things changed in high school and she became very allergic to mangos and now she can eat chocolate. Over the past few years her allergy to mangos has worsened and cannot even touch them.

o   Who is to say that this will not happen to someone and their sensitivities/allergies bounce around all over the place. It would be hard to make them take a food allergy test every time they developed a new allergy.

·        WHY:

o   I do not think that outsider’s need is different; I think it just depends on whether the person is interested in the topic of food sensitivities or not. By saying this I mean that this would be similar a flu shot. It would be used for preventative measures; however, some people do not get a flu shot because they have never gotten the flu before or because they do not think that the shot will protect them. The same could said for the outsiders of this product. They could think because they are too old, do not have any symptoms or a history that the product would not be beneficial to them. They may have a need in the future if their assumptions prove wrong.

	Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who	Ages 6-30  People with allergy/sensitivity  People who take health seriosuly  People with food allergy family history	Children under age 5  Adults over age 30  People w/o allergy/sensitivity (maybe)
What	To make it easier to adapt to dietary restrictions  To make people/families more knowledgeable on the subject  To make it easier to find a gastroenterologist	Stop/contain/resolve food allergies or sensitivities
Why	Sometimes it is hard to pin point symptoms as symptoms of food allergy  Allergies/sensitivities are becoming more common  Digestive system/properties can change during body growth and development	Seen as more of an "option" and not necessary if one does not have an allergy/symptoms