Zest to go monthly on wave of health interest

The National Magazine Company is making its health and beauty title Zest a monthly in an attempt to develop the women’s magazine market in line with the trend in the US.

Zest, which launched as a quarterly brand extension of Cosmopolitan in October 1994, will run as a monthly from April 1996.

NatMags believes health interest among UK women is now the same as in the US, where interest sustains a number of women’s health magazines every month.

Publisher Vivien Cotterill says: “Research into the number of women joining gyms and taking more care of themselves once they get to 25-plus shows that we’re not talking about health hypochondriacs.” Zest’s autumn issue sold 148,000 copies.

NatMags also believes the men’s health sector is ripe for exploitation, following the successful launches of Men’s Health by Rodale Press and XL by the Stoneheart Group.

Cotterill, former Cosmo ad director, has appointed Emma Hewson, senior sales executive at Cosmo, as ad manager for Zest and is recruiting a sales team. Editor Eve Cameron is seeking a deputy editor, a health and beauty editor and fashion editors.

Rival IPC says it has no plans to increase the frequency of its health and beauty quarterly, Marie Claire Health and Beauty.