Navigating the landscape of the weight management market

• Emerging weight management category​

​Weight management has emerged as one of the top seven wellness trends for 2024¹⁾ (Figure 1). As the health benefits of weight management become more widely known, it has become an important indicator of an individual’s health level. Furthermore, the discussion on weight management has become even more intense as the number of obese and overweight people increases worldwide²⁾, and people are looking for ways to control their weight.

Discovering consumer needs in the weight loss category

• Factors that Influence Consumers When Choosing Wellness Products​

​What are the characteristics of wellness-related products that consumers commonly prefer? A research institute proved that consumers prefer products tailored to individuals, with many respondents selecting “Effective/works for me” and “Addresses my specific needs.”⁶⁾ This preference shows that individual needs have diversified according to specific health areas and that “there’s no magic pill for everyone” (Figure 3). Moreover, consumers in the United States generally expect high-quality products, as evidenced by the “High quality” item. While various factors can affect product quality, “sciencebacked” and “clean/all-natural ingredients” are two key indicators that consumers consider significant.⁶⁾ This indicates that consumers place a high value on the scientific validation of ingredients and products (Figure 3).

• Consumer Pain Points for Weight Loss Products : Possibility of Continuous Intake​

In conclusion, it was confirmed that consumer needs for “clean/all-natural ingredients,” “science-backed,” and “clinically proven” products must fundamentally be met. ​

​Product development is ongoing in the weight loss supplement market based on ingredients known to help with weight loss, such as amino acids, vitamins, botanicals, herbs, and pre/ probiotics.⁵⁾ The problems are that not all ingredients have fully proven functionalities and some may have adverse health effects when taken continuously⁸⁾ (Figure 4). Based on consumer trends according to a qualitative review of ingredients and the aforementioned clinical verification, these two problems are the factors that cause consumers to give up their choices. When all of this is considered, consumer needs for current weight loss products emphasize “safety and sustainability when taking them.” Therefore, it is generally necessary to use ingredients that are perceived by consumers as safe and effective. One thing to note is that compared to other ingredients that lack sufficient trial data to prove functionality or for which there are concerns about adverse health effects, probiotics have been proven effective and considered generally safe (Figure 4). Probiotics have expanded beyond gut health to the weight loss category to meet diverse consumer needs. In other words, probiotics can be used as a safe and effective solution to support a gradual and sustainable diet as an ingredient free from the issues related to continuous intake.

 Figure 4. Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Each Ingredient Used in Weight Loss Supplements