The U.S. Weight Loss & Diet Control Market

The U.S. Weight Loss & Diet Control Market

The $75 billion U.S. weight loss market grew nearly 15% last year from the depressed level of 2020. Most segment of the market have recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic and recession. The big story of 2022 has been the soaring demand for new obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Saxenda, with more new drugs coming soon. The market may be entering a new era of medical approaches. Even Weight Watchers is now providing a medical plan.

The frozen diet entrees market and diet soft drinks have shown surprising strength, but the health clubs industry was devasted by the pandemic and emerges as a smaller sector. Supply chain disruptions affected the MLM market for meal replacements into 2021 and 2022, tamping down growth for Herbalife and Medifast. The ranks of commercial weight loss centers have been thinned out, and chains had to pivot to virtual client meetings and drop shipping of products.

Do-it-yourself plans still abound as consumers use free diet & fitness apps. Many untapped niches still exist. This is a completely revised and updated analysis of Marketdata’s best-selling biennial study about the U.S. weight loss market. This is the most comprehensive investigation of the U.S. weight loss market published by anyone worldwide.

Covered… dollar value & growth rates of all major weight loss market segments (early 1980s to 2022 and 2023 & 2027 forecasts), latest market trends and developments, status reports for: diet soft drinks, artificial sweeteners, health clubs, commercial diet center chains, multi-level marketing diet plans, retail meal replacements & weight loss supplements, medical programs (weight loss surgery, MDs, hospitals/clinic programs, Rx diet drugs, bariatricians, VLCD programs), low-cal frozen entrees, and the diet books & exercise DVDs market.

New for this edition:

Effects of the Pandemic on operations & revenues for all market segments, analysis of the recovery

How dieter behavior changed with the pandemic

The skyrocketing market for Rx obesity drugs and MD programs

2022 market performance, 2023 & 2027 Forecasts

The most popular diets today

Ranking of the leading competitor companies

Outlook for the 2023 diet season

Why MLM is a major force in meal replacements sales, tough year in 2022

The franchising slowdown.

Also included: 34-year revenue analysis of the market through past recessions and fad diet cycles, comprehensive dieter demographics, weight loss center franchising, and extensive national/state commercial centers’ operating ratios. Rankings & revenues of top commercial chains, brand sales, and a Reference Directory. Contains 34 in-depth competitor profiles for: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Medifast, Herbalife, Noom, Slim-Fast, Atkins Nutritionals, HMR, Optifast, Robard, Lindora Clinics, Slimgenics, Ideal Protein, Profile by Sanford, BeachBody, Metabolic Research, Smart For Life, Medi-Weightloss, Centers for Medical Weight Loss, Nuviva, JumptStart MD, Dr. G’s, more.


Introduction, Scope, Methodology
Executive Overview
Market definition and segments
Status of the market: effects of the pandemic, recovery
Discussion of diet market’s major developments since 2021: shift to virtual services, medical
MD/clinic programs gain strength with new Rx obesity drugs
Outlook for 2023 diet season, discussion of rise of MLM firms, DIY trends, company
programs, competition from apps,
Ranking of the top weight loss companies, by 2022 revenues
Summary of major market and company developments of 2020-
$ size of market and its 12 segments, forecasted 2021-2025 growth rates for segments
Market Segment Status Reports & Outlooks for 2020-2022, 2027 F: commercial chains, diet soft drinks & artificial sweeteners, low-cal foods, meal replacements & appetite suppressants mkt., medical weight loss programs (hospitals & clinics, bariatric surgery, Rx diet drugs, VLCDs).
Tables:
Historical market revenues $ size, by segment: 1996-
List of the top weight loss companies, by 2022 sales
Revenues of top commercial chains: 2016-2027 F
Diet soft drink sales: 1989-2027 F
Revenues of health clubs industry: 1993-2027 F
No. of bariatric surgeries in the U.S. – 1992-2027 F
Value of meal replacements and OTC diet pills sales: 2005-2027 F
Highlights of ALL study chapters contained in the Overview
Dieter Demographics
Scope of the American obesity epidemic, number/percent obese or overweight, latest CDC
data, obesity rates by state, recent dieter trends (shift to do-it-yourself methods during
last recession), ranking of top diet programs by U.S. News & World Report
Discussion: how many Americans diet, how often, why diets fail, methods used
Dieter actions don’t match intentions: survey results
To healthy eating trends – predictions, top 10 diet types used by consumers
Typical dieter profile, by age, sex, income – number of diet attempts per year
Number of dieters by method used, no. of dieters by type plan
Analysis of current & historical dieting trends, 12-year shifts in dieting methods
Definition and no. of Millennials, why important cohort of future dieters
Findings of Dieter Surveys/profiles by:
Calorie Control Council, no. ofU.S. dieters & low-calfood/beverage users,
top dieting methods used, low-cal food/beverage usage by kind, diet attempts
Table: State/regional obesity statistics:% of population:
The Health Clubs Industry
Status Report of the Health Clubs Industry – effects of pandemic and recovery since 2020,
smaller no. of facilities, type clubs, number of club members, recent trends, Industry receipts:
1993-2027 F, characteristics of club members, drop-out rates, members by type club, estd.
share of clubs with diet programs. (IHRSA)
ASCM’s top fitness trends for
15 top participant sports -(NSGA), % chg. In participation
Most popular women’s sports:types of exercise equipment, home exercise trends
How women keep fit, most popular types of exercise equip. used, general trends in
exercise, home exercise and gyms.
Health clubs’ involvement with weight loss, % with programs, using clubs as weight loss
method, samples/costs of typical diet programs offered by health clubs
Reasons why health clubs’ weight loss programs fail, programs vary greatly in price &
content–consultants’ analysis, private label wt. loss programs
Commercial Weight Loss Chains
Status Report: Effects of the pandemic, recovery since 2020, which commercial chains
fared well, casualties, shift to more virtual services, more competition from medical programs
sales models used by Medifast, NutriSystem,
Outlook for 2023 diet “season”
Discussion of all major developments since 2020 (lower no. of centers, avg. cost of major
commercial plans vs. medical and self-help plans 2019-2022 segment performance, 2023
outlook, estd/actual revenues of leaders
In-depth discussion of leaders’ strategies, move to wellness, Weight Watchers struggles,
success of Medifast, sale of Profile by Sanford franchise, why competing medical programs
factors affecting 2023 diet season, program customization, latest hot diets
Positive/negative factors affecting growth from 2019-2027.
Franchising: why it’s more difficult, use as growth strategy, investment costs, profiles of Wt.
Watchers,Jenny Craig franchises, why franchising may be less viable today.
Discussion of the weight loss/fitness apps market, growth of Noom
Tables:
Avg. cost of popular diet programs
No. of center locations, by company: 2010-
Revenues of the leading commercial chains: 2003-
Historical table of segment revenues/growth from 1989-2027 F
Census Bureau snapshot of the industry: 2007, 2012, 2017, 2020 key ratios, stats
Sample Income Statement of a typical commercial weight loss center
Industry Structure & Key Ratios
2017, 2012, 2007
industry snapshots for commercial diet centers: no. of establishments,
legal form of firms, top 50 firms mkt. share, ratios by firm’s receipts, top states
Sample income statement for a typical commercial center: (expenses by type, profits)
Avg. revenues per co.-owned/franchised center for Jenny Craig & LA Weight Loss
Avg. costs to acquire new customers
What commercial centers have in common, expansion of 1980s/contraction of 1990s
1982-88 diet franchise avg. revenues per unit, no. of centers/sites operated by top
chains.
Census Bureau Operating Ratios: 2020, 2017, 2012, 2007 (Commercial diet centers/services) (no. of estabs., firms, receipts, receipts per estab., payroll as % sales, etc.)
Tables
Industry snapshot: no. of estabs., receipts, avg. per estab. & employee, payroll as %
sales, etc.
Employee sales/payroll productivity
Establishments, by legal form (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietors)
Market share for largest 4, 8, 20, 50 firms
Ratios, by single vs. multi-unit firms
Ratios, by receipts size of firms & establishments
No. of diet centers, by state & region, avg. receipts per estab. By state
2020 no. of estabs. payroll, estd. receipts, by state, ranked (County Business Patterns)
Other Tables:
No. of U.S. weight control services (1991-2023)
Number of commercial centers ( 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022
top chains)
Company profiles: in-depth company history, current status, how programs work, costs, franchise systems, 2019-2020 revenues, new programs, strategies, address/website):
Weight Watchers International
Jenny Craig
NutriSystem
Medifast
Metabolic Research Centers
Profile by Sanford
Slimgenics
Beachbody
The Diet Soft Drinks & Artificial Sweeteners & Diet Food Markets
The Diet Soft Drinks Market
Status Report: why sales have improved lately, effect of the pandemic on consumption
Diet soft drinks as % total soft drinks, mkt. nature and historical growth, forecasts, demographics
of consumers, diet’s share of all carbonated soft drinks (Beverage Industry, Beverage Digest),
Total soft drink retail $ sales, diet share of gallons/retail sales: 1989-2020, 2021-2027 forecast
1989-2027 F diet soft drink $ sales
Table: Demographics of diet soft drink consumers, historical nature of the market.
The Artificial Sweeteners Market
Status Report of the mkt., new high intensity sweeteners emerging, Stevia, Sucralose,
Splenda, consumer trend to avoid artificial ingredients, data from Calorie Control Council
regarding use by consumers
Sweeteners by end use (% for soft drinks vs. tabletop sweeteners mkt.)
Description of major types (Aspartame, Neotame, Saccharin, Sucralose, Stevia, Acesulfame)
Market size & growth, historical sales 1991-2022 performance, 2027 forecasts.
Low-cal Frozen Diet Entrees & Low-car Foods Market
Mkt. Status Report, definition of “diet” foods, discussion of dinner entrees, the major brands,
Consumers shift to frozen foods during the pandemic, actions by food industry to spur sales
Actions taken by producers to revitalize sales, packaging, new formulations, etc.
Marketdata mkt. size estimates for 1994 to 2027 F
Outlook and sales estim. for 2022, $ volume for Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Healthy
Choice
Low-carb foods
mkt. size estimates.
Company Profile: Atkins Nutritionals
Retail Meal Replacements & Appetite Suppressants Market
Definition/nature of meal replacements vs. over-the-counter (retail) diet supplements, ingredients
being used today, new herbal products: coffee bean extract, HCG drops
History/nature of mkt.
cyclical shifts from mid-1980s
User demographics: no. and % of dieters using diet pills and meal replacements
2022 Status Report of the market: why MLM sales were weak during the pandemic, estd. channel
sales (diet pills, meal replace.), findings of Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ), Chain Drug Review
research, top meal replacements brands sales
Why long-term outlook is strong for meal replacements, preferred by MDs, MLMs, commercial
chains, why retail diet pills mkt. still struggles, possible FTC and state bills, actions
Marketdata discussion of traditional/nontraditional distribution channels
Mkt. size/growth: true size of the mkt.
why estimates differ widely
NBJ estimates of diet pill & meal replacements $ and % sales, by distribution channels,
discussion of multilevel firms (Advocare, Shaklee, Herbalife, Quixtar, Nu-Skin)
Marketdata estimates of growth for diet pills & meal replacements 2021-2027 F, demand factors.
Tables:
Marketdata estimates of retail diet pills, meal replacements, combined sales
1981-2027 F
Discussion of 2020-2022 market performance, 2023 outlook, 2027 forecasts
Top retail diet pill brand sales, 2011-
Top MLM & retail companies’ sales of meal replacements: 2020 & 2022.
Company profiles: Slim-Fast (Glanbia), Herbalife, Visalus Life Sciences , Isagenix, Shaklee, Advocare, AMWAY (Quixtar), Nu-Skin, USANA Health Sciences (estd. revenues, strategies, product lines, marketing)
The Weight Loss Apps Market
Discussion/analysis of weight loss apps market, major competitors, mkt. size
Company Profile: Noom
Medically-Supervised Weight Loss Programs
Hospital & Clinic Chains Weight Loss Programs
Structure of the medical weight loss market, mix and $ value by: hospitals ^ private
MD programs, clinic chains & franchises, Rx diet drugs, bariatric surgery, VLCDs
Status Report: Effects of the pandemic on medical program operations and revenues:
The pivot to digital delivery, current hot Rx obesity drugs market and MDs adding Wegovy,
Saxenda, Ozempic to their plans, recovery of medical programs since
Types of plans offered (low-cost, moderate-cost plans, estd. no. of hospitals providing each,
typical cost), Medicare coverage
Interviews with management at HMR, Medi-Weightloss, Weight Loss MD, Karol Clark
Physician-based diet programs: diet drugs/other methods used, consumer attitudes, limitations,
estd. no. MDs with a weight loss program – independents vs. affiliated with chains, meds
used, typical cost of MD programs
Profiles of a hospital-based weight loss program: Johns Hopkins
Major Medical Chains: Company Profiles: Lindora Clinics, Centers for Medical Weight Loss, Smart for Life, Medi-Weightloss Clinics, Medical Weight Loss of Michigan, Nuviva,Dr. G’s, Let’s Lose, JumpstartMD, Ideal Protein (in-depth descriptions, plan costs, estimated revenues, no. of centers, franchising growth strategies).
Tables:
Avg. revenues per site, avg. plan cost to patient, avg. income statement, start-up
Costs for top 8 medical weight loss chains/franchises/licensors.
Value of The U.S. Medical Weight Loss Market: 2015-
Bariatrician (Obesity Medicine Specialists) Programs
Status report of profession, OMA survey results (MDs by: age, income, size practice), how they’re trained, number practicing, certification by OMA, use of diet drugs, treatment methods used, plan effectiveness/cost, business is up due to more surgeries, less surgeries – opinions of industry consultant.
Estimated $ value of the market for their programs: 2012-2027 F
The Weight Loss (bariatric) Surgery Market
Status Report: Effects of the pandemic on volume of procedures performed, revenues,
2021-2022 recovery
Discussion of sleeve, gastric bypass, lap band procedures, outcomes data
status report & interviews with ASMBS President, a bariatric practice consultant
Costs per surgery by type payor, pros/cons, who qualifies, effect of Obamacare on
coverage by 25 state exchanges
Surgery utilization and outcomes, mean cost per surgery, patient demographics
Major insurers’ coverage today, status report, Medicare coverage, role of liaison firms
(Obesity Help, Barix Clinics, Journey Lite
addresses), avg. cost of surgery.
Types of surgery: Roux-en-Y, lap banding, mini-gastric bypass, sleeve, consumer pros/cons
Table: No. of bariatric surgeries performed:1992-
Table: $ value of the market: 1992-2027 F, outlook under Obamacare
Associations: ASBS, Obesity Action Coalition, increased lobbying efforts.
Table: $ value of the market, by type surgery:
VLCD/LCD Fasting Supplement Programs361-383
Status report of low-calorie modified fasting programs in 2022, effects of the pandemic,
outlook by mgmt. at HMR, demand from hospitals for turnkey programs
characterizing the mkt. (price, programs, no. of sites, increased direct-to-customer sales)
Historical nature of market
development from 1970s-1990s, enrollments, drop-out/completion
rates, problem on insurance coverage, market indicators, positive/negative trends/factors
Table: Marketdata estimates of VLCD enrollments for 1995-2022 (new vs. repeat patients,
fasting vs. maintenance), $ value of mkt. for 1984-2027 F.
Company Profiles: Detailed descriptions of companies/plans, program revenues:
Health Management Resources, Optifast (Nestle), Robard
Table: VLCD enrollments, $ mkt. value: Marketdata estimates: 2007-2022.
The Diet Drugs Market
Discussion: Strong recent growth of new Rx drugs (semaglutide) by Novo Nordisk fuels major
boost in value of U.S. obesity meds market, MDs adding to their practices, viewing obesity as a
disease, major obesity medications used today, role of MDs, commercial chains’ involvement with
diet drugs, why it has been tougher than thought to develop anti-obesity drugs that are effective
and with minimal side effects.
Status Report: strong sales of Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda (Novo Nordisk annual report, $ sales)
taken off the mkt., FDA rejections of: Acomplia, Taranabant, other Rx diet drugs
New obesity drugs in development to 2026: semaglutide, Mounjaro (Lilly)
Existing drugs used (Xenical, Phentermine) – descriptions
Marketdata’s 2023 and 2027 outlooks for prescription diet drugs, effect of new drugs on mkt.
size, discussion of this market’s potential vs. drawbacks, overcoming MD and consumer
attitudes, side effects, effectiveness. Moderate weight loss not enough for most dieters.
Tables
prescriptions written and $ sales for: Meridia, Xenical, Phentermine,
12 other anti-obesity drugs (2003-2016)
Estimated Value of Obesity Drugs Sales in the United States: 2004-
The Diet Books & Exercise DVDs Market
Diet books – nature of the mkt., new titles for 2019-2022 diet books, buyer demographics, what
makes bestsellers, book buyer demographics, recent popular titles
Exercise DVDs & streaming services mkt., summary, top names in the field, categories, top
distributors, mkt. size, why DVDs sales are falling/competition from streaming services
Marketdata estimates of combined diet books/exercise DVDs mkts. For 2020,
Outlooks and rationale, popularity as DIY method.
Table: $ sales of diet books & exercise DVDs: 1989-2027 F
Company Profile: Beach Body
Reference Directory of Weight Loss Information Sources
Industry & government trade associations, journals, newsletters, magazines, consultants

Download our eBook: How to Succeed Using Market Research

Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.

Download eBook
Cookie Settings