The start of the new year brings customers seeking weight management assistance into health food stores. Retailers can help them begin their journeys in healthy and sustainable ways.
As the new year begins and consumers contemplate their resolutions, many opt to put weight loss regimen plans into action. They decide that they will exercise more, eat healthier and look for ways to enhance their lives through weight management strategies; however, many don’t know where to begin. As a result, consumers often turn toward the experts at health food stores, whose staff can use its knowledge and expertise to guide them toward sustainable lifestyle changes and dietary supplements that can help them on their journeys. More Americans are seeking to lose weight and get fit, leading to significant growth in the weight management category.
According to Kimberly Griffith, MS, CNS, head of science, Ombre (San Francisco, CA), Grand View Research reported that “The weight management supplement industry was valued at $33.4 billion in 2020, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.6 [percent] projected from 2021-2028.”
Furthermore, according to Vanessa Pavey, ND, education scientist and Kristin Chapman, MSc, category manager, Life Extension (Fort Lauderdale, FL), “Supplements have been the fastest growing sector for weight management compared to food and beverage, at 31 [percent] in the U.S. according to Innova reports. Continued growth is expected in the coming years.”
This is particularly important because of the current obesity rate in the U.S. “According to Trust for America’s health report,” continued Pavey, “four in 10 American adults have obesity and rates continue to climb nationwide. There are many chronic health conditions that are linked to excess weight and research shows that losing as little as 5 [percent] of body weight can provide health benefits (Blackburn G. Obes Res. 1995;3(2):211s-6s).” Expanding on this, Kurt Cameron, CMO, Omne Diem (Ann Arbor, MI) shared that “The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that, globally, over 340 million adolescents and 39 million children are obese. As they mature, they are set to join the 650 million adults worldwide who are currently obese.”
The stakes are high for a large portion of the U.S. and the world; therefore, it is vital that weight management supplement manufacturers pay mind to market trends and consumer concerns to address this fast-growing issue.
Trends/Market/Consumer Concerns
“During the pandemic, social isolation led many people to forego healthy diet and exercise practices,” explained Cameron. “The pandemic led to a drop in sales within this market over the past two years, but all evidence suggests that the market has not only recovered but is now growing at an even faster rate than the two years prior to COVID.” As consumers now resume more “normal” lives, he added, many have renewed their awareness of general wellness and a desire to improve and protect health and fitness, which is now driving consumer demand.
Griffith concurred with Cameron regarding the steep decline and return of the weight-maintenance market, “which saw a 25 percent drop in 2020.” However, she offered a different take, stating “As the economy recovered, the market rebounded by 24 percent in 2021. This quick recovery indicates that the 2020 market value decline was due to financial hardships rather than consumers losing interest in weight management. In fact, the pandemic changed how millions of people approach their health; even in an uncertain economy, 80 percent of consumers intend to increase their spending on wellness products.”
Pavey and Chapman also agreed with the decline and rise of the category due to COVID-19, adding that “Catchy phrases abounded such as the ‘COVID-10’ or ‘Quarantine-15’ lending to the additional weight gain many experienced during the height of the 2020 lockdowns as people were forced out of gyms and experienced significant shifts in their regular routines.” As a result, they continued, “Meal replacement and sports nutrition products for weight are two dominant pieces of the weight management category and were overlooked as consumers were no longer ‘on the go’ during these early pandemic days.” Instead, they added, consumers were more preoccupied with immune health supplements rather than weight management products. However, as mentioned, consumers are now shifting their attention and awareness toward overall health and fitness, including weight-loss goals.
Pavey and Chapman have also observed that over the years, consumers “have become jaded by exaggerated marketing claims of products past and are now looking for more supportive products to their diet and exercise routines in managing weight. They are shifting to [more of a] lifestyle approach and want products that are backed by rigorous scientific research.” Furthermore, they explained, “Consumers are now also focused on the wider net of health benefits and are looking not only at the scale but at managing healthy blood sugar, blood pressure and more.”
Another trend, noticed by Cameron, is that “Inducing thermogenesis continues to be one of the most popular and effective strategies for weight management, and we don’t expect that to change. However, there’s a lot of growth and excitement around products that promote gut health and weight management through supporting the gut microbiome and the ‘gut brain axis,’” he explained.
Furthermore, Cameron continued, “According to the NIH [(National Institutes of Health)], women use weight management supplements two-to-one over men. Market research shows that the 18-40 demographic continues to drive the most sales, while the 40-plus demographic is seeing growth consistent with healthier aging and longer lifespan.” Griffith agreed that weight management products appeal to all consumers, but that the market skews toward a female demographic between the ages of 25-44.
Retailer Perspectives
Retailer Travis Lemon, owner/herbalist, Tulsi at the Market in Huntington, WV, noted that “the demand for metabolism supporting supplements seems to ebb and flow throughout the year for us. Most of the customer interest seems to happen around the first of the year when customers are making their New Year resolutions.” Another trend that the Tulsi staff has noticed is that “a lot of folks think they are looking for a quick supplement, but once we start discussing slower and more sustainable weight loss options with them in the aisle, they tend to prefer the more long-term metabolism supporting supplements that we like to focus on.”
Lemon also noted, “I think that many customers looking for these types of supplements may also be in need of stress and mood supporting supplements. Our culture puts more focus on looking a certain way over feeling better and becoming happier,” he explained. “When we see a company that includes a few adaptogens or mood supporting ingredients in their weight maintenance supplements, it makes us as retailers want to work with them. We are always more excited about more compassionate takes on weight management formulas and hopefully this is the direction that the industry continues to move toward.”
Dianna Singh, owner of Elk Grove Vitamins located in Elk Grove, CA, shared that they “started to see more questions being asked with regard to weight loss right before spring of this year. The last couple of years have clearly changed the dynamics of households due to lack of socializing, closed gyms and basically ‘no’ movement.” Although Singh said that more women come in looking for weight management supplements, she interestingly noted that “recently more and more men have sparked interest in the belly area.”
Singh added that most of the store’s customers know very little about weight management. “We see the ‘I’m going on vacation in a few weeks and need to lose 10 pounds’ [customers], so what they are searching for is a quick fix from a supplement source. Customers particularly don’t know where to start, especially concerning foods contributing to their weight,” said Singh. “Our goal is to always approach health as education first. It starts at home.”
Weight Management Products
Omne Diem entered the weight management category with its Metabolic Support product, according to Cameron, which “addresses the very early stages of MetS (metabolic syndrome) with an exclusive ingredient called Adiposano. We then discovered a truly innovative capsaicin ingredient called aXivite, with powerful thermogenic properties.” The company combined the two ingredients to create Thermogenic Weight Management, its most popular supplement to date.
“Thermogenic Weight Management combines two exclusive, clinically validated ingredients. The first, Adiposano, is a glycosaminoglycan extract clinically shown to modulate the activity of excess adipose tissue,” explained Cameron. “Previously thought to be passive storage tissue, adipose tissue has been found to act like an endocrine organ once it achieves a certain mass, expressing hormone-like substances and inflammatory compounds.” The second ingredient in the supplement is aXivite, “the novel phenylcapsaicin molecule that sparks thermogenesis while positively influencing quorum sensing to balance the gut microbiota. There’s nothing like it on the market and the response—due to the results—has been phenomenal,” Cameron said.
Ombre specializes in probiotics for weight management. “Increasing research indicates a link between healthy weight and a diverse microbiome,” explained Griffith. “Our scientists formulated Metabolic Booster with clinically backed strains to provide daily support to those who struggle with weight maintenance.” Metabolic Booster is one of the company’s top-selling supplements. “The proprietary probiotic blend contains strains backed by science to ease digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, boost antioxidants and help with occasional stress—all of which support healthy weight management.”
Griffith continued, “Most probiotic blends are formulated at the species level, which doesn’t have scientific support. Metabolic Booster was formulated at the strain level, with dosages backed by clinical studies to promote specific weight-related health benefits. Our vegan-friendly capsule is engineered to withstand stomach acids, ensuring live cultures colonize the gut microbiome. We further enhance the blend with prebiotic fiber powder. Prebiotics nourish a healthy gut, which supports digestion, healthy cholesterol and other factors of healthy weight maintenance. This targeted support is why Metabolic Booster is one of our best-selling probiotic supplements.”
Pavey and Chapman shared that due to pill fatigue, the trending delivery format is chewables. In response to this consumer trend, “Life Extension has launched a line of gummy supplements called Gummy Science. The newest addition is our [blueberry flavored] Gummy Science Mediterranean Weight Management supplement [which] contains 400 mg of Moro blood orange extract in each two-gummy serving size,” which is the clinically studied dose that provides benefits, they explained. “While many gummies on the market contain added sugar and low potency nutrients, the Gummy Science line was specifically created to contain no added sugar and to provide the same potencies of the active ingredients that provided benefits in the research studies. In addition, Gummy Science Mediterranean Weight Management is vegetarian friendly, gluten free and non-GMO (genetically modified organism).” The supplement’s blood orange extract has been clinically studied to reduce belly fat by reducing both visceral and subcutaneous fat (Titta L, et al. Int. J Obes (Lond). 2010; 34(3):578-88).
Life Extension’s newest ingredients for weight maintenance are “the combination of lemon verbena and hibiscus flower extracts and a Moro blood orange extract,” said Pavey and Chapman. “The combination of lemon verbena and hibiscus flower extract has been clinically studied to encourage satiety by modulating hunger and satiety signals in the body” (Lee YS, et al. Nutrients. 2018 Sep 1;10(9):1204). This combination is in the company’s “Best in Class” supplement, called Body Trim and Appetite Control. In a study, “men and women took this herbal extract combination for 90 days and tracked their food intake and weight-loss progress on a mobile app. Not only did more than 85 percent of the participants report a weight reduction, they also averaged over 12 pounds lost in three months” (Monteloeder Internal Data). The product comes with free access to an app to provide additional diet and exercise tips and to track progress.
Life Extension has also reformulated its Waistline Control product “to contain the clinically validated dose of 400 mg of the combination of Sphaeranthus indicus flower and Garcinia mangostana fruit rind,” explained Pavey and Chapman. “This herbal blend, when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, helps support a reduction in waist circumference by helping to inhibit the proteins that trigger fat cell growth. In cell cultures, [the] combination inhibited the expression of proteins that trigger adipogenesis (fat cell growth) and helped to encourage multiple pathways that promote fat breakdown” (Stern JS, et al. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013; 21(5):921-927).
Advice and Assistance for Retailers
“Omne Diem provides in-store posters, window clings, shelf talkers, brochures and flyers for on-the-floor use,” said Cameron. “In addition, we offer in-person and/or online training for staff. New shelf talkers with QR (quick response) codes linked to video commercial and educational content are planned for 2023.”
Pavey and Chapman stated, “We are dedicated to supporting retailers. We provide product trifolds, sales flyers, displays, in-person and remote staff trainings and webinars.” As far as advice, they added, “Since many people are aware that weight loss is achieved by burning more calories than being consumed, retailers can generate excitement by offering high quality, science-based formulas that support weight management efforts … retailers can also assist by offering innovative products.”
Lemon said that Tulsi at the Market is selective with weight-management supplements and only carries a few. “We tend to choose healthier, more long-term metabolism supporting formulas over the ‘quick’ supplements that tend to focus mainly on stimulants,” he said. As a result, “we tend to talk with our customers about being mindful about feeling better over the number on the scale. We try to talk more about product quality and ingredients, but also patience and self-compassion.” VR
For More Information:
Life Extension, www.lifeextension.com
Ombre, www.ombrelab.com
Omne Diem, www.diemnutrition.com
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