The U.S. Medical Weight Loss Market

The U.S. Medical Weight Loss Market

The $8.8 billion U.S. medical weight loss market grew nearly 17% last year, recovering from the depressed levels of 2020-2021 during the pandemic. The tide has turned toward a greater focus on medical weight loss programs using the new obesity drugs. The big story of 2022 has been the soaring demand for new obesity drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Saxenda, with more new drugs coming soon. The market may be entering a new era of medical approaches. Even Weight Watchers now provides a medical plan.

Like commercial weight loss centers, medical programs have pivoted to a mix of virtual client meetings and in-person care.

This is the most comprehensive investigation of the medical weight loss market published by anyone worldwide. There are no medical associations or private sector research firms that cover the small and privately-owned medical weight loss chains, franchises, hospitals and clinics.

Covered… dollar value & growth rates of all major medical weight loss market segments (1997 to 2022, 2023 & 2027 forecasts), latest market trends and developments, in-depth analyses of these markets: weight loss surgery, programs by bariatricians, programs by hospitals, clinics, and independent MDs, programs by VLCD (very low calorie diets) vendors, and the prescription obesity drugs market.

Includes:

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

How dieter behavior changed with the pandemic

Findings of interviews with top managements of medical chains

The skyrocketing market for Rx obesity drugs and MD programs

Franchising as a growth strategy

Profit & Loss Statement for a typical medical weight loss center

Competitive position of medical programs vs. commercial diet centers, DIY plans, retail

Insurance coverage, the ACA and Medicare, avg. program costs

Rankings of the leading competitors by revenues, no. of sites.

In-depth competitor profiles for: HMR, Optifast, Robard, Lindora Clinics, Ideal Protein, Smart For Life, Medi-Weightloss, Centers for Medical Weight Loss, Medical Weight Loss of Michigan, Nuviva, JumptStart MD, Dr. G’s, more.


Introduction, Scope, Methodology
Executive Overview
Summary: discussion of medical weight loss mkt. characteristics, limitations, cyclical nature
Market definition and segments
Market structure: discussion of various types of programs & providers
Discussion of total diet market and medical market’s major developments since 2021
How the pandemic changed dieter behaviors
Tables:
Total diet market/mkt. segments $ value: 1997-2027 Forecast
Forecasted Growth Rates of Diet Market Segments: 2022-2027
Medical weight loss market segments: $ value (bariatric surgery, diet drugs, bariatricians’
programs, hospital/clinic/MD programs, VLCDs market
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 2020
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: 2015-2022
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: 1992-2022
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: 2022
VLCD/LCD Fasting Supplement Programs
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 Prescription 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: 2004-2027
Reference Directory of Weight Loss Information Sources
Industry & government trade associations, journals, newsletters, magazines, consultants

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