The U.S. Weight Loss Market: A Statistical Profile

The U.S. Weight Loss Market: A Statistical Profile

Marketdata has created a new “Data Pack” report that presents mostly statistical profiles and tables, with some analyses. This report contains a rare data set that traces the size and growth of ALL U.S. weight loss market segments from 1989 to 2022 and 2025 forecasts, enabling the reader to trace market performance historically via 30+ years, through recessions and growth cycles – a truly long-term view. There is a major focus on commercial diet companies. Extensive industry metrics are included. The report does not contain in-depth competitor/company profiles. Rather, it examines the structure and size of the market. Effects of the pandemic are included.

The U.S. weight loss market reached a record $78 billion in 2019, but suffered a 21% decline in value during 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and recession. However, there were bright spots. Commercial chains held up well, as did the meal replacements market, frozen diet entrees, and multi-level marketing channels. Weight loss providers had to pivot to virtual client meetings and drop shipping of products. Technology became more important, as Zoom meetings, apps and streaming services soared in usage.

Covered… dollar value & growth rates of all major weight loss market segments (early 1980s to 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2025 forecasts), Dieter demographic profile, status reports for: diet soft drinks, artificial sweeteners, health clubs, commercial diet center chains, retail meal replacements & OTC diet pills, medical weight loss programs (weight loss surgery, MD/hospital/clinic programs, Rx diet drugs, bariatricians, VLCD programs), low-cal frozen entrees.

Includes a Reference Directory of industry trade associations, trade journals, consultants and other sources.


Introduction – Study scope and methodology
Weight Loss Market Size & Market Segments
Summary: discussion of the total U.S. weight loss market size:
2022 estimates/forecasts/outlook for each of the major market segments
(commercial programs, medical programs, meal replacements, health clubs,
diet dinner entrees, diet soft drinks, artificial sweeteners, etc.)
Performance of the leading weight loss companies: 2020-2022 sales
¬Tables:
Historical market revenues $ size, by segment: 1989-1996
Historical market revenues $ size, by segment: 1997-2001
Historical market revenues $ size, by segment: 2006-2010
Historical market revenues $ size, by segment: 2016-2022 F
Market segment forecasted growth rates: 2021-2025
List of the top weight loss companies, by 2020 sales
Demographics: Profile of The American Dieter
Scope of the American obesity epidemic, number/percent obese or overweight,
latest CDC data, obesity rates by state,
Discussion: how many Americans diet, how often, why diets fail, methods used
Typical dieter profile, by age, sex, income – Percent of DIY dieters
Number of dieters by method used, no. of dieters by type plan
Covid-19 pandemic shifts the “diet season”, affects how consumers exercise and
What they eat (more frozen foods)
More use of virtual dieting
Dieter Surveys/profiles by: Calorie Control Council
top dieting methods used, low-cal food/beverage usage by kind, diet attempts
Tables:
State/regional obesity statistics, by state: % of population
Number of American dieters: 1996-2021 estimates
Percent of dieters by sex
Dieters by sex, age, income
Dieters by type weight loss program used
Profile of The Health Clubs Industry
Status Report of U.S. Health Clubs Industry no. of U.S. facilities, type clubs, number of club members, devastating effects of the pandemic/no. of clubs closed
2020-2021 industry revenues, 2022 Forecast
Table:
Revenues of U.S. health clubs industry: 1993-2025F
Profile of Commercial Weight Loss Programs
Summary: Revenues of commercial diet chains segment compared to the total market
2021 market segment performance
2022 segment forecasts
Major metrics/operating ratios for commercial weight loss centers derived from
Census, Franchise Disclosure Documents, public companies, other sources.
Industry Structure & Key Ratios
Summary: discussion & analysis of operations and metrics in 2017 vs. 2012, for:
Legal form of companies, single/multi-unit firms, by revenues size of establish-
ments Top 50 firms market share, etc.
Census Bureau Operating Ratios: 2017, 2012, 2007, 2002 (Commercial diet centers/services) (no. of estabs., firms, receipts, receipts per estab., payroll as % sales, etc.)
Census Tables
* Industry snapshot: no. of estabs., receipts, avg. per estab. & employee, payroll
as % sales, etc. – 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
* Employee sales/payroll productivity – 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
* Establishments, by legal form (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietors) –
2012, 2017
* Market share for largest 4, 8, 20, 50 firms 2012, 2017
* Ratios, by single vs. multi-unit firms 2012, 2017
* Ratios, by receipts size of firms & establishments 2012, 2017
* No. of diet centers, by state & region, avg. receipts per estab. By state
* 2018 no. of estabs. payroll, estd. receipts, by state, ranked (County Business Patterns)
Other Tables:
* No. of U.S. weight control services (1991-2019)
* Number of commercial centers ( 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 top chains)
* Revenues of top commercial chains: 2016-2025 F
* No. of center locations, by company: 2010-2020
* Revenues of the leading commercial chains: 2003-2022
* Sample Income Statement of a typical commercial weight loss center
Profile of Medical Weight Loss Programs
Summary: Mix of different types of medical weight loss programs, $ size of each
Status Report: Effects of the pandemic on medical program operations and
revenues: The pivot to digital delivery
Tables
Value of The U.S. Medical Weight Loss Market, by segment: 2015-2021
Hospital, Clinic, MD-based Programs (includes franchises, regional chains)
2020-2021 performance during the pandemic
2022 outlook and forecast
Bariatrician (Obesity Medicine Specialists) Programs
2020-2021 performance during the pandemic
2022 outlook and forecast
The Bariatric Surgery Market
2020-2021 performance during the pandemic
2022 outlook and forecast
Tables:
Number of bariatric surgeries performed in the U.S. – 1995-2022 F
Estimated $ value of the market – 1995-2022 F
Bariatric surgeries performed, by type: 2013-2019
The Prescription Diet Drugs Market
Status Report: Discussion of the dominant position of Novo Nordisk with Saxenda
and Wegovy
New obesity drugs in development to 2026: semaglutide
2020-2021 market performance during the pandemic
2022 outlook and forecast
Tables:
Obesity drug sales in the U.S. – 2004-2021 estimates
Profile of The Meal Replacements & Retail Diet Pills Market
Summary: Usage of meal replacements by dieters, why so popular
2021 Status Report of the market: why sales were strong during the pandemic, estd. channel sales (OTC diet pills, meal replacements), findings of Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ), Chain Drug Review research
2022 Forecasts (OTC diet pills, meal replacements)
Why growth outlook is strong for meal replacements, preferred by MDs, MLMs, commercial chains, why retail diet pills mkt. still struggles
NBJ estimates of diet pill & meal replacements $ and % sales, by distribution channels, discussion of multilevel firms (Advocare, Shaklee, Herbalife, Quixtar, Nu-Skin)
Tables:
* U.S. Retail & MLM Sales of Meal Replacements, by top brands
* Marketdata estimates of retail diet pills, meal replacements, combined sales 1981-2025 F
Top MLM companies’ sales of meal replacements: 2020.
Profile of The Diet Soft Drinks & Artificial Sweeteners Market
The Diet Soft Drinks Market
Status Report 2020-2021, why sales have improved lately, effect of the pandemic
on consumption
Analysis of 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-
2025 forecast
Demographics of diet soft drink consumers, historical nature of the market.
Table:
* 2000-2025 F diet soft drink $ sales
The Artificial Sweeteners Market
Status Report of the mkt. – 2020-2022 forecast
Sweeteners by end use (% used for soft drinks vs. tabletop sweeteners mkt.)
Table:
* 1989-2025 F artificial sweeteners $ sales
Profile of The Diet Dinner Entrees Market
Low-cal Frozen Diet Entrees & Low-car Foods Market
Mkt. Status Report: 2021-2022 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
Table:
Major brands sales: 2017-2021 (Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, low carb, Wal-Mart)
Marketdata mkt. size estimates for 1994 to 2025 F
Reference Directory of Industry Information Sources

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