Despite this week’s collapse of Australian weight loss icon Jenny Craig, the weight loss category is growing in Australia, according to data from Nielsen Consumer & Media View and Nielsen Ad Intel.
Figures released today show Australians, especially those aged 25-39, are more motivated than ever to lose weight and make healthier lifestyle choices, despite time constraints and dietary concerns, like gluten and lactose intolerance.
An estimated $37.4 million was spent on advertising in the weight loss category in 2022. A surprising 55 per cent of Australians are currently trying to lose weight right now – a 2 per cent increase over the last two years, but those aged 25-39 are 6 per cent more likely than the general population to actively pursue weight loss.
However, young Australians face a common challenge – balancing weight loss goals with busy lifestyles. Nearly one in three agree they lack the time to cook and prepare food, leading them to seek more convenient options. The data reveals half of them admit to snacking often during the day and two in five say they use meal kits. They’re also 21 per cent more likely to purchase nutritious snacks and 3.2 times more likely to use meal kits than the general population.
Nielsen CMV data also shows that they’re 27 per cent more likely to avoid lactose, 18 per cent more likely to avoid carbohydrates, and 31 per cent more likely to avoid gluten than the general population.
The industry has traditionally seen women as the primary target market for weight loss remedies, but data reveals men are closing the gap. While women are still the primary purchasers of weight loss products, the share of men aged 25 to 39 who shelled-out cash for weight loss products doubled from 2 per cent in 2020 to 4 per cent in 2023, highlighting the category’s increasing appeal.
