North American Market For Anti-Obesity Products Forecast To Grow To $139.5 Billion By 2017

Weight loss and obesity management businesses will enjoy a North American market worth $139.5 billion by 2017, up from about $104 billion in 2012, according to research by global markets researcher MarketsandMarkets.

The report covers a broad span of data from across the dietary industry, incorporating dietary food, drinks and supplements, as well as fitness equipment and surgery services, within its forecast.

Partly because of increasing diabetic and cardiac health problems, “the market will grow at a healthy pace in the next five years,” reads a press release accompanying the report.

Weight loss by diet made up the largest sector of the market, said the firm, with new products, more consumer awareness and aggressive marketing accounting for growth. Low-calorie drinks and the herbal market are doing especially well.

The report also included non-medical weight loss services, like nutrition counseling and fitness training.

MarketsandMarkets pegged the global anti-obesity market at $265 billion in 2012. Europe and Asia were smaller markets for anti-obesity goods than North America, though Asia’s demand for such services is set to grow, said MarketsandMarkets.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just over a third of U.S. adults are obese, up dramatically in the past 20 years.