Our latest national study of over 3,000 U.S. consumers interested in personalized nutrition aims to help us better understand what’s really happening in this category.

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We found massive opportunity and equally significant barriers that companies could be misreading.

The Market Is Bigger Than You Think

Forty-nine percent of consumers surveyed are interested in personalized nutrition. However, only 17% of those interested are paying for a plan. Our data on use and what consumers are paying suggests an estimated U.S. market size of between $6-8 billion with roughly 83 million people interested but not participating. This is an addressable market that spans age, income, and demographics.

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Personalized nutrition isn’t a trend. It’s a mainstream category that hasn’t yet aligned promise with the user’s experience. Otherwise, more people would be actively engaged.

Is It Too Expensive?

When we asked why, the most common response was that plans are "too expensive." But upon further review of the data, we saw something more nuanced. A meaningful percentage of consumers also say “it didn’t work” or “it worked for a while, then stopped working.” In other words, price and performance are intertwined.

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When recommendations are actionable, and results are timely and sustained, the cost feels justified.When results plateau or feel inconsistent, price becomes the exit point. For anyone developing products or services in this space, that's a credibility gap that clinical validation and proof of results can help solve.

Making it Stick

Most consumers aren’t sticking with their plans. More than half of those with active plans have been on them for six months or less. That doesn’t mean personalization doesn’t work. In fact, our data shows that participants report feeling more confident and better about their health than non-participants. But it does suggest something important: initial engagement is happening. Sustaining longer-term relationships with users is harder.

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As a category, we may need to think more about the progression and user relationship that occur after onboarding. How do plans evolve as biomarkers change? How do recommendations adapt when goals shift? How do we support maintenance, not just momentum? Retention will drive value for both personalized nutrition providers and consumers. Brands must be able to support changing goals and continued progress.  

Consumers Are Building Their Own Solutions

Another key sign that consumers are seeking personalized nutrition solutions is that more than two-thirds report assembling personalized nutrition plans from different products and services. They're not waiting for a just-right solution. They're building ecosystems from foods, apps, supplements, wearables, and services they choose themselves.

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This creates an opportunity—not necessarily to replace what consumers are building, but to integrate more clearly and to think more cross-category (and partnerships).

In March

In March, we’ll take a closer look at the DIY personalized nutrition ecosystem—what consumers are actually combining, where technology is accelerating behavior, and where brands can play a meaningful role without trying to own everything.

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