Demographics are changing rapidly. Life spans have increased and are likely to continue to increase. The average life expectancy for women is now 79 and for men 72 according to the Harvard University Gazette. In another 50 years, the baby boomer population is expected to triple. There are currently about 79 million baby boomers which comprise 33 percent of the adult population in America . This segment of our society has already begun making proactive health choices and relies heavily on condition-specific dietary supplements for preventive measures.
Today you can walk through the aisles of dietary supplements in department stores and find an assortment of condition-specific supplements that target a number of health conditions. This trend has been growing for the past decade and still continues unabated. According to GLG market surveys, baby boomers are the fastest-growing segment with a growth rate of 120 percent. This age group accounts for 60 percent of the consumer market for dietary supplements.
Creating the Best Baby Boomer Supplements
What kind of dietary supplements are baby boomers looking for? Here's a list of popular health concerns:
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Prostate health
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Energy boosters
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Women, especially hormonal balance
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Heart health
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Bladder (renal) health
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Joint and bone health
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Sexual health
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Anti-aging
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Weight management
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Pain relief
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Mental health (brain empowerment)
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Thinning hair
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Vision (eye health)
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Digestive and colonic health
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Insomnia
Nutraceuticals are known to deliver high efficacy with fewer side effects than conventional drugs which is why older Americans are seeking them out.
Statistics show that women pay greater attention to proactive healthcare and play a decision-making role in deciding on preventive healthcare for the family. Therefore, women are an important consumer group. Older women have specific health care needs and are more likely to choose dietary supplements to meet those needs. Bone health, menopause, and peri-menopause are some condition-specific products that are on the rise.
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine states that while women use supplements more extensively and as preventive measures, men are more likely to take dietary supplements after diagnosis. Condition-specific health concerns related to men are prostate health, heart health, obesity, stress, insomnia, digestive health, and sexual dysfunction. More men than women are recorded to take beta sitosterol and lycopene - nutrients associated with prostate health and sexual function.
In 2005, Packaged Foods reported that "Long-term health benefits and prevention are the leading motivators for baby boomers who are big on supplementation as a means to wellness." Three years later the Nutrition Business Journal (2008) reported that 92 percent of the U.S. supplement sales in 2007 were health condition-specific products with the top three popular categories being heart, joint, and immune health.
The trend for more condition-specific health supplements is still very strong. Condition-specific dietary supplements are on the rise and are expected to form a major portion in the future growth of the nutraceutical industry.
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