Americans Are Spending $700 Billion On Wellness. Even Everyday Products Are Getting a Health Makeover.

Protein-packed snacks, fiber-rich drinks, beauty products promising healthier skin and supplements for better sleep are finding their way into more American shopping carts. And companies are increasingly selling ordinary products with an added promise: they might do something good for your health.

The U.S. wellness market is now worth more than $700 billion, growing between 5% and 10% annually, according to a new McKinsey & Company study. The global market is estimated at $2.7 trillion, covering everything from fitness and nutrition to beauty, weight management and health-related services.

Through September, 33% of new U.S. consumer packaged goods launched in the categories McKinsey examined carried at least one wellness-related claim. That compares with 24% in 2021.

These are not just vitamins or traditional health supplements. Products are being marketed around their protein and fiber content, digestive benefits, reduced sugar, and claims relating to stress, sleep or immune support. The analysis covered categories including cereals, dairy products, snacks, beverages, skin care and cosmetics.

Companies appear to have good reason to pursue these consumers. Among consumer brands growing more than 20% annually, 53% have health and wellness at the center of their offerings, more than twice the share found among brands growing at a more moderate pace.

McKinsey surveyed more than 10,000 consumers across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and China for its latest Future of Wellness research. The American market alone accounted for more than $700 billion in annual wellness spending.

Two out of three Americans surveyed said they were prioritizing wellness more than a year earlier. More than a third described wellness as an important part of their identity, rather than simply something they occasionally spend money on.

Younger consumers continue to account for much of the spending, but the trend is spreading to older Americans too. Among baby boomers, the share saying wellness was a priority climbed 11 percentage points to 49%. Their purchases are expanding beyond traditional vitamins and supplements to products such as electrolyte drinks, skin care and at-home fitness equipment.

The influence of weight-loss medications is showing up in other consumer categories too. Of those surveyed who were taking GLP-1 drugs, including medications used for obesity and diabetes, 35% said they had increased their protein consumption. Another 19% reported taking more supplements, while 18% had started strength training.

Food manufacturers have been responding to the interest in protein, which is no longer confined to fitness enthusiasts. A separate Mintel study published earlier this year found that one-third of U.S. consumers cared more about their protein intake than they had six months earlier. References to protein on social media had also risen 57% year over year.

The trend has helped put protein into products ranging from snacks and breakfast foods to beverages and convenience meals. Fiber and probiotics are gaining attention as consumers look for products marketed around digestive health.

Mintel's research into functional foods and drinks also identified protein, fiber and energy as important areas for product development, including foods designed for people taking GLP-1 medications.

But putting a health claim on the packaging does not necessarily make a product healthy, nor does it guarantee that consumers will buy it.

McKinsey found that effectiveness now ranks alongside price as the most important consideration when Americans purchase wellness products. Consumers are looking more closely at ingredients, claims and whether the promised benefits are supported by evidence.

The industry's expanding definition of wellness also helps explain why market estimates differ considerably between research firms.

In October, Circana valued the U.S. well-being market at approximately $1.2 trillion, up 5% from a year earlier. Its analysis includes spending across food, beauty, apparel, home products and consumer technology.

McKinsey's $700 billion estimate uses a different market definition. The firm also expanded the categories included in its research this year, meaning its new $2.7 trillion global estimate cannot be directly compared with last year's $2 trillion figure as a measure of annual growth.

The competition for wellness spending has attracted substantial investment. McKinsey identified nearly $89 billion in combined deal value across the six largest health and wellness transactions announced or completed since 2021. All six were announced or closed in 2025 or later.

Yet demand is not necessarily being met. Around 40% of consumers surveyed globally said existing wellness products and services still fell short of their needs in areas such as mental health, mobility and healthy aging.

Americans are also experimenting with newer approaches to health. Eighteen percent of consumers surveyed said they practiced some form of biohacking, including self-tracking, supplement routines or other attempts to optimize their health. Among Gen Z respondents, that figure rose to 28%.

Technology is becoming part of those routines, although trust remains a barrier. More than half of surveyed consumers had used AI for wellness-related purposes, but 40% of Americans expressed concerns that its advice might be inaccurate.

When deciding which wellness products to buy, 35% of U.S. respondents cited recommendations from friends and family, while 30% relied on health care practitioners. Only 8% named AI chatbots as an influence.