Analyst's Take: Healthy aging trends vary by generation

Recent buzz and consumer research shows consumers of all ages are interested in longevity and improving health span, not just older folks. Let’s start by defining what we mean by health span. Health span is defined as the period of one's life that is healthy or free from serious disease. Today, more consumers are prioritizing preventive health measures to ensure they age with quality in mind, not just quantity. You might think that this category mostly consists of health nuts and serious optimizers, but in recent NBJ consumer research, the data suggests otherwise.

In July 2024, NBJ surveyed average consumers to get their sentiments around biohacking and health span. When given a definition of biohacking—biological self-experimentation (genetic/blood test, gene editing, cutting-edge nutrition and lifestyle regimens done to improve the quality and duration of life, performed outside of conventional medical environment)—and asked what habits they include in their biohacking regimen, 37% said they take dietary supplements. Supplements were the highest-rated activity when compared to diet, sauna, cold plunging, extreme exercise and other metric testing, such as DNA tests. When asked a follow-up question of what kinds of supplements they’re taking for their biohacking regimen, 73% of respondents said vitamins, 51% said probiotics, 48% said omega-3s and 36% said collagen.

NBJ also launched a survey targeting supplement users to get their sentiments around the category. This brought a well-rounded consumer perspective, which can give brands a better idea of how to target both new-to-market and current customers. The question most sought after within this category is, what symptoms or health concerns are consumers seeking out most for healthy aging? What NBJ found is that it varies based on gender and generation. When supplement users were asked what concerns them most about aging, 28% said loss of mobility, 23% said Alzheimer’s or dementia and 23% said loss of vision. Baby boomers (33%), of course, are more concerned about Alzheimer’s or dementia, but millennials aren’t too far behind, at 23%. Gen Z is most concerned with insomnia, with 30% being concerned and over-indexing significantly at 14 percentage points. However, both baby boomers and Gen Z are equally concerned (25%) with loss of vision as they age.

While there are some similarities across various demographics, it’s important to understand your consumer base when targeting healthy aging or longevity supplements, especially when the category targets so many different health symptoms under one umbrella.

Want to know what else is driving this emerging and growing market? Find more in-depth insights in the NBJ Longevity Report.