Consumers are the CEOs of their own health, with tools like smartwatches and health apps giving users detailed metrics, empowering them to take control and make informed decisions. However, older women, who are most likely to want to improve their weight, are also most likely to express dissatisfaction with health apps. This highlights the lack of investment and recognition of women’s unique health needs, such as menopause and age-related changes. Brands need to prioritise women’s health by developing apps or devices to track menopausal symptoms and offer personalised solutions for weight management.
Social media is the go-to source for young people searching for health-related information. However, it is flooded with misinformation, which can lead to harmful outcomes. Brands can build trust in their products by creating content that directly calls out and debunks false claims, and highlights evidence-based product solutions.
Few consumers are interested in using an AI therapist. Sharing struggles with a ‘machine’ and lack of human connection may feel too impersonal. Instead, tools that are not purposely built for therapy, such as ChatGPT and Character.ai, have unintentionally become a space for mental health support. For consumers to adopt AI therapy tools, brands will need to build an entertainment-first platform that resonates with more informal ways of communicating and self-expression.
More investment in technology to support women's health is needed, particularly addressing the menopause and other age-related changes.
Nikita Shergill, Technology and Media Analyst
Market Definitions
This Report explores technology and health. It explores what aspect of health consumers want to focus on, interest in AI health innovations, and related consumer behaviours and attitudes.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the health technology market
- Stress management will advance AI adoption for mental wellbeing
- Make AI therapy an entertainment platform first
- Build platforms for consumers to manage and sell their health data
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Exercise is the main form of weight management
- Graph 1: weight management in the last 12 months and interest in using in the future, 2024
- Interest in weight-loss drugs will shift focus to weight training and nutrient intake
- What consumers want and why
- Brands must tackle health misinformation on social media to earn trust
- Graph 2: sources used to get health-related information in the last 12 months, 2025
- Support weight challenges for women during menopause
- Health apps fail to help older women’s health
- Graph 3: agreement with ‘using health apps has not significantly improved my overall health’, by gender and age, 2025
- Shape brand messaging around physical fitness
- Graph 4: top three aspects of health consumers would like to improve, 2025
- Consumers want a personalised AI trainer
- Consumers want more predictive health analysis
- Graph 5: interest in AI predictive health-care analysis to improve health, by age, 2025
- Interest in glucose tracking is gaining popularity, but may lead to harmful dietary changes
- Graph 6: attitudes towards health technology, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- New app makes you walk to access social media
- Saliva-based hormone test for home use
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market drivers
- NHS to focus on prevention in healthcare
- Exercise is the main form of weight management…
- Graph 7: weight management methods used in the last 12 months, 2024
- …but use of prescription weight-loss drugs could grow…
- …as young people are most interested in weight-loss drugs
- Graph 8: interest in using injectable weight-loss drugs, 2024
- Health tracking is still a popular interest in future weight management
- Graph 9: weight management in the last 12 months and interest in using in the future, 2024
- High-protein food is more important than low-calorie options
- Graph 10: high protein content as a top three most important factor when shopping for food, by age, 2019-25
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Health app usage
- Majority of consumers use health apps
- Exercise and wellbeing information apps are the most used health apps
- Graph 11: health app usage in the last 12 months, 2025
- Exercise apps will continue to grow and evolve into AI personal trainers
- Continuous glucose monitoring will increase the usage of diet and nutrition apps
- Social media and AI chatbots will reduce the need for wellbeing information apps
- Build communities in wellbeing apps to remain competitive
- Graph 12: agreement with ‘I think online communities are just as valuable as real-life ones’, 2025
- The gap between metrics and health advice in smartwatches…
- …will see more people using specialised apps to manage their health
- Graph 13: health app usage in the last 12 months, 2022-25
- Young women are the main users of wellbeing information apps
- Graph 14: usage of wellbeing information apps, by gender and age, 2025
- Sources of health-related information
- Social media is the go-to source for health-related information for younger people
- Brands must tackle health misinformation on social media to earn trust
- Public health websites, medical professionals and online searches remain key sources for majority of people
- Graph 15: sources used to get health-related information in the last 12 months, 2025
- Brands need to verify their content on search engines
- Graph 16: sources used to get health-related information in the last 12 months, by generation, 2025
- Word of mouth influences young people’s health
- Graph 17: use friends/family for health-related information, by age, 2025
- Use of AI chatbots for health is low, but interest for AI features to improve health is high
- Graph 18: used AI chatbot for health-related information in the last 12 months, 2025
- Health priorities
- Vast majority of Brits want to improve their health
- Consumers want to improve their physical fitness
- Graph 19: top three aspects of health consumers would like to improve, 2025
- Appeal to consumers’ aspirations to feel strong
- Build technology to support women’s weight during menopause
- Graph 20: proportion of consumers who want to improve their weight, by gender and age, 2025
- Develop skincare health metrics
- AI innovations in health technology
- AI exercise advice can be the friendly alternative to ‘intimidating’ gyms
- Graph 21: interest in AI innovations to improve health, 2025
- Consumers want more predictive health analysis
- Graph 22: interest in AI predictive health-care analysis to improve health, by age, 2025
- Partner with healthcare providers to strengthen AI credibility
- Graph 23: interest in AI healthcare to improve health, by age, 2025
- Blur the lines between entertainment and mental wellbeing
- Develop AI-driven self-care solutions
- Stress management can drive AI adoption for mental wellbeing
- Use diet and nutrition as a predictive health tool
- Trust and privacy in health data
- Consumers are divided when it comes to trusting AI for health advice
- Graph 24: trust in AI health advice, 2025
- Address AI ageism in health tech to boost interest among older consumers…
- Graph 25: interest in AI innovations to improve health, by age, 2025
- …by prioritising inclusive design and datasets
- Health data security will be a key focus
- Graph 26: trust and privacy in health data, 2025
- Privacy will be a competitive advantage
- Young consumers are open to sharing health data when there is a clear benefit
- Graph 27: agreement with ‘I think it’s worth giving my health data for improved products/services’, by age, 2025
- Consumers want to sell their health data
- Selling data is the future
- Accuracy and effectiveness of health technology
- Visualise future health outcomes to motivate people towards their goals
- Graph 28: agreement with ‘using health apps has significantly improved my overall health’, by age, 2025
- Older women are most likely to express dissatisfaction with health apps
- Prioritise weight and sleep personalisation to engage older women with health technology
- Communicate the accuracy of health tracking devices to build trust
- Graph 29: agreement with ‘I think health-tracking devices are just as clinically accurate as a medical device’, by generation, 2025
- Usability and practicality of health technology
- AI health optimisation feels unreachable to live up to
- Graph 30: usability and practicality of health technology, 2025
- Use small AI health recommendations in marketing to reassure concerns
- Graph 31: agreement with ‘I worry that AI health recommendations might be too difficult to implement in my daily life’, by age, 2025
- Affordability will drive future purchases in health technology
- Refurbished and second-hand market will grow
- Interest in health technology innovations
- People want more control over their glucose
- Glucose monitoring will change dietary choices
- Non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring will become more accessible
- Mental health treatment will use more VR tools
- Building coping skills through VR experiences
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- New app makes you walk to access social media
- Saliva-based hormone test for home use
- AI supports therapists to be more present in therapy sessions
- Smart hearing aid translates languages in real-time
- Less intrusive sleep tracking technology makes sleep more comfortable
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
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