The Current State of Women's Health and its Marketing Implications

The specific health conditions that men and women deal with obviously have a great deal of overlap, but there are certainly those that are more prevalent among one group or the other. According to Natural Marketing Institutes (NMI) 2012 Health and Wellness Trends Database® , men are significantly more likely than women to report that they are currently managing heart problems and issues related to high blood sugar (diabetes), but the female populations health concerns are much more wide-ranging. From weight management to stress, depression, digestive issues, allergies, joint problems and eye health, the incidence of women who report self-treating these conditions is significantly greater than that of men.

The types of foods, beverages and nutrients people consume often has a direct connection to the types of health issues they are dealing with. Women are significantly more likely than men to claim that they:

--Are not getting enough prebiotics/probiotics, fiber and calcium in their diets

--Have increased their usage of organic produce, milk alternatives, whole grain and heart-healthy foods/beverages in the past year

--Eat a lot of vegetarian meals

--Purposely seek out high-fiber foods and beverages

Men and women also differ in the ways in which they are influenced to purchase and use items related to health and wellness. For women, reading websites or relying on celebrity endorsements to gather product information is not enough; rather, this group responds much more strongly to merchandising stimuli such as sales, coupons and package labeling. Offering free samples at in-store product demonstrations, for example, is an effective way to encourage trial usage (which will hopefully translate into continued product loyalty) among the female sector.