The wellness data economy soars as health trackers grow in popularity

In 2025, consumers have an almost endless number of ways to track their health. 

“Consumers are hungry for deeper, clearer insights into their health and wellness,” said David Hamlette, health and wellness analyst at Mintel market research company. “Data collection is fundamentally reshaping the wellness industry, moving it toward more personalized, proactive and holistic care.” 

Much of this is led by wearable health tracker sales, which monitor things like exercise and sleep. The market grew 88% in 2025 with consumers buying more than 1.3 million fitness tracker devices during the first seven months of the year, according to Circana market research company. 

Last month, Oura Health Oy, maker of the Oura health and fitness ring, announced an $11 billion valuation after selling approximately 3 million rings over the past year. Meanwhile, Reebok joined Oura’s competitors last week, including Samsung and Ultrahuman, with the launch of its Reebok Smart Ring. It retails for $249, while Oura’s latest ring, called Gen 4, retails for $499, and Samsung and Ultrahuman charge $399 and $349, respectively. 

Then there are watch-style trackers, like those from Whoop, Apple, FitBit, Samsung and Garmin, although, according to Circana, 75% of 2025 tracker sales between January and July were on rings. 

Overall, the global fitness tracker market, valued at $52 billion last year, could triple by 2032 to reach $189 billion, according to Verified Market Research — but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

“Data is king,” said Michael Robertson, regional president of Love.Life, a new holistic wellness concept from the co-founder of Whole Foods. “The more data points we can bring in, and the more we have assistance to correlate that data, the more we can actually accelerate beneficial health outcomes.” 

Manual data collection is also booming. For example, Simple Life, the wellness app that provides digital health coaching and food tracking, took on $35 million in series B funding last week to grow its AI infrastructure. 

Meanwhile, “smart toilets” are gaining popularity — they collect data about the user’s health by analyzing “what we leave behind,” as Kohler’s consumer-facing marketing explains. 

Earlier this month, the toilet maker announced a new health division and its entry into at-home diagnostics. Its new Dekoda toilet attachment “decodes your body’s signals, translating them into personalized insights on gut health, hydration and more,” according to the company. 

Fecal and urine testing results are delivered to the user through the new Kohler Health app. The device fits onto existing toilets and retails for $599. Its biggest competition is Throne and Withings. The former raised $4 million this summer while the latter added nutrition diagnostics to its toilet analysis offering in 2023.

But this is just a small snapshot. As reported by Glossy in December, there’s a quiet boom happening for full-body health diagnostics through MRI imaging, led by Ezra and Prenuvo, which create a baseline to track and monitor the body like never before. 

Then there are longevity clubs, like Love.Life, which center data collection into one holistic provider. “The body is a very complex system, and so, now, all this data is going to give [companies and care providers] the opportunity to start making correlations between all these complex systems in the body that we’ve never had the ability to do before,” said Robertson.

Consumer trust and education is perhaps the biggest hurdle to this new world of data-fueled wellness products and practices.

“There is so much education needed to get people to understand what it means to take 120 biomarkers [through a blood test], or to do a VO2 [oxygen intake test] or a DEXA [bone density] scan, because all these [longevity tests] are used in different pieces and forms, but it’s data that’s moving medicine forward,” said Robertson. “Understanding correlations from all these masses of data is the opportunity people talk about.” 

However, while U.S. consumers are increasingly open to wellness solutions that leverage data collection, management and analysis, their readiness varies across different groups, said Mintel’s Hamlette. He told Glossy that Gen Z and millennials are leading this charge, while “parents and multicultural consumers also show high levels of interest [in] seeking efficient ways to manage both their own and their families’ health.” However, trust is a hurdle. 

“There remains significant hesitation about sharing information with brands, largely due to concerns around privacy and data security,” he said. “Only about a third of consumers trust health companies to protect their data, and just over a quarter feel the benefits of sharing health data outweigh the risks,” said Hamlette. 

Mintel’s Hamlette told Glossy that 23AndMe’s 2023 data breach created a sea change in how consumers think about the security of their data, which requires a proactive strategy by brands to ensure users of safety.

This compounds with growing unease around the U.S. government’s access to our health data. For example, when Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2023, a groundswell of concern formed online and among privacy experts over period-tracking apps that track doctor visits, fertility, and abortion care as part of their overall data collection. In June, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. told members of Congress that he wants all Americans wearing a wearable within the next four years.

In August, Oura CEO Tom Hale posted a video to Reddit meant to speak directly to users to debunk rumors that its data collection is not safe or secure. “I’ve seen a ton of misinformation and people are really upset,” he said. “I want to acknowledge that and start with the most important thing first: Oura will never sell your data. … Your data is yours and yours always, .. [and] I am committed to earning your trust.” In the video, he explained that Oura uses third-party companies, like Mozilla and UpGuard, to verify security. Similar to other areas of wellness, such as supplements, third-party monitoring is becoming table stakes.

Despite hurdles around trust, the marketplace shows no signs of slowing. “The market isn’t just viable, it’s driving toward comprehensive ‘health data ecosystems’ that make data meaningful, not just measurable,” said Mintel’s Hamlette.

Executive moves: 

• Darshan Shah, MD, has been appointed the first chief medical officer for Ammortal, the buzzy longevity company known for the $159,000 Chamber Bed it released for pre-order in September. The bed pairs several modalities — including red light therapy, molecular hydrogen, PEMF and breathwork — into one futuristic recovery machine. Dr. Shah is an author and board-certified surgeon, and the founder of Next Health longevity center. 

• Helge Lund will step down from his role as chairman of Novo Nordisk A/S, the Danish maker of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy, after a boardroom dispute over governance, according to reporting by Bloomberg. He will be replaced by Lars Rebien Sorensen, a previous leader of the company. It’s part of a larger C-suite shakeup at the diabetes-focused company this summer which included a CEO shuffle.

News to know:

• Simple Life, the food tracking and health coaching app launched in 2019, has secured $35 million in series B funding led by actor Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Ventures and private credit firm Liquidity. The company, which has 800,000 users, will use the funding to further develop AI integration to advance its digital coaching offerings.
  
• The purity and safety of everyday protein powders are being questioned by consumers after a study by “Consumer Reports” found concerning levels of lead in the majority of the formulas it studied. The publication studied 23 products, including top category sellers, and found levels of lead higher than experts say is safe. In these circumstances, lead is often a contaminant, not an added ingredient.
  
• Nike is dabbling in robotic solutions for consumers. The company unveiled its “Project Amplify” last week, which includes a robotics-powered shoe that helps users walk or run faster, powered by an attached calf brace and motor. It has been dubbed the “e-bike for your feet” in the media, but it will not be available for mass sale for a few years, according to Nike.
  
• The FDA has approved a new menopause drug, called Lynkuet, for the relief of hot flashes. German pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Bayer announced Friday that it has received U.S. clearance for the non-hormonal drug and hoped to have it stateside by the end of the year.

• Swarovski is the latest fashion brand to bet on wealthy fitness enthusiasts with a new collaboration with Iron House Design, a maker of luxury fitness and wellness equipment. The duo has released Swarovski-encrusted dumbbells and kettlebells for more than $700 per set just in time for holiday shopping. As previously reported by Glossy, fashion brands like Celine, Pucci and Chanel also released elevated fitness gear for wealthy shoppers this year.
  
• As the wellness industry heats up, traditional media is responding. Last week, the “Los Angeles Times” announced the launch of a wellness podcast called “Live + Well” hosted by journalist Melissa Magsaysay. The new release is touted as “your shortcut to smarter self-care.”

Stat of the week:

According to a consumer study conducted in Q1 by NielsenIQ, a leading consumer intelligence company, global consumers are prioritizing their wellness and health while becoming more skeptical of health and wellness products. According to the report, 55% of consumers are willing to spend over $100 a month on services and products that offer better nutrition, self-care, and physical and mental health. Meanwhile, 82% of survey participants think health and wellness labels should be more transparent and easier to understand. The study interviewed 19,000 adults in 19 countries. 

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