“We are seeing a major shift happening where more women are starting companies, more women are investing in other women – especially underrepresented founders – as well as creating products for women,” said Abrahams. “At a scientific level, there is also progress, albeit slow.
“Personalised nutrition acknowledges the fact that people are different in the way they respond to diet and lifestyle; however, we also need to acknowledge the social determinants of health that affect our food, health, and nutrition behaviours.”
But she admitted that personalised approaches are not without their challenges. “Price is a major barrier, especially during the current cost of living crisis,” she said. “Privacy is another growing concern.
“One of the biggest barriers is the huge task of behaviour change. Just because you buy a personalised product or solution does not guarantee a health outcome. Consumers still need to do the work.”
Draper also struck a hopeful tone. “More research is being conducted across the woman’s lifespan, extending beyond the historical focus on pregnancy and lactation,” she said.
“Nutritional epidemiology studies on women’s health to prevent disease, such as the Women’s Health Initiative,38 are increasingly available… In recent years, more and more research has been conducted on the menstrual cycle and nutrition, including athletic performance.”
However, work remains to be done, she added: “I do think brands need to find ways to invest in the research need to cover the female life cycle. It would be great to see how programmes could be developed that could incentivise this, since direct-to-consumer brands often lack the funds to invest in the research that is needed.”
As for which market offers the greatest potential?
“I would say ageing women who have been physically active or are becoming physically active – that's the biggest opportunity today,” said Kleiner. “Because they're already used to taking all kinds of stuff. They’re already maybe on medication. They’re doing all kinds of things. They're going to do anything to try and maintain where they are.”
Extending healthspan is “where we have the least data”, she admitted, before adding: “That's where there's the biggest gap. And, I think, the biggest opportunity.”
