Jia Ling Sparks a $70B Weight-Loss Boom: Can This Sector Really Deliver Easy Wins?
If one were to ask about the most talked-about topic during this year’s Spring Festival, Jia Ling and her new film *YOLO* would undoubtedly be among the top contenders. As a household-name comedic star in China, Jia Ling was once widely recognized for her plump physique. However, to prepare for this role, she successfully lost 50 kilograms (approximately 100 jin) within a year. This remarkable transformation sparked immense public curiosity and generated unprecedented buzz. Coupled with the film’s high quality, it propelled the box office revenue to surpass RMB 3 billion just 11 days after its release, making it the 20th film in Chinese cinematic history to achieve this milestone.
Setting the film itself aside, it must be acknowledged that losing 50 kilograms (100 jin) within a year is no small feat, which has once again ignited public enthusiasm for weight loss. According to data from multiple sources, businesses related to weight management have seen a surge since the movie’s release. Behind this trend lies a weight-loss market already valued at hundreds of billions of yuan and advancing toward the trillion-yuan mark. The sheer scale of the market and the intensity of public interest are both staggering.
Strictly speaking, obesity is a chronic disease characterized by abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that poses a risk to health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines overweight as a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m² and obesity as a BMI ≥30 kg/m². Obesity leads to countless complications, particularly cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders such as diabetes, which are among the leading causes of death globally.
In fact, as long as body weight can be controlled, many existing health problems will be greatly alleviated.
Nevertheless, achieving long-term weight control is not easy. The fundamental cause of obesity in the vast majority of cases is that energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. This means that to control weight, one must either reduce energy intake (“watch your mouth”) or increase energy expenditure (“move your legs”). However, while “watch your mouth and move your legs” is easy to say, it is difficult to put into practice.
The search for easy weight-loss solutions has naturally become the public’s most urgent demand—decades ago, it was slimming teas; later, cupping and acupuncture followed suit. Now, GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide have taken center stage in the spotlight.
This long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist from Novo Nordisk has been on the market for many years and was initially used primarily for diabetes. These drugs can inhibit glucagon secretion, thereby promoting glucose metabolism and lowering blood sugar levels. Interestingly, studies have found that GLP-1 also delays gastric emptying, which suppresses appetite, leading to excellent weight loss effects.
Semaglutide, which has demonstrated significant efficacy in two major chronic diseases, is rapidly challenging the title of “Blockbuster King.” In 2022, semaglutide’s sales reached $10.882 billion; by 2023, its sales more than doubled to approximately $21.2 billion, closing in on the $25 billion in sales recorded by the current leader, Keytruda (“K Drug”).
Among these, Wegovy has seen explosive sales growth since its U.S. approval for obesity treatment in 2021, with sales reaching $4.548 billion in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 407% compared to 2022. Novo Nordisk has also applied for weight-loss indication approval in China and is developing an oral formulation of semaglutide for weight management.
In fact, although semaglutide has not yet been approved in China for weight loss indications, many people have already used it for weight loss, even causing difficulties for diabetic patients in obtaining their medication. Given this trend and growth rate, it is reasonable to expect that semaglutide will become the “blockbuster drug of the year” in 2024.
Other pharmaceutical companies are also aggressively following suit, such as Eli Lilly. Its GLP-1 drug tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss, received FDA approval in the United States in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and has likewise experienced rapid growth. Notably, Zepbound has demonstrated superior clinical efficacy in weight loss compared to semaglutide, generating $176 million in revenue for Eli Lilly in less than two months, with projected sales expected to reach $27 billion by 2029. The significant role of weight management in driving the success of these contenders for the title of “blockbuster drug” is evident.
Although unconfirmed, weight management experts have widely speculated that Jia Ling also used GLP-1 medications during her weight loss journey. “What medication did Jia Ling use for weight loss?” instantly became a trending search term. WeChat groups frequently circulated rumors such as “Jia Ling used weight-loss drugs from Company X,” which even drove up the stock prices of the related companies. The frenzy was nothing short of spectacular.
On the surface, the advent of GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide appears to have finally offered people a shortcut to “effortless weight loss,” enabling them to easily shed several kilograms with just a few injections or pills. In reality, however, for the majority of “weight-loss enthusiasts” whose body weight does not meet the clinical criteria for pharmacological intervention, the adverse effects of relying solely on medication for weight control may outweigh the benefits.
For GLP-1 medications, the most common gastrointestinal adverse reactions reported by the FDA include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, and decreased appetite. In more severe cases, patients may develop serious conditions such as intestinal obstruction and gastroparesis.
In addition to the long list of gastrointestinal side effects listed for the drug itself, “Ozempic face” is another concerning adverse effect. Some users experience rapid short-term loss of body fat, leading to loose, less firm skin; on the face, this manifests as a gaunt, “aged” appearance. Although the body becomes slimmer, the face looks “older,” which is likely not the intended outcome of using medication for weight loss.
Moreover, the phenomenon of weight rebound upon discontinuation is also observed with GLP-1 medications. A clinical trial demonstrated that participants who discontinued semaglutide treatment regained more than 50% of their lost weight within one year. On one hand, due to the prevailing belief that “all medicines carry some degree of toxicity,” the general public is reluctant to accept the long-term continuous use of weight-loss drugs.
On the other hand, the prices of these drugs remain prohibitively high, posing a significant financial burden. Rough estimates indicate that patients in the United States spend approximately $1,300 per month on GLP-1 medications, amounting to over $15,000 annually. Even if one merely converts the currency into Chinese yuan, this still represents a substantial expense.
Clearly, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide, the impending new “king of drugs,” are not the only answer.
More than a decade ago, Cheng Zheng, an IT editor with a passion for gaming, was a heavyset man weighing over 230 jin (approximately 115 kilograms). At that time, due to severe obesity, his health deteriorated steadily; in his early thirties, he developed severe fatty liver disease. Determined to change after reflecting on the serious consequences, Cheng embarked on an arduous weight-loss journey.
Friends and family were initially skeptical about his weight loss journey. However, Cheng Zheng persevered with scientific weight management methods and remarkable determination. A year later, he made a stunning reappearance as a fit and muscular young man. To help more individuals struggling with obesity, Cheng Zheng established a private personal training studio, which has since gained considerable local renown.
“I lost approximately 100 jin (about 50 kilograms) over the course of a year, maintaining a relatively steady rate of 8–10 jin (4–5 kilograms) per month, dropping from over 230 jin (115+ kilograms) to a low of just over 130 jin (65+ kilograms). Of course, there were brief plateaus along the way. Back then, we didn’t have these so-called ‘miracle drugs’; it was mainly about ‘eating less and moving more,’” Cheng Zheng explained to VCBeat.
“I have also seen such cases in my practice. Semaglutide can indeed lead to significant weight loss, but it essentially works by controlling energy intake, which is fundamentally the same principle as dietary restriction for weight loss. Furthermore, weight tends to rebound once medication is discontinued. Based on my years of experience, there is only one correct approach to weight loss: changing the unhealthy lifestyle habits that contribute to weight gain,” he added.
Although the correct answer is obvious, putting it into practice is quite challenging. Cheng Zheng candidly admits that the greatest difficulty in weight loss is sustained adherence: “Anyone can exercise or eat healthily for a few days, but to achieve successful weight loss, one must persist for at least several weeks, months, or even years.” Compared with exercise, dietary control is even more difficult. Cheng Zheng notes that most weight-loss failures occur when individuals maintain a healthy diet from Monday to Friday, only to undo their progress with two indulgent meals over the weekend.
In this context, digital health clearly has significant potential. Particularly for individuals with social anxiety and office workers adhering to the “996” work schedule, maintaining a daily gym routine may be challenging; however, dedicating just 15 minutes a day to home-based workouts could significantly improve adherence. Although user compliance remains dependent on individual motivation, the gamified and community-driven supervision features offered by digital health apps can indeed enhance user adherence.
As AI technology matures, some digital health apps can already generate personalized, step-by-step training plans based on user conditions and provide real-time feedback on their training progress. For example, they can use wearable sensors or AI-based video recognition to assess whether training postures are correct and offer users guidance on proper movements.
This home fitness craze is gaining momentum. Li Dong’an, a senior researcher at the Keep Sports Research Institute, told VCBeat: “During the Spring Festival holiday, public enthusiasm for fitness rose significantly, driven by Jia Ling’s successful weight loss transformation. Month-on-month sales of exercise bikes on Keep’s Tmall flagship store increased by 219%, jump ropes by 487.82%, yoga mats by 182.45%, and kettlebells by 325.74%.”
“I have also used digital health apps. Documenting the weight-loss journey through such tools can indeed motivate individuals to stay committed. On one hand, these apps allow users to photograph their meals to estimate caloric intake, track body weight, and develop reasonable plans. On the other hand, they help users achieve daily targets for exercise, standing time, and calorie expenditure. Seeing the activity rings fully closed provides a considerable sense of accomplishment. Additionally, users can view their rankings among friends. These features foster a sense of achievement that encourages adherence, while social community functions help individuals feel less alone on their weight-loss journey,” said Cheng Zheng, noting that digital health technologies can indeed play a meaningful role during the prolonged process of weight management.
Leveraging digital health for weight management is emerging as a hot topic. Omada Health and Noom are undoubtedly the frontrunners in this space. The former has raised a cumulative $528.5 million across 11 funding rounds, while the latter has secured $658.9 million through 10 rounds, notably including a $540 million Series F round in 2021—one of the largest financing deals in the entire digital health sector.
Digital health companies from other sectors are also racing into the weight management space to capitalize on emerging opportunities. In 2023 alone, prominent digital health firms such as Welldoc, LifeMD, and Hims & Hers announced the launch of digital weight management solutions. Many digital therapeutics targeting chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, primarily aim to control blood glucose levels through lifestyle modifications, which objectively also contribute to weight management. Therefore, it is expected that more digital health companies will enter this sector in the future.
In contrast, the digital weight-loss market in China is progressing more slowly and remains in its nascent stage. After careful consideration, some early-entry digital therapeutics companies have chosen to enter niche segments that require medical intervention, which present relatively higher barriers to entry. For instance, Nanda Feite has partnered with obesity clinics at Grade A tertiary hospitals to provide personalized solutions for patients who meet the clinical criteria for obesity and require medical intervention. According to reports, Nanda Feite’s solutions have helped over 30,000 obese patients achieve disease improvement and significant weight loss to date.
In February 2021, the research report on a clinical intervention trial jointly conducted by Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital and 10 other centers in China, utilizing the CIMWM model independently developed by Nanda Feite in accordance with medical guidelines, was published online in Nutrition & Metabolism. The study demonstrated that a combined online and offline lifestyle management approach can more effectively improve adherence among patients with obesity, thereby achieving the goal of lifestyle restructuring.
Shukang, another digital therapeutics company focused on rehabilitation therapy, has also achieved significant success in the field of medical weight management.
Obesity is closely linked to the development of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Among the many patients with chronic diseases who have undergone Shukang’s exercise-based rehabilitation therapy, stabilization of relevant clinical indicators is often accompanied by weight loss. Individuals participating in medically supervised weight loss programs frequently have underlying comorbidities; therefore, greater attention must be paid to the safety and stability of their weight reduction process. In Shukang’s various weight loss camps, the ultimate goals for members extend beyond changes in body weight to include other health-related indicators as key focuses.
Shukang’s weight-loss training camps for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes have all achieved significant average weight reduction. One participant, after strictly adhering to a “exercise prescription + nutritional prescription” regimen for six months, successfully lost 22 kilograms (44 jin), reduced body fat percentage by 15.4%, and brought their BMI from the overweight range down to the normal adult level. Meanwhile, related indicators including blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids all returned to normal ranges.
The head of Shukang’s weight management pipeline told VCBeat that a dual approach combining “nutrition prescriptions” and “exercise prescriptions” can achieve successful weight loss with long-term stability for patients. By leveraging the algorithms in Shukang’s digital therapeutics products, patients simply need to convert 2D photos of their meals into 3D models via image recognition to estimate food weight, thereby enabling real-time tracking of nutritional intake, while simultaneously following the exercise prescriptions provided through the Shukang App. In addition to conventional medical weight loss interventions, Shukang also offers digital rehabilitation programs for patients undergoing bariatric surgery during the perioperative period, helping them safely navigate postoperative recovery and prevent weight regain.
Although weight loss appears to be a significant opportunity for digital therapeutics companies, demonstrating the advantages of medical-grade weight management solutions has become a critical challenge, given that weight loss is generally perceived as having weak medical attributes.
“I believe the primary issue lies in the entry point. For instance, Shukang’s medical weight-loss services target individuals who require greater medical intervention, allowing for more precise positioning. Naturally, this means we have temporarily forgone the mass-market weight-loss segment. Consequently, we are currently unable to reach certain areas of the mainstream weight-loss market.”
This is because serious digital health solutions must contend with far more stringent regulation. Take digital therapeutics (DTx) as an example: as a class of software medical devices, they are inherently subject to strict legal and regulatory oversight, which imposes greater constraints on promotion through conventional channels. “Although our products can also be promoted on the App Store or Android app markets, we need to be much more careful with our wording compared to ordinary digital health apps.”
This stands in stark contrast to the lax regulatory oversight of digital health apps. During interviews conducted by VCBeat, it was also observed that some popular consumer-facing digital health apps deliberately avoid associating themselves with medical services to prevent regulatory violations.
However, this is not entirely a bad thing. Compared to the consumer market (C-end), endorsements from medical institutions carry vastly different levels of authority. For instance, obese patients clearly place markedly different levels of trust and importance on solutions presented in roadside advertising flyers versus those provided by medical institutions.
Currently, digital therapeutics (DTx) lack an official platform for dissemination, which significantly hinders their promotion and fails to leverage the inherent advantages of software-based solutions. VCBeat believes that the experiences of Germany and Belgium may offer valuable lessons. Germany has established an official website and directory for approved DTx products, facilitating access to information on these medical-grade solutions for all stakeholders, including patients. Belgium adopts a broader approach, encompassing not only DTx but also numerous digital health applications with medical attributes.
“Secondly, the outcome orientation of digital health differs from that of conventional digital fitness. The latter tends to be more superficial, focusing on aesthetic changes, such as a slight improvement in body shape after working out. In contrast, digital health outcomes are more substantive and medically oriented, such as a slight reduction in your fatty liver index,” the executive told VCBeat.
Undoubtedly, although the overall market remains in its early exploratory stage, digital health—particularly digital therapeutics (DTx)—holds immense opportunities and potential in the field of weight management. The core philosophy underpinning DTx, which focuses on lifestyle modification, aligns precisely with the most fundamental approach to weight loss. Furthermore, the integration of digital therapeutics with other interventions, such as anti-obesity medications and bariatric surgery, offers even greater prospects for innovation and growth.
Will 2024 mark the takeoff of digital therapeutics for weight loss? Let’s wait and see.
References:
Jin Jing, Zheyi Online: “Is Jia Ling About to Lose 100 Jin? Experts Share These Three Weight-Loss Tips—Save Them!”
Marissa Plescia，MedCityNews.com：Hims & Hers Gets Into Weight Loss Treatment
Swagpp, MedSci: “A ‘Miracle Drug’ That People Quit Halfway? Rebound After Stopping? Less Than 50% of Patients Persist with Semaglutide for One Year”