Reports suggest around one-third of U.S. adults use continuous monitoring technology and health wearables…with trends showing persistent growth, especially among younger, educated, and higher-income individuals. And by providing 24/7/365, real-time data on physiological metrics like vital signs, glucose levels, and sleep patterns…continuous monitoring technology and health wearables are becoming increasingly powerful drivers of consumer behavior. And I believe this is super important, especially if you consider how more individuals began viewing themselves as consumers in the healthcare market compared to solely being patients. Also, with the help of continuous monitoring technology and health wearables…consumer healthcare has been evolving from a reactive, one-size-fits-all treatment approach to a distinctively proactive, personalized, and integrative data-led approach. Moreover, empowered by this "proactive health" mindset, consumers increasingly moving closer towards this four-way intersection of taste, convenience, nutrition, and functionality. Therefore, the most direct impact of continuous monitoring technology and health wearables is arguably the mainstreaming of the "food as medicine" philosophy. When consumers receive moment-by-moment feedback on how specific foods, beverages, and dietary supplements affect their bodies…they start demanding products tailored to their unique biological needs. But maybe the most significant example would be glycemic responses detected by continuous glucose monitors. In fact, whether boosted further by the recent FDA clearance for over-the-counter continuous glucose monitors and/or the rising usage of GLP-1 drugs for weight management…heightened interest in blood sugar management has also expanded beyond the diabetic community. Obviously, “war” had been waged on sugar a long time ago…but a “MAHA-influenced marketplace” has slightly shifted, with consumers being more comfortable with sweetness that has natural connotations. Either way, this signals a potentially powerful opportunity for packaged food and beverage companies to embrace diabetic-friendly products (for general wellness), as it’s reasonable to imagine a similar adoption trajectory of gluten-free beyond those with celiac disease. Nonetheless, nearly 43% of consumers (today) associate healthy food with boosting performance, which means real-time data has increased demand for ingredients with measurable impacts, such as adaptogens for stress relief and nootropics for cognitive performance. Also, this influx of high-frequency biometric data can help shorten the product development cycle by providing functional CPG companies with "real-world evidence" that was previously unattainable. Next, these health technology wearables have opened a new engagement approach like how seeking to better reach the increasingly influential variations of the “wellness maxxing” internet community, marketers of functional CPG brands have begun showcasing wearable data in social storytelling to help prove product efficacy. While I totally understand the primary business cases involve premium positioning strategies…I’d bet that begins to change, as industry forward-thinkers recognize synthesizing this data into actionable low-cost, high-impact functional product solutions for broader populations is the REAL prize. Lastly, while continuous glucose monitoring revolutionized diabetes care…the same approach applied to inflammatory proteins could transform care for autoimmune diseases or other chronic diseases (i.e. cardiovascular health).