Subject spotlight: Health & Fitness

Welcome back to Subject Spotlight, your go-to source for quarterly data-driven insights into the performance of particular subjects in the Canadian book market.

Previously, we looked at the sales and library circulation for Comics & Graphic Novels. In this instalment, we shine the spotlight on Health & Fitness titles. How did these titles perform during the second quarter of 2025? We find out with the help of our SalesData and LibraryData services.

Buying Health & Fitness

Compared to 2024, the overall sales of Health & Fitness titles were down 18% over the entire second quarter. Looking at the graph below, sales of Health & Fitness decreased by 23% from April to June 2025. In the second quarter of 2024, sales of Health & Fitness were down by 4%.

These are the BISAC subcategories with the highest year-over-year increase in sales:

• Health & Fitness / Oral Health — up 790%

• Health & Fitness / Homeopathy — up 391%

• Health & Fitness / Hearing & Speech — up 216%

From April to June 2025, the most purchased Health & Fitness subcategories were:

• Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition — 15% of all Health & Fitness sales

• Health & Fitness / Diseases & Conditions — 11% of all Health & Fitness sales

• Health & Fitness / Menopause — 9% of all Health & Fitness sales

Borrowing Health & Fitness

From April to June 2025, library loans of Health & Fitness titles were down 9% and renewals were down 4% when compared with the same time period in 2024.

Year-over-year, loans decreased by 11% in April, 2% in May, and 15% in June. Overall, loans increased by 1% in the second quarter of 2024 and decreased by 4% in the second quarter of 2025.

Year-over-year, renewals increased by 1% in April, then decreased by 5% and 7% in May and June respectively. Overall, renewals decreased by 1% in the second quarter of 2024 and decreased by 9% in the second quarter of 2025.

Which Health & Fitness BISAC subcategories were the most popular in Canadian public libraries? From April to June 2025, these subcategories saw the greatest increases in library circulation compared to 2024:

• Health & Fitness / Menopause — loans up 48% and renewals up 2%

• Health & Fitness / Sleep — loans up 11% and renewals up 74%

• Health & Fitness / Holism— loans up 164% and renewals up 13%

During the second quarter of 2025, the most circulated Health & Fitness subcategories were:

• Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition — 27% of all Health & Fitness loans and 26% of all Health & Fitness renewals

• Health & Fitness / Diseases & Conditions — 13% of all Health & Fitness loans and 13% of all Health & Fitness renewals

• Health & Fitness / Exercise — 8% of all Health & Fitness loans and 9% of all Health & Fitness renewals

Reading Health & Fitness

Here are the top selling and top borrowed Health & Fitness titles from the second quarter of 2025.

Top borrowed

1. Outlive by Peter Attia MD 🍁 & Bill Gifford

2. The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver MD

3. When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté MD 🍁

4. Good Energy by Casey Means MD & Calley Means

5. Meals That Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk 🍁

Top selling

1. The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver MD

2. When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté MD 🍁

3. What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff

4. Super Agers by Eric Topol

5. The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners by Dorothy Calimeris & Lulu Cook RDN

Until next time!

Stay tuned for future instalments of this series or sign up to our eNews for more digestible data on the Canadian book market.