This article begins by considering how current models of vulnerability do not adequately capture situations arising from physical, cognitive and behavioral impairment. Using specific examples and prior studies, three dimensions – ability to remediate, duration, and stability of the underlying challenge – are suggested to enhance our understanding of situations that lead to vulnerability. As these dimensions are explored, four categories are proposed for such situations: Straightforward Resolvable, Complex Resolvable, Straightforward Unresolvable, and Complex, Dynamic Unresolvable. These categories are leveraged in the discussion of the embodied consumer to develop propositions related to the likelihood someone will experience vulnerability in a given situation. We also address how the experienced vulnerability of one person ripples outward to create secondary vulnerability in his/her social network. After using these categories to understand how various impairments may lead to vulnerability, we then focus closely on how specific physical, cognitive and behavioral impairments limit market choice and market flexibility. Normative market expectations regarding the body and its cognitive capacity present fertile ground for exploring consumer agency and how actors relate to one another in the market. Theoretical propositions, as well as broader areas of inquiry, are developed to help identify areas for future research.