Air Pollution Could Be Responsible for 1 in 7 New Cases of Diabetes – World Economic Forum, July 25, 2018
According to a new study, outdoor air pollution—already a major cause of disease and death globally—contributed to 3.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes in 2016.
How Did Wellness Become Our New Religion? – Quartzy, August 2, 2018
In just a few years, wellness has grown from a fringe interest for a mostly female audience to a multi-trillion-dollar industry, ranging from nutritional supplements to on-demand massage. How did that happen? This article tells us how the shift toward “anything that makes us feel good about ourselves” created the perfect conditions for (what the author calls) the “wellness industrial complex” to flourish.
Too Many Jobs Feel Meaningless Because They Are – Bloomberg, August 1, 2018
This short article reviews a new book and refers to a number of economics articles, arguing that work that is of no real value has proliferated. Jockeying for power and status constitutes much of today’s economic activity, with no benefits for society as a whole. As a result, there are many jobs generated out of the corporate managerial struggle for influence, status and control of resources. They serve little economic purpose but make sense from the perspective of rent seeking and power relations. No wonder productivity is stagnant!
How to Make Friends, According to Science – The Atlantic, September 2018
The human desire for companionship may feel boundless, but research suggests that our social capital is finite: We can handle only so many relationships at one time. The first rule is not to dismiss the humble acquaintance because even interacting with people with whom one has weak social ties has a positive influence on wellbeing. The second rule is to revive dormant social ties: It’s easy and can be very rewarding. A simple, useful and fast read.
How to Make This the Summer of Missing Out – (What’s happening? Who cares. Meet JOMO (joy of missing out), FOMO’s (fear of missing out) benevolent younger cousin) – The New York Times, July 12, 2018
JOMO stands for “joy of missing out.” The antithesis of FOMO (fear of missing out), JOMO is about disconnecting, opting out, and being OK just where you are. Sure, we may need our technology devices; we just don’t need them as much as we think we do. JOMO is about finding that balance.
A Striking Stat:
The US spa industry experienced record growth in revenue, visits, locations, revenue-per-visit and employees in 2017—with the market surpassing the $17 billion mark for the first time.
Source: ISPA Foundation and PricewaterhouseCoopers study, August 2018
