Unriddling Happiness: Why “Gloomy” Finns Beat High-Spending Americans By Thierry Malleret, economist In the new World Happiness Report, the Scandinavian/Nordic countries—as always—dominate the top-ten list of happiest nations, with Finland taking the #1 spot again. But there are numerous countries (wealthy and highly developed) that simply don’t rank as high as one would expect. The US ranks 15th, the UK 19th, France is 21st, Italy…
GWI to Release First Wellness Policy Toolkit on Physical Activity April 14 The GWI’s new Wellness Policy Series was born out of a profound reality: the private wellness market and consumer action alone cannot bring wellness to all and address our global skyrocketing health crises. Public policy is essential to fill the gaps. The series includes seven forthcoming wellness policy toolkits (from healthy eating to wellness in…
In the most comprehensive review (2023) of global studies to date (1,097 trials, 128,000+ participants), University of South Australia researchers found that exercise should be the “first choice treatment” for depression, anxiety and psychological distress, as it improves symptoms 1.5 times better than both leading medications and talk therapy. Every type of exercise—from walking to resistance training to yoga—proved beneficial. The benefits were seen in every…
The “Premiumization” of the Wellness Market: A Worrisome Trend By Thierry Malleret, economist Rich economies are now gentrifying as businesses narrow their focus on the wealthiest consumers: doubling down on premium, exclusive goods and experiences for high-end customers with stripped-down offerings for the rest. The wellness economy is at the forefront of this new gentrification. Whether it’s pricey new fitness clubs, wellness resorts, or well-tech,…
2023 World Happiness Report released: Finland the happiest nation again and global benevolence is rising– CNN, March 20, 2023 There’s cause for optimism in the latest report on world happiness: benevolence is about 25% higher than it was pre-pandemic and global happiness has not taken a hit in the three years of the pandemic. For the sixth year in a row, Finland is the world’s happiest…
Europe Turned an Energy Crisis into a Green Energy Sprint– The New York Times, Feb. 15, 2023 The energy crisis unleashed by Russia’s war did create big problems, but the worst did not materialize. Instead, the EU succeeded not only in averting a major crisis, but also in “turbocharging the green transition,” to an extent that has knocked a full decade off its decarbonization timeline. In…
