Asia’s $1.5 Trillion Wellness Economy Shrank the Least During the Pandemic The GWI’s recent research report ranks 150 countries by their annual wellness spend. It also measures every global region’s spend and recent growth rates. The report finds that Asia-Pacific is the world’s largest wellness market ($1.5 trillion), followed by North America ($1.3 trillion) and Europe ($1.1 trillion). Asia’s wellness market simply has the…
Psychedelics have shown promise in treating diverse mental health disorders, but exactly how they rewire the mind remains a mystery. A small 2022 study from Imperial College in London provides some answers. Patients with severe depression were given either psilocybin or a popular antidepressant (escitalopram). The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity pre-dose and three weeks after. The results were enlightening:…
As the Climate Crisis Intensifies, ‘Leave Only Footprints’ Travel Is Gaining Traction By Thierry Malleret, economist The warning lights of accelerating climate disruption and possible abrupt climate breakdown are flashing red. A few weeks ago, Antarctica was 40°C (104° Fahrenheit) degrees warmer than average. These extremes can in turn trigger amplified warming and further extreme weather events. The recent “rain bomb” in Lismore, Australia is…
The Composition of the Wellness Economy Varies Dramatically Across Countries The GWI’s recent research report ranks nations by their annual spend on wellness—and is the first research to provide the big “wellness number” for 150 countries. But industries develop very differently in different places (with different historical, cultural and socio-economic realities)—and that’s especially true for wellness. So, while healthy eating, physical activity and beauty/personal care…
A new study from Northwestern University found that sleeping in even the dimmest light for one night (such as leaving the TV on or exposure to streetlights through a window) significantly impaired cardiometabolic function: increasing nighttime heart rate and next-morning insulin resistance. The researchers concluded that even when your eyes are closed, your brain knows that lights are on, with dim light activating the sympathetic…
How Will the War in Ukraine Further Change the Wellness Industry? It will accelerate the pivot to social, financial and mental wellness By Thierry Malleret, economist The consequences of the war in Europe are so far-reaching that they will further prompt a global rethink of what wellness is all about. In the coming years, wellness will pivot increasingly towards (1) societal and social wellness, (2)…
