Employment is one of the most important determinants of wellbeing, and conversely, unemployment has a strong deleterious effect on our wellbeing (studies examining mental health during lockdown conclude that those forced to leave paid work suffered much more than those who remained fully or partially employed or were furloughed). The repercussions of unemployment go well beyond the loss of income. It affects not only the…
A major new study from the NIH (10,123 US teens) is the first to show that exposure to outdoor, artificial light at night negatively impacts teens’ mental health and sleep. Teens exposed to higher levels of nighttime light are more likely to have a mood disorder (including anxiety and bipolar disorder and phobias). This adds to the evidence that disruptions to circadian rhythms contribute to…
A surprising winner of the pandemic might be a sugar tax in the UK. Several articles in the British media suggest that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now convinced that being overweight was a decisive factor in the severity of the COVID-19 he suffered, and that led him to an intensive-care unit. This observation linking excess weight with an aggravated condition of COVID-19 sufferers is…
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen”—although an overused quote during the pandemic, COVID-19 has proven Lenin right. It’s been and will continue to be a formidable accelerator and catalyst of existing trends. Here are several trends in the wellness space being fed by systemic connectivity. One overarching trend that will enormously benefit wellbeing in the post-pandemic era: COVID-19…
A new article at WWD explains how if the coronavirus is decimating so many industries, wellness is not one of them. Consumer interest in being healthy has never been higher, and it’s leading to big spending in numerous wellness categories, from at-home fitness to food-as-medicine. Wellness investment is really heating up: from Lululemon buying Mirror for $500 million to Nestlé Health Science buying a majority…
A new study in JAMA Oncology suggests that very sedentary people are roughly 80 percent more likely to die of cancer than those who sit the least. The study, using epidemiological data and activity trackers on 7,000 middle-aged men and women, found that people that spent the most time during their day sitting were 82 percent more likely to have died from cancer during the…
