As Brexit in the UK and the Arab Uprisings in Egypt have shown, rising GDP doesn’t do a very good job at predicting unrest because money doesn’t equal social wellbeing. That’s why research organization Gallup has been measuring people’s perception of their own wellness/happiness in 140 countries for 13 years—polling them on things such as their stress levels and whether they feel treated with respect.…
MONTHLY BAROMETER – WELLNESS EDITION There is a risk of the trade war morphing into a currency war. And just as for a trade war, a currency war has no winners. The possible benefits of depreciating a currency (like the hope of boosting growth) are small and elusive, while the risks are considerable (a spiral of capital flows and further depreciation). To date, exchange rates…
A large new study shows that people that move around during the day, no matter how modestly, are less likely to die prematurely. It’s a meaningful study because it looked at what people were actually doing via fitness trackers (and not just what they self-reported), and it found that the biggest life expectancy gains came from people that shifted from being almost totally sedentary to…
A new study from the University of Pennsylvania found that music therapy was as effective as a common sedative (midazolam) in reducing anxiety in patients before surgery. The song that was played is called “Weightless” by the band Marconi Union—and you can listen to it here. ACCESS STUDY
We can’t be well in a world that is falling apart. Therefore, successfully adjusting to a low-carbon economy is of critical importance to the industry whose raison d’être is to promote and sell wellness. One aspect that is often overlooked (or rather doesn’t receive the attention it deserves) is food. Global food habits, dominated by narrow, standardized, industrialized, and more often than not, inappropriate choices…
MONTHLY BAROMETER – WELLNESS EDITION For all the talk about technology and how it risks making our lives lonelier, there are also many initiatives that focus on measures and policies susceptible to creating a more connected and friendly community life. Psychologists and social scientists contend that three conditions are necessary to form close bonds and real friendships: (1) proximity, (2) repeated unplanned interactions, and (3)…
