GWI Previews Its Wellness Policy Toolkit on the Built Environment At the Wellness Real Estate Symposium held May 2 in Manhattan, 35-plus experts took the stage to discuss the future of “building well.” GWI researchers previewed their Wellness Policy Toolkit: The Built Environment. Because the $275 billion wellness real estate market is out of reach for the vast majority of people, GWI presented the case…
Must-Reads from the Wellness World (April 26th 2023)
Social media is fueling enthusiasm for new weight loss drugs. Are regulators watching?– CBS News, April 18, 2023 An in-depth look at the non-stop hype (and even misinformation) around the new weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. And at how competition to claim a market that could be worth $100 billion a year for drugmakers alone has triggered a wave of advertising that has provoked the concern…
Outbound Chinese Travelers Roar Back–and Seek Wellness and Nature
China’s long, extremely restrictive lockdown was just lifted, and the return of mainland China’s outbound travel market is arguably *the* hottest topic in tourism. Finn Partners, with research consultancy Consumer Search Group, just released a study on more affluent Chinese consumers’ travel plans. First, they plan more overseas travel than their pre-pandemic pace: roughly half of them plan at least five trips this year. After…
Unriddling Happiness: Why “Gloomy” Finns Beat High-Spending Americans
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
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…
The “Premiumization” of the Wellness Market: A Worrisome Trend
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,…