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The global spa industry grew 57 percent between 2007 and 2013, –  from a $60 billion market to a $94 billion market. That’s across three years of severe economic recession – proof that in nasty financial times people will seek stress-reduction. So, what are the biggest spa markets in the world today? The U.S. may still rank #1 by solid margins, but which nations cracked the top five – and top ten – over the last six years?

The Global Wellness Institute launched WellnessEvidence.com last week, and it’s the first website that gives the world direct access to the medical evidence for the most common wellness approaches, from acupuncture and massage to meditation and music therapy. It’s designed for consumers and doctors—and for wellness businesses, so they can put the “hard science” for what they do right in front of their potential customers. It’s the most powerful marketing message possible.

This eye-opening article makes the point that U.S. workers are both overworked and overwhelmed. According to a recent paper from Harvard and Stanford Business Schools , health problems directly a result of job-related anxiety (like hypertension, cardiovascular disease and decreased mental health) now account for more deaths each year than Alzheimer’s or diabetes. Read more about how – and why – workplace stress is killing about 120,000 Americans every year…

Thought Starter: “Spa” vs. “Wellness”

I’ve got a megaphone firmly in my grasp and this is what I feel like shouting from the rooftops—or at least from this Brief.

Canada is embracing workplace wellness (97 percent of companies agree that employee health is directly related to corporate success). The government has already measured the success of its own wellness programs, reporting they returned $1.95-$3.75 in value per employee per dollar spent.