Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of February 28, 2017)

At Last, India Is on Track to Beat China at Something: Air Pollution – Quartz, February 15, 2017
Globally, the number of deaths attributable to air pollution rose from 3.5 million in 1990 to 4.2 million in 2015, according to the State of Global Air Report 2017, a joint study by two prominent U.S. research institutes. More than half of these deaths occurred in India and China, as deadly air claimed 1.1 million lives in each country. And India is about to surpass China…

Study: One Week at Wellness Retreat Results in Health Improvements

Wellness retreats use many complementary, holistic therapies, yet there have been no published studies on the health outcomes on wellness tourists that experience these immersive environments. A new study from Australia’s RMIT University represents the first, measuring multiple health/wellbeing dimensions of guests at arrival, on departure and six weeks later. The findings: a one-week retreat including educational, therapeutic, and leisure activities and an organic, mostly plant-based diet resulted in substantial improvements in everything from weight to blood pressure to psychological health – and sustained at six weeks.

GWI Launches “Women in Leadership” Initiative

The GWI has just launched a new initiative whose goal is to promote and drive more ‘Lean In Circles‘ throughout the wellness industry, helping ensure that future female leaders have a strong framework of support and motivation. It is chaired by Sara Jones (Managing Director, Spa & Wellness Mexico), with Vice-Chair, Joanne Berry (Founder, Spa Remedies) – and you can read more about its mission here: /women-in-leadership-initiative

The World Economic Forum Is Underway – Follow the Insights

The annual World Economic Forum is underway (Jan. 17-20) in Davos, where more than 3,000 participants will experience 400 sessions from world leaders on the technological, political and economic transformations that will most impact our future. And the state of the world’s health isfront-and-center: from sessions like “Mental Health Matters” (Jan. 20) to “Are We Losing the Fight for Human Health?” (Jan. 18).