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

New World Happiness Report – “Where Are the Happiest Countries?” – CNN, March 21, 2017

The UN’s latest World Happiness Report was recently released, and Norway took the “world’s happiest country” honors for the first time with Nordic/Northern European nations cleaning up: Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Finland and the Netherlands took the next five spots. The World Happiness Report 2017 ranked 155 countries with six factors explaining much of the difference in happiness among countries. Key finding: social factors like community foundations and trust play an underappreciated role compared to per capita income. For instance, countries like China and the U.S., which have seen recent significant economic growth, saw their happiness scores decline.

Trend Watch: Wearable Fitness Tech Struggling

There is one particular wellness market that is now in trouble: the wearable technology industry, currently dominated by mindfulness apps and fitness trackers. It’s losing its shine and seems to be fighting to live up to the hype. Just a few years ago, it was still dubbed the “next big tech market” (after smartphones), but pioneers and market leaders such as Fitbit and Jawbone are struggling, while larger, more established tech players such as Motorola have abandoned the market altogether.

World Population is Aging and it’s Good News for Wellness Markets

Since 1900, the average lifespan has more than doubled. A baby born in 2017 in a wealthy country has a 50-percent chance of living to 100. The world population has never been so old, and the trend will only continue, which means anti-aging and wellness products, technologies and services will continue to boom.

New Study: Chronic Stress Associated with Higher Levels of Obesity

A new study from University College London compared stress levels and body weight (for over 2,500 men and women), and found that higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol were associated with significantly higher levels of obesity/being overweight. The study was notable for testing cortisol levels in the hair (not in the blood or saliva, which vary during times of day), so it better captured the impact of long-term stress levels on weight.

GWI’s Career Development Initiative Launches Online Mentorship Program

The wellness, spa and hospitality industry has a serious staffing crisis. So, since 2014, the GWI’s Career Development Initiative has run a Global Mentorship Program, which matches wellness executives with up-and-coming professionals to share expertise and needed skills. Now, they’ve launched a new online program that helps mentors and mentees connect within 10 minutes.

Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of March 15, 2017)

Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens –The New York Times, March 6, 2017
In a new book, “Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked,” the social psychologist Adam Alter warns that many of us – youngsters, teenagers, adults – are addicted to modern digital products. Not figuratively, but literally addicted.