“Back in the 1990s, the word ‘alternative’ was a synonym for hip and forward-thinking. There was alternative music and alternative energy; there were even high-profile alternative (U.S.) presidential candidates like Ross Perot and Ralph Nader. And that was the decade when doctors started to realize just how many Americans were using alternative medicine…”
The Relentless Pursuit of Happiness
“The influence of the field of ‘happiness economics’ is growing. Many corporations now employ ‘chief happiness officers,’ and mood-tracking personal devices are gaining in popularity. But some say quantifying happiness only leads to anxiety, as individuals can’t ‘achieve’ what is an inherently elusive feeling. Plus, all the data collected on human emotions can be used for more targeted marketing, or manipulation.” Four major authors and economists square off on whether happiness is really a healthy goal for society.
Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Explain Your Mood?
“Eighteen vials were rocking back and forth on a squeaky mechanical device the shape of a butcher scale, and Mark Lyte was beside himself with excitement. ‘‘We actually got some fresh yesterday—freshly frozen,’’ Lyte said to a lab technician. Each vial contained a tiny nugget of monkey feces that were collected…the day before and shipped to Lyte’s lab on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campus…
Green Is the New Black: The Unstoppable Rise of the Healthy Eating Guru
This well-researched article claims that “ostentatiously ascetic good health is now a major fashion trend”—and explains how wellness bloggers have overtaken fashion stylists and yoga teachers as the fashionable job option. Everywhere we look, “wellness” —that zeitgeisty term for the pursuit of health—appears as “the new luxury status symbol.”
Wearable Devices Will Have Massive Ethical and Legal Implications
For wellness, the overwhelming issue to watch over the coming months is the debate over wearable devices. With insurers and companies now collecting streams of health info from patients and workers, huge concerns are emerging. These predictive tools risk becoming prescriptive ones, with monumental ethical, legal and practical implications that we haven’t even begun to grasp. Read more.
Do Workplace Wellness Programs Work? Yes, But It Depends…
“There’s been a lot of controversy recently about workplace wellness programs: Do they save money for employers on healthcare costs? Can they produce measurable benefits for employee health? Do they unfairly punish people who are unable to participate? Are these programs just a ploy to shift medical costs to unhealthy employees?
