This month, the GWI announced it has reached a critical mass of 16 diverse Initiatives. Each of these global taskforces tackles a key industry issue and is chaired by an impassioned leader in that wellness field. As Philippe Bourguignon, partner at Revolution and former co-CEO of the World Economic Forum, put it, ”These Initiatives are really a brilliant structure for encouraging impartial, top-level collaboration among world-renowned experts in wellness to effect positive, global change in their areas of expertise.”
Wellness Evidence Study: 1 Minute of Intense Exercise Equals 45 Minutes of Moderate Exercise
A new study shows that you can get big benefits from a single minute of intense exercise. Testing out-of-shape men on stationary bicycles, one group did 45 minutes of cycling at a moderate pace (multiple sessions over three weeks), while the other group sprinted all-out in three, 20-second bursts. The surprising finding: both groups had identical gains. Endurance improved 20 percent, and insulin resistance, energy production and oxygen consumption in the muscles all jumped the same amount.
Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of May 17, 2016)
“Nestlé Wants to Sell You Both Sugary Snacks and Diabetes Pills”
– Bloomberg, May 5, 2016
This article delves into the issue of whether “Big Food” is the next Big Tobacco – with all the destruction of value that this would imply – and describes a future industry that may find itself between food and pharmaceuticals. It focuses on Nestlé, the largest food company in the world, that is redefining itself as a scientifically-driven “nutrition, health and wellness company,” premised upon the idea that food could be the basis for an entirely new type of medication—both preventive treatments and therapies for acute disease.
When it comes to what drives the most wellness at work, age matters
The GWI and Everyday Health’s recent study, “Unlocking the Power of Company Caring” (based on a survey of U.S. employees), takes an in-depth look at how work environments impact employee health and productivity. A key finding was that, when it comes to what drives the most wellness at work, age matters. In the study, employees weighed in on their personal wellness priorities, and according to the results, millennials rated “emotional” and “social” wellness higher, Gen X placed a higher value on “intellectual” wellness, and for Baby Boomers, “physical” and “spiritual” wellness mattered more.
U.K. Announces Plans to Tax Sugary Drinks — and More Such Taxes are Coming Globally
A new study just revealed that global obesity has skyrocketed 167 percent since 1975. It’s numbers like these that incited the U.K. to announce a tax on sugary drinks, rolling out in 2018. Read Malleret’s thoughts on how the structure of this new U.K. policy could have been simpler and smarter – but ultimately reveals the phenomenal power of the food/beverage industry – and his forecast that the obesity explosion will make it inevitable that more countries will start taxing high-sugar and highly-processed foods.
“The World Retreat Study” Initiative Launches
When guests return from a stay at a wellness/spa retreat, they may personally know that their physical and mental health has been improved, but the impact of these stays at global wellness retreats has remained largely anecdotal and under-analyzed. A new GWI Initiative, “The WORLD (Wellness Outcomes from Residential Lifestyle Destination) Retreat Study,” chaired by Professor Marc Cohen, professor of Health Sciences, RMIT University, aims to change that. This research project will empirically aggregate and assess the outcomes from wellness retreat stays through a standardized online assessment tool that will measure guests’ depression, stress, mood, sleep, health symptoms, quality of life and cognitive function, etc. before and after the retreat experience. This research will help lead to increased investment and government support for these facilities.
