QUEST FOR HAPPINESS: DISCOVERING HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN THE MODERN WORLD Callum Thomas Williamson - BA Honours Fashion Marketing and Branding N0641383 - Nottingham Trent University Future Thinking Report - Word Count: 2926
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
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KEY DRIVERS
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I N D U S T RY I M PA C T S
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SUMMARY
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REFERENCES
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INTRODUCTION ETHICS CLAUSE
7
INTRODUCTION
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AIMS & OBJECTIVES
8
METHODOLOGY
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W H AT I S H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G
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TREND ORIGNS & TIMELINE
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“Mental wellbeing means feeling good both about yourself and about the world around you. It means being able to get on with life in the way you want�. (NHS, 2018)
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I N T RO D U C T I O N Ethics Clause This Submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice received from tutors have been acknowledged and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed. Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the University’s regulations on assessment contained in this handbook. Print Name: Callum Williamson Date: 7th November 2019
Introduction Since ancient times health and wellbeing has been a core focus on serenity and overall wellbeing on the human body. Originated as an oral tradition called Ayurveda, it’s claimed to be a holistic system that strives to create harmony between the body, mind, and spirit of the human anatomy (Global wellness institute, [No Date]). Ayurveda regimens were tailored to each persons’ needs based around their nutrition intake, fitness level, social interaction, and hygiene to maintain balance to prevent illnesses. Over several decades balanced health and wellbeing has been considered the key to happiness. However, is it possible for us as humans to ever be content in an overpopulated urbanised world? Also is chasing this idea of happiness making us miserable? With research suggesting the more, we look for the ideal concept of happiness the less likely we are to find it (Oaklander, 2015). Page 7 - Ethics Clause & Introduction
AIMS & OBJECTIVES Aims
METHODOLOGY
- To look at how mental health has been driven by factors such as online activity and how this is affecting consumers’ overall state of health and wellbeing. - To critically analyse the effects of urbanised populations and how this has an effect on the workplace wellbeing. - To assess how different industries are adapting to the trend of health and wellbeing.
In order to create and produce this report, a vast selection of secondary research has been studied and reviewed. Trend forecasting reports, online newspaper articles, online blogs, academic publishings, and books have been critically analysed to produce a substantial and broad range of research perspectives. However, implications were considered when evaluating research down to the publication dates and biased views allowing for a balanced debate. Also, geographical locations were noted as different locations across the globe have concepts of their idea of health and wellbeing.
Objectives - To consider what factors are driving the trend of health and wellbeing and what impact this is having on consumers. - To throughly research into different innovative ideas and products from brands that are enhancing the experience of health and wellbeing for the consumer.
Page 8 - Aims & Objectives & Methodology
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“Wellness is a modern word with ancient roots. As a modern concept, wellness has gained currency since the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, when the writings and leadership of an informal network of physicians and thinkers in the United States largely shaped the way we conceptualize and talk about wellness today�. (Global wellness institute, [No Date]) Fig. 3
H E A LT H A N D W E L L B E I N G What is health and wellbeing? Wellbeing can be defined as “The active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyle that lead to a state of holistic health� (Global wellness institute, [No Date]). Health and wellbeing are considered to be the choices and actions that we take to work towards an optimal state of health, this extends beyond our physical and mental health and incorporates many different dimensions that work in harmony such as our physical, mental, social and cultural environments that we live in.
Origins Traditional Chinese medicine, one of the oldest systems of wellness medicine can be dated back to 3,000 BC. Traditional Chinese medicine applies a holistic perspective to achieve an attainable level of health and wellbeing, by cultivation harmony. Different approaches have emerged and evolved out of traditional Chinese medicines such as acupuncture herbal medicine, tai chi, which have all become many modern wellness approaches. (Global wellness institute, [No Date]).
Page 11 - What is health and wellbeing & Origins
1650’s
1950’s
2000’s
The use of the word wellness in the English language – meaning the opposite of illness or the state of being well or in good health dates to the 1650s, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The earliest published reference is from the 1654 diary entry of Sir Archibald Johnston.
J.I. Rodale, one the first advocates for organic farming in the U.S., launches Prevention magazine, a pioneering publication in promoting alternative/ preventative health.
Workplace wellness programs, the fitness and spa industries, and celebrity wellness and self-help experts take off – bringing wellness into the mainstream.
Page 12 - Time Line
German priest Sebastian Kneipp promotes his Kneipp Cure, combining hydrotherapy with herbalism, exercise and nutrition. The New Thought movement also emerges, around Phineas Quimby’s theories of mentallyaided healing.
Dr. John Travis, influenced by Dunn, opens the world’s first wellness center in California, and publishes a 12-dimension wellness assessment tool, The Wellness Inventory (1975) and The Wellness Workbook (1977) the latter both in use today.
1890’s
1970’s
2012
2017
On April 1, 2012, the first World Happiness Report was released, now an annual publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The groundbreaking report, used data from the Gallup World Poll and measured the state of happiness in 155 nations.
In October, the GWI, along with Dr. Richard H. Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States, announced The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease; a call to action to eradicate chronic, avoidable disease worldwide by uniting the health and wellness industries.
With obesity and diabetes skyrocketing, from 2011–2018, there was a flurry of new laws taxing soda/ sugary drinks in nations across the world. A few examples with dates of legislation: Finland 2011, Hungary 2011, France 2012, Mexico 2014, Chile 2014, UK 2016–2018.
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) launched and released research finding that the global wellness industry was a $3.4 trillion market or 3.4 times larger than the worldwide pharmaceutical industry.
On June 9, the sixth-annual Global Wellness Day, which is considered the first day dedicated to living well, took place. It was celebrated in more than 100 countries at 5,000 different locations.
2010’s
2014
2018 (Global wellness institute, [No Date])
KEY
DRIVERS SOCIAL MEDIA
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WORKPLACE WELLNESS
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SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
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Page 15 - Key drivers
“One in four young women aged 17-19 have a mental disorder, according to the latest figures from the NHS, and one in five have anxiety or depression, or both. For all children and young people aged five to 19, the new data shows that one in eight have a mental disorder”. ( Newlove-Delgado, 2018 )
“There is a significant and growing body of evidence that time spent in nature or even just looking at or into natural scenes can reduce mental and physical risks. Time in nature can help to alleviate stress and depression, and improve our mood, raise selfesteem and help our minds restore”. Fig. 4
( Baldwin-Cantello, 2017 ).
KEY DRIVERS Social Media
Digital Detox
With social media and technology being integrated into our lives daily and more frequently as the world becomes more digital. Health conditions are brought to the forefront of problems that arise from the online world. Such as the lack of physical activity and problems with mental health and anxiety related to social media. “Social media anxiety disorder is now considered a mental health condition that is similar to social anxiety disorder” (Fader, 2018).
In a backlash against digital dependency, consumers are looking for ways to get away from synthetic digital life and ‘switch off’ (Kasriel-Alexander, 2017). The growing popularity of digital detoxes has been encouraged by findings of the negative effects of technology use, digital detoxes have been claimed to reduce stress and help people become more present and compassionate. Despite the idea of digital detoxes appealing to consumers who want to step away from the always-connected aspect of the internet. There is no scientific evidence that digital detoxes have any benefits. However, numerous studies do link excessive technology use to restlessness, poorer quality of sleep, higher levels of anxiety, and increased depressive symptoms (A. Ellis, I. Davidson, 2019).
It seems to be the more technology we acquire the more stressed we become and the harder we find it to switch off from our devices. However, as younger generations become burdened with the development of mental health problems and require help through the NHS and other health benefit programmes, it is declared that “child mental health is the biggest area of weakness in the NHS” Rocks, 2019). The department is also vastly underfunded and mental health in children and younger people amounts to less than 1% of NHS spending. With all the negative relations between mental health problems and social media, consumers are now looking for ways to remove themselves from social apps and become more connected to the real world. But how are they doing this?
To combat the negative effects of social media studies have shown that spending time in nature can be very restorative and has even found that people with physiological signs of stress (e.g heart rate or stress hormone levels) are alleviated when they walk into woodlands or forests (Baldwin-Cantello, 2017). “Surprisingly studies have also shown that viewing nature on your mobile screen can also be as beneficial as the real thing.” (Thomas, 2014). Page 17 - Key drivers (social media)
WO R K P L AC E W E L L N E S S Wo r k p l a c e S t r e s s
Urbanised Green Spaces
As the average persons’ work life becomes more intense and higher workloads are expected from employers, higher levels of stress, depressive symptoms are likely to arise from employees. With remote working becoming more popular amongst professionals and flexibility being a core value to younger workers concerns are growing that workers’ mental health and wellbeing can take an impact when working remotely.
With urbanised cities becoming increasingly populated and more crowded with an estimated global population of around 7 billion people in 2012, and 54% of the population is living in cities. In 2050 the global population will have reached over 9 billion people with an estimated 6.3 billion people (66%) living in cities. (Gatzweilier, 2017, 7). With cities becoming overpopulated and higher Co2 emotions polluting our cities, people’s physical health is being affected. Increased energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution and increasing levels of water stress are common threats that impact urban health and wellbeing (United Nations, 2013).
As employees’ mental health and wellbeing become more of a serious topic in the workplace, poor health and personal issues are brought into the workplace, where workers become, unmotivated, disengaged, and unproductive. Workplaces can also affect us and can be harmful to us. For example when a workplace is unsafe or unhealthy and if the work culture is hostile, stress laden and aggressive. Mental and emotional distress can arise from work which can be linked back to chronic diseases (Global Wellness Institute, 2016).
To help counteract the negative impacts urban living has on consumers’ and with the positive effects, woodlands and green spaces have on people’s health and welling such a supporting physical activity, mental wellbeing and social connections. Greening cities is a proposed project to invest more in green spaces in urban cities to encourage people to connect with nature and improve urban wellbeing. (Academics from the University of Sheffield, 2019) .
Page 18 - Key drivers (workplace wellness)
“The health of people and the planet are closely interpreted. People cannot thrive without the Earth’s eco-system” (Gatzweilier, 2017, 42). Thus needing the core business of cites to focus clearly on the urban populations’ physical health and social wellbeing and quality of life rather than economic growth.
“In the UK alone business loose over £100m each year due to workplace stress, depression and anxiety. Research shows that being “always on” and accessible by technology while working remotely leads to the blurring of work and non-work boundaries, particularly if you work from home” (Russel, 2019).
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SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS Ideal Concepts With the ideal concept of happiness that is being portrayed by society, we ask ourselves what is happiness? And how can we achieve this ideal concept of social happiness? Today this idea of happiness and how we measure it ties in with the ancient philosopher Aristotle’s view of the ‘good life’. Happiness is not just all about feeling good but about feeling right and happy life means experiencing the right emotions based upon an individual’s values and beliefs (Dowthwaite, 2019). Consumers now spending $9.6 billion on self-help products every year which includes scores of books with titles indicating DIY happiness techniques (Oaklander, 2015). However, these suggested tips improve the individual perception of happiness, but speaking philosophy terms there are two paths that can lead to feeling happy in different ways. The hedonistic and the eudaemonic. Is the way we measure happiness a cause for concern on consumers’ mental state? Factors such as occupation and social interaction need to be taken into consideration as most people feel the least happy when at work. Working negatively correlates with happiness even when combined with different activities that are more stimulating such as chatting with friends (Mackerron, 2017).
“Hedonists take the view that in order to live a happy life we must maximise pleasure and avoid pain. This view is about satisfying human appetites and desires, but it is often short lived” (Dowthwaite, 2018) .
“In contrast, the eudaemonic approach takes the long view. It argues that we should live authentically and for the greater good. We should pursue meaning and potential through kindness, justice, honesty and courage” (Dowthwaite, 2018) .
Page 20 - Key drivers (Search for happiness)
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INDUSTRY
IMPACTS
FOOD
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T R AV E L
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FASHION
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Page 23 - Industry Impacts
“According to the Food Marketing Institute’s 2018 US Grocery Shopper Trends report, 55% of consumers see their primary grocery store as an ally in their wellness efforts, a shift in attitudes that represents a new opportunity for retailers to step up theirefforts to engage health-driven shoppers�. (Hawkins, 2019) Fig. 7
F O O D I N D U S T RY
With the food industry being closely tied in with the health and wellbeing movement, food is now becoming the new health treatment. Brands are now shifting towards prescription food services that come with nutritional coaching (Cass, 2017). Today consumers are thinking about the bigger picture and considering the environmental impact of their meals just as much as the price, taste, and convenience. Brands like ‘Mosaic Foods’ are redefining what it means to be a frozen food brand. The brand’s selling point is to dramatically reduce waste and focus on reducing the world’s waste problem. However, the modern day consumer needs to see changes in the way frozen food is perceived (Tatum, 2019). Consumers now more than ever are expecting food retailers to have a core focus on wellness. Grocery shoppers are now looking for simpler ways to shop healthy and increase the simplicity of healthy eating. Hy-Vee is a company attempting to help consumers manage several chronic diseases through dietary and nutritional information. Hy-Vee has implemented a food waste diversion program as part of its contribution to the world’s sustainability problem. They reduce food waste drastically by diverting food and other organic waste from landfills through partnerships with recyclers. Employees at each store are also trained on how to properly sort the waste throughout their workday so it can be collected on a regular pickup schedule set by our food waste recycling partners (Hy-Vee, 2017). Page 25 - Industry Impacts (Food)
“ While domestic wellness tourism remains significant in Europe, there is a growing desire among consumers to look further afield when planning trips that enhance their experience�. (McGregor, Berden, 2018) Fig. 8
T R AV E L I N D U S T RY
For an increasing amount of modern day consumers maintaining their fitness regimen while being away from home is imperative. Hotel gyms have been a staple to the hospitality industry, but consumers’ expectations about health and fitness are ever-changing and they are demanding more boutique high-end gym experiences. “Some 42% of hotel guests travel with the intention of working out” (McGregor, 2018). Four seasons Los Angeles at Beverley hills have bought the gym experience for fitness enthusiasts into individual rooms. Four seasons have teamed up with Delos to fully kit out five rooms with state-of-the-art equipment. With extras such as yoga mats, meditation videos delivered by Deepak Chopra, an innovator in alternative medicine, to enhance the guest experience even further and promote wellbeing. The rooms are also equipped with an air purification system and circadian lighting that is engineered to simulate colour, temperature, and intensity of natural outdoor lighting. It is also designed to energise the body and improve sleep quality (Heath-Jones, 2018).
“Estimated at a value of $639.4 billion in 2017, wellness tourism is the fastest growing segment and has been growing annually by 6.5% annually from 2015-2017” (Global wellness institute, 2018). Health and wellbeing is a key concern for travellers across all demographics, wellness tourism is now driven mainly by Generation X and Millennials. With younger consumers, in particular, wellness travel is not to just focus on developing their sense of wellbeing but also how their travel decisions will impact the environment and local community. (McGregor, Berden, 2018). The rise of health and wellbeing tourism can be aligned with consumers’ desire to care for themselves more in a holistic manner, by taking care of both their physical and mental health. The concept of wellness is based upon consumers seeking a more interacted approach towards addressing the cause of stress relating to either emotional or lifestyle related issues (Walker, 2016). Page 27 - Industry Impacts (Travel)
F A S H I O N I N D U S T RY Smart materials are now emerging into the fashion industry with clothing having more of a purpose than to just keep us warm. Smart clothing is clothing that optimises your wellbeing whilst wearing them. Technological advances mean more futuristic fashion which can embed wellness benefits into clothes that can adapt to the environment and bodily changes (Global wellness summit, 2019). With a new generation of clothing emerging brands like Under Armour are combining healing technology with clothing materials to be able to allow infrared wavelengths emitted by the body to reflect inferred energy that helps athletes recover faster through clothing (Business Insider, 2018).
Page 28 - Industry Impacts (fashion)
A recent study notes that connected clothing is the fastest growing wearables sector, forecast for the market is expected to be worth £764m by 2020 ( Scott, 2019 ). It will be crucial for brands to adapted to consumers as they become comfortable with the idea of having connected apparel. Smart clothing is now leading the fashion and technology industry with technological innovation emerging that is designed to respond to the human body’s needs. Ministry of supply has created a jacket (Mercury Jacket) that has been adapted to use Artificial Intelligence to learn the preference of the wearer, automatically heating them to their optimal temperature depending on the surrounding environment (Scott, 2019). The jacket is powered by USB and can be paired with Alexa via an app, the jacket is programmed to respond to external temperatures and motion.
“The accelerated use of AI in fashion has changed the consumer landscape. No other industry has access to the kind of dataset that fashion does. (Faramarzi, 2019)
Fig. 9
SUMMARY CONCLUSION
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R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S
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Page 31 - Summary
Fig. 10
S U M M A RY Conclusion Health and wellbeing is an ever-changing trend that is depended on consumers’ connection with brands. Mental health is a driving factor that is pushing the health and wellbeing trend to the forefront of the conversation. Businesses need to learn how to address mental and other health conditions to allow people to achieve the best overall wellbeing. Brands in all different industries are expected to innovate by emphasising the personal benefits to the consumer. The experience economy is a huge driving factor that is shifting the market in the travel sector with consumers’ seeking out experiences to enlighten their health and wellbeing
Recommendations - Health and wellbeing is an emerging trend that is forcefully impacting the modern world. Within the trend the next big thing is consumer experience within society. - Personal engagement with workers is key for business to operate in the future to achieve the best possibilities for workers physical and mental wellbeing. - Consumers’ are now putting away the devices and looking for more ways to connect with friend and family and the environment. Consumers are likely to drive this trend further and push for more environmental spaces in urbanised cities to allow the connection between humans and nature to grow. Page 33 - Summary (Conclusion / Recommendations