Weight and appearance now define social and economic opportunities, whereas surname, old school tie and family network used to. Celebrities, movers and shakers and the wealthy are active participants in the wellness revolution today, establishing a beachhead in diet, exercise, vitamins, nutritional supplements and reversing the ageing process. People are actively pursuing healthier lifestyles but don’t have the time for it and there is an upsurge in interest in cosmetic alterations and anti-ageing treatments.
What is wellness? It’s about prevention rather than cure. Curing being the prevail of the medical or the sickness industry. People don’t necessarily choose sickness but can actively choose wellness. The medical industry tends to treat the symptoms, not the underlying problem but very often people have neglected themselves for too long, offering little alternative. Even pharmaceutical companies are more incentivised to spend R & D resources on treating rather than curing ailments, and certainly have little interest in prevention. Because of their economic might they exercise a great deal of influence in the medical fraternity. Health-care funding is a R40 billion+ industry in South Africa alone.
In an increasingly chronic stressful environment, people have less time and look towards “a pill for every ill” solution instead of focusing on the discipline required to establish a sound physical infrastructure. Food, diet and exercise are often neglected. In the USA, 61% of the population are overweight and in ill health. This situation is matched in other developed countries and it is reasonable to assume that a similar picture is emerging in advanced developing nations like ours. The processed and fast food industries have grown exponentially but there is an increasing movement towards healthier lifestyles. This is reflected amongst the wealthier echelons of our population and mirrored by the growth and success of the gym/fitness sector.
Many modern maladies are explained away as a consequence of the ageing process but more and more people will come to realize that stress-related ailments, headaches, body pain, fatigue, arthritis and thousands of other common ailments can be combated by a focus on lifestyle choices. Many existing holistic health practitioners are seen as fringe and also often don’t exploit proven business practices but in the USA, the burgeoning wellness industry represents a turnover of $200 billion pa and some anticipate it will grow to $1 trillion within the next 10 years. Around the world the size of the opportunity is enormous for business minded operators.