The Big Business of Health and Wellness
Love handles, a spare tyre, middle-age spread. Throughout nearly all of human history, food was in short supply and carrying an extra layer of body fat was a sign of good health and prosperity. Until fairly recently, a bit of blubber remained a status symbol in much of the developing world. Times have changed.
While some 125 million people today face chronic food shortages, the health and capital costs of overeating (and lack of exercise) are far higher. According to the World Health Organisation, 65% of the global population lives in countries where being overweight kills more people than being underweight.
In the United States, the world’s fattest nation, an estimated 300,000 deaths per year are attributable to obesity. The healthcare cost of all that extra weight is estimated at some $210 billion annually.
Little surprise, then, that thin is in – supporting the growth of a global health and wellness industry now valued in excess of $4 trillion.
Snip & Tuck
Value of key global health and wellness market segments.
Source: World Health Organisation
Every Step You Take
World’s most and least active countries (by average number of steps).
Source: Statista
Stuck in the Middle With You
Global population by socioeconomic class (in billions)
Non-Independent Research
The information contained in this article is defined as non-independent research because it has not been prepared in accordance with the legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research, including any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of this information.
How to Use this Information
This article contains general information only and is not intended to constitute financial or other professional advice or a recommendation that any recipient of this information should make any particular investment decision. Always consult a suitably qualified financial advisor on any specific financial matter or problem that you have.
Except insofar as liability under any statute cannot be excluded, neither Brown Shipley nor any employee or associate of them accepts any liability (whether arising in contract, tort, negligence or otherwise) for any error or omission in this article or for any resulting loss or damage whether direct, indirect, consequential or otherwise suffered by the recipient of this article.
Investment Risk
Investing in stocks either directly or indirectly carries investment risk. The value of equity based investments may go down as well as up over time due to factors such as, market volatility, interest rates, and general economic conditions.