We all know how important health and wellness are, and there is an increasing focus on becoming healthier, more balanced, and ultimately, happier. It’s big business too, with the global wellness industry now valued at a huge $3.72 trillion and accounts for approximately five per cent of the global economic output[1]. It seems that there are new trends and fads coming out every day, from spin classes and yoga to organic food, special drinks, guided meditation classes, and more. There is even a drive to feed our pets clean, healthy, natural food[2]. With the wellness industry now being “one of the world’s fastest, most resilient markets,”[3]outranking the pharmaceutical industry several times over, it’s easy to wonder, is it worth it? And if it is, is it something that is exclusively for high-earners and not for those on a budget?
Wellness trends
Wellness can be defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing,”[4]and it’s definitely something that is at the forefront of many people’s thoughts. Searches for ‘self-care’ on Google have increased by 25% in the last year[5], and people are paying for more and more wellness products and services. There are even wellness festivals popping up around the world. The Womad festival, for example, dedicates two acres of land to spa and wellness areas, including meditation led by Buddhist monks and shamanic healing. Likewise, Soul Circus in the UK focuses on wellness, with tickets costs around $260. Founder Ella Wroath explains that she “wanted to create a balanced event that left you feeling rejuvenated and inspired, rather than hungover and unhealthy”[6].
Overview
– the expansion of the safety net
Since their inception, Medicare, Medicaid and
Social Security provided the vital safety net that protected the poor and the
middle classes in America. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was thus intended to
bridge the gaps in the protections that these programs provided. Come January
1, 2014, the ACA will impact over 100 million Americans with savings and peace
of mind.
More specifically, The ACA was meant to drastically
reduce the number of uninsured Americans, to improve and render more
comprehensive the coverage of insured Americans, and to address the crisis of
rapidly increasing national healthcare costs.
The full name of this landmark legislation is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,
mostly referred to simply as the Affordable Care Act. It was passed by Congress
and then signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. Pursuant to
subsequent legal challenges, the Supreme Court rendered a final decision on
June 28, 2012, to uphold the health care law. The law was promptly proclaimed
as the most significant healthcare legislation enacted since the passage of
Medicare and Medicaid forty-five years earlier. It puts in place major health
insurance reforms that will keep rolling out over the entire decade, starting
in 2010.
Play video games and get … fitter? That’s right. According to a number of recent studies, some video games can actually help you improve your fitness level, lose weight and get stronger and leaner.
A study published in the “Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism” journal, the main benefits come from interactive video games. This is the kind of games where things you do “in the real world” are shown on the screen. This is done through the clever use of cameras, wireless gadgets and a platform in which you stand when performing certain exercises. The first computer games console that comes to mind is the Wii Fit system from XBox -- but others are also available.
And that’s just the beginning.
