| 1. |
Eating
in is now replacing eating out. The economy will have “some”
or “great” impact on one’s food and beverage decisions,
including less pubbing and eating more often at home. |
| 2. |
Preventive
healthcare. Everyone is sitting up to look into their family
history for chronic lifestyle diseases, understanding their risk factor
for developing diabetes, heart disease and obesity, and making the
effort to change their diet/ lifestyles. Prevention finally takes
center-stage as health costs for chronic disease management spiral
out of control. |
| 3. |
Merging
wellness programs. Traditional (primary, medical) medical
protocols are increasingly being used in tandem with non-traditional
(alternative) therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, stress management,
detox diets, and nutraceuticals. |
| 4. |
Integrating
healthcare and technology. In greater numbers, people are
surfing for health information online and communicating with their
health care providers through mobile and web based technology. With
time and money constraints many net savvy young individuals are opting
for online programs as the first (and sometimes the only) line of
preventive health care. |
| 5. |
Increasing
demand for anti-aging and weight-loss solutions. Liposuction,
bariatric surgery, botox, laser hair removal, and more procedures
are gaining momentum as competition lowers rates. This trend is picking
up speed and has gained a tremendous market share in just the past
one to two years. Men are increasingly demanding these traditionally
female treatments and we can thus expect that in 2009, they will represent
a growing segment of the aesthetic surgery market in Asia. |
| 6. |
Increasing
demand by consumers for the ‘right to know.’
While nutrition labeling on packaged foods is now common, calorie-listings
on restaurant menu plans and dated produce for safety and freshness
will soon follow. As obesity and diabetes problems grow, supermarkets
will begin to offer health-conscious consumers additional information
to help them select a balanced diet. This could be in the form of
new food-labeling programs that attempt to simplify the identification
of nutritious foods. |
| 7. |
The
eco-trend will mature to become an eco-commodity. Health
and wellness products and awareness programs increasingly help individuals
become one with the environment. |
| 8. |
Nutraceuticals.
Increasing use of food or plant based products that offer health benefits.
Examples are antioxidants, vitamin and mineral supplements and some
herbal remedies. This industry will be taking off in a big way in
2009 and beyond. |
| 9. |
Health
insurance sector. Employers and health insurers will begin
to offer full or partial coverage for everything from weight-loss
advice and gym memberships to programs that help employees stop smoking
or reduce stress. |
| 10. |
Getting
serious about childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is showing
alarming trends. Evidence suggests that diet and lifestyle patterns
need to be in the spotlight beginning as early as preschool age. We
can expect more ranges of pure, natural and health-boosting toddler
foods to hit the shelves. We will see an emerging trend by the hospitality/
food & beverage industry to start offering healthier options targeting
older children. |
| |