Off the shelf health

The growing wellness sector will provide us with easy-to-use solutions.

Whether we like it or not, we all have to think about our health. A fact that has not gone unnoticed in marketing and manufacturing circles, which will present us, in 2010, with a number of trends.

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First up, we’ll see a rise in functional foods – health specialty foods, like those containing elements (for example) for joint health. So you will find vitamins in new avatars, such as in an energy drink or a breakfast cereal or a soup, to make it easier for you to pop your multivitamins. Also on the shelves will be energy drinks, more heart-healthy foods, anti-ageing foods and lots of herbal teas for immunity.

You’ll also find emphasis on ‘green’ and natural products. So there’ll be herbal elements in soft drinks, hot and cold beverages, juices and tonics.

Since lifestyle disorders like sleep problems, joint problems, back pain and bone problems, heart health, metabolic syndromes and diabetes are on the rise, the wellness sector will produce non-invasive solutions. So you can buy health capsules for joint and bone health and combine them with a service that controls pain and strengthens the joints. Lack of sleep is an issue that results in stress, allergies and low immunity. Products and pills with sleep-enhancing effects are already on the shelves and their sales will rise.

Hospitals will get a boost with the development of techniques like biotechnology and stem cell therapy, and a new system of healthcare will emerge – local, small, but specialised nursing homes, offering fixed services like eye care, dental care and ENT at competitive costs.

And the number of weight loss centres, fitness centres and cosmetic spas offering botox, liposuction will continue to rise. There will also be a rise in the number of spas in all cities, so just relax.