By Candace Corlett, FEBRUARY 10, 2025 || A Publication of MMR (Mass Market Retailers)

—

Is all the turbulence in the world impacting people’s health? The weather, politics, wars in far-off lands that resonate here at home, and inequitable distribution of health services are taking a toll.

In our 2024 Shoppers’ View of The Future of Health, we reported an all-time low in people who rate their health as Excellent/Very Good at 34% — down 14 percentage points from 2020, in the heart of the COVID pandemic.

It’s not age that drives the perception of good health — all generations report similar attitudes toward their health, but income makes the big difference, with half of people earning over $150,000 saying their health is Excellent/Very Good versus less than a third of those with incomes under $50,000.

Stress has been the No. 1 obstacle to health for years, but this year it’s up 5 percentage points. Lower on the list are lack of sleep, weight, unhealthy ingredients in foods we choose, and too much screen time. No surprise, depression/anxiety is the No. 1 health condition reported, followed by seasonal allergies.

What do people do to maintain good health? More than half take vitamins and schedule check-ups, and 46% use vaccines to prevent illness. Here’s where age does make a difference. Over 2/3 of Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X do not follow through with regular check-ups versus 1/3 of boomers.

Inflation takes a toll on healthy choices. For almost half, prioritizing healthy choices is not working these days of inflation.

The future of shoppers’ health presents threats to business. Watch for Marijuana as the new over-the-counter item. People use it for stress relief, to get a good night’s sleep and to ease pain. The food industry should think about the dyes that are used to color food and medicine. Half of parents are avoiding foods and medicines with artificial dyes.

What’s all the fuss over GLP-1s? While two-thirds of people want to lose or maintain their weight, only 4% use a GLP-1. First, they believe drinking more water and avoiding foods that add calories is the best course.

The GLP-1s will have to become much less expensive or available for more prescription conditions to have an impact.

Subscribe to MMR for the original article and future digital or print publications.