wellness lifestyle image
By IHPL - March 15, 2026

Newsroom Press Release: “The Global Wellness Economy Reaches a New Peak of $6.3 Trillion—And Is Forecast to Hit $9 Trillion by 2028.” 1 This news was also reported by other major news and business outlets.2-3 According to a 2024 report from the Global Wellness Institute.1 the wellness industry surpassed global pharmaceuticals and sports as the largest industry, having grown 26% from 2019 to 2023, with substantial gains after the COVID-19 pandemic. I read that with amazement. While public health, prevention, and personalized medicine are cited as part of that number ($781 billion),1 there are other areas that are larger, including areas like:

  • wellness tourism ($830 billion)
  • physical activity ($1,060 billion)
  • healthy eating, nutrition, and weight loss ($1,096 billion)
  • personal care (i.e., self-care) and beauty ($1,213 billion).

At this point, I do not believe the data on consumer health expenditures can be ignored. Our spending patterns may be signaling something greater that deserves our attention. Are we witnessing an emerging paradigm about health? If so, what is it? In the policy context, there are many questions that need further consideration, exploration, and analysis.

By definition, wellness is defined as “the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.”4  It also includes dimensions of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental health. Last, it is believed to be on the opposite end of the prevailing medical care or health systems delivery continuum, with thoughts of proactive intentional actions to “optimize” well-being.

As a starting point, I would like to offer a couple questions to initiate this dialogue. My purpose for raising them here is to encourage further discussion and evaluation among all interested parties. This includes industry insiders and those tangential to the industry who may be able to raise differing points of view. To accomplish that goal, I feel the need to suspend my immediate judgement and to not offer personal commentary on the policies of governmental entities, corporations, and health movements or thoughts on the perceived interests and influence of the current ecosystem.5-9 There is a tremendous opportunity for learning, growth, and future action when we take the time to be informed by what is happening and is expected to transpire if trends continue as projected.

With the aforementioned stance, I would like to begin by asking that we consider the following questions:

  1. Does health in all policies (HiAP),10 as a policy approach, offer opportunities for the implementation of pragmatic solutions that transcend potential conflicts of interests/views/agendas to achieve collective, integrative, multidisciplinary, multi-sectoral collaborations? Since wellness seems to intersect multiple facets of the economy, can we create greater alignment for population health improvement?
  2. How have our views on health and wellness changed and are they expected to change in the future?11 What models (micro-, meso-, and macro-level) are developing that explain this growth? These models will vary in scope and interest, from health models to business models that shape and respond to consumer needs/expectations.
  3. As wellness evolves, what is the relationship between wellness policy and the efforts of traditional public health policy?12 Will we see greater convergence that promotes better outcomes in the population’s health? Or will we see more of an emphasis on personal accountability and less of an emphasis on community and connectedness in the production of health? Can these views and movements coexist or is greater synergy needed? These questions need to be addressed with evidence in all forms with openness and transparency.
  4. Will well-being be incorporated into policy approaches as a viable complement or driver of health?13 While well-being can vary in meaning and context across countries and communities,14 it is gradually viewed as an important aspect of health that needs to be recognized, captured and utilized to shape our policy and desired health outcomes. While science likes to pursue objective evidence, we cannot ignore colloquial forms of evidence from subjective experiences. Social and behavioral sciences can assist us in understanding the subjective aspects of health.

In closing, I am filled with optimism about the future of health. It is more front of mind than most may realize. We have an incredible opportunity to capitalize on the inroads made in wellness in ways not imagined before. Perhaps that journey begins with the frontier of wellness as a bridge to brighter, holistic gains for all in our overall health and well-being.  

Author Bio

Karl J. McCleary, PhD, MPH
Dr. McCleary is Associate Dean of Strategy, Professor and Program Director for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Program in Health Policy and Leadership, and Executive Director of the Center for Health Strategy and Innovation, at the School of Public Health. He also serves as a Faculty Scholar in the Loma Linda University Health Institute for Health Policy and Leadership. His research interests include health policy, transformation, and strategic change; innovation, systems thinking and redesign; and population health. 

References:

  1. McGroarty, B. (2024, November 5). The Global Wellness Economy Reaches a New Peak of $6.3 Trillion––And Is Forecast to Hit $9 Trillion by 2028. Global Wellness Institute. Retrieved from https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/press-releases/the-global-wellness-economy-reaches-a-new-peak-of-6-3-trillion-and-is-forecast-to-hit-9-trillion-by-2028/.
  2. Shibu, S. (2024, November 5). The Wellness Industry is Now Richer Than Big Pharma and Sports. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/wellness-industry-hits-record-bigger-than-sports-pharma/482413.
  3. Rappaport, S. (2025, November 5). The Global Wellness Industry Is Now Worth $6.3 Trillion. Bloomberg. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-05/global-wellness-industry-is-now-worth-6-3-trillion.
  4. Global Wellness Institute (2025). What is wellness? Retrieved from https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/.
  5. Cohen, J. P. (2025, February 14). Trump’s Make America Health Again Commission, Old Wine in New Bottles? Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2025/02/14/trumps-make-america-healthy-again-commission-old-wine-in-new-bottles/.
  6. Frieden, T. (2024, October 31). What Trump and RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ gets right—and very wrong. STATnews. Retrieved from https://www.statnews.com/2024/10/31/maha-make-america-healthy-again-trump-rfk-jr/.
  7. Brown, M., Yarrow, G., Paun, C. & Snider, A. (2025, September 9). Trump administration releases long awaited MAHA roadmap. Politco. Retrieved from https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/09/trump-kennedy-releases-maha-roadmap-pesticides-food-vaccine-00552849.
  8. Williams, S. (2025). Will RFJ Jr really Make America Healthy Again? BMJ: 389:r871. Retrieved from  https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r871.
  9. Armour, S. (2005, July 14). Vested interests. Influence muscle. At RFK Jr.’s HHS, It’s not Pharma. It’s wellness. KFF Health News. Retrieved from https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/rfk-jr-trump-maha-conflict-of-interest-wellness-industry-political-influence/ .
  10. Green, L., Ashton, K., Bellis, M. A., Clemens, T., & Douglas, M. (2021). ‘Health in All Policies’ – A Key Driver for Health and Well-Being in a Post-COVID-19 Pandemic World. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (18): 9468. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189468 .
  11. Oliver, M. D., Baldwin, D. R., & Datta, S. (2018). Health to Wellness: A Review of Wellness Models and Transitioning Back to Health. The International Journal of Health, Wellness, and Society, 9 (1), 41-56. Retrieved from https://cgscholar.com/publishers/articles/health-to-wellness
  12. Sustainability Directory (2025, July 9). To what extent does the wellness industry influence public health policy? Retrieved from https://lifestyle.sustainability-directory.com/question/to-what-extent-does-the-wellness-industry-influence-public-health-policy/.
  13. Corbin, J. H., Abdelaziz, F. B., Sorensen, K., Kökeny, M. & Krech, R. (2021). Wellbeing as a policy framework for health promotion and sustainable development. Health Promotion International, 36(S1):i64-i69. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/36/Supplement_1/i64/6460417?login=false.
  14. Busette, C. & Gilbert, K. L. (2024, January 22). Policy approaches for well-being in the U.S. Brookings. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/policy-approaches-for-well-being-in-the-us/.