The Wellness Revolution: The Next Millionaire Producing Industry?

chillibreeze writer — Pervin Chhapkhanawala

“One litre mineral water, please.” A few years earlier, had anyone suggested investing in the business of selling bottled water, the idea would have been scoffed at. Sell water? A non-depleting abundant natural resource that is immediately served in every household without question to guest, friend, neighbour, beggar, or even enemy! Sell it?

Today, one can walk down to any grocery store and see rows of bottles of packaged mineral water being sold almost at the price of milk. Thousands of rupees are dished out at gymnasiums and health clubs to get oneself sweaty and perspiring. MBAs can be seen donning their ties and manicured mannerisms, even as they sell you fresh organic vegetables. Restaurants have diet menus, and air conditioning systems boast of anti-oxidant properties. Welcome to the wellness revolution.

Why the wellness revolution?

The wellness revolution, like the IT revolution that preceded it, has been propelled by several factors. The primary reason behind the wellness boom is a shift from the passive consumer to an aware decision maker.

Earlier, the powerful food industry would bombard one with messages calculated to make one eat more and more of the worst possible foods. Packaged food companies employed some of the best and brightest minds to study customer psychology and demographics.

The wellness revolution has seen the emergence of a more aware and self-conscious consumers. This consumer makes decisions based on knowledge about products and the effects that the products have in the short and long run. It involves checking the calorie count and nutrition meter that are a mandate on all packaged foods.

No wonder, Maggie noodles, which once advertised itself as ‘Two minute noodles’ now sells ‘Maggie atta noodles with protein and calcium’. Advertisements for shampoos which once promised beautiful hair, now promise healthy hair.

Awareness about depleting natural resources has also driven consumers and business houses to make choices that are in sync with ecological welfare. Hence, there is a rise in the demand for recycled paper, fall in the use of plastic bags, insistence that testing on animals be banned, preservation of forests and endangered species, a trend towards vegetarianism – all linked to the shift towards individual and societal wellness.

Another factor which has allowed for the wellness boom is what one may term ‘reverse technology.’ Several business heads and entrepreneurs now use technology to reverse the effects that technology has had over the past two decades. The most obvious instance of reverse technology is the popularity of organic farming.

While technology is used to ensure that the right amount of water reaches the right crops at the right time, farmers have done away with pesticides and fertilizers ridden with chemicals. Instead, ladybug beetles and other insects are used to get rid of smaller insects – nature controls nature.

Reverse technology is also evident in corrective surgery, cosmetic enhancements, mobile phones that prevent harmful radiation from reaching the brain and in cancer treatments.

How it is manifested in one’s lifestyle.

Wellness is no longer defined as the absence of illness. It is considered to be a state of wellbeing that pervades one’s physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects.

The yoga classes in the morning, the positive attitude books on the coffee table, the nutritional supplements in the refrigerator, the soft bhajans in the background and the organic fruits on the table, all exemplify the shift towards wellness.

The wellness revolution is slowly but surely affecting several decisions including the car one buys, the books one reads, the gadgets one uses, the mobile phone one chooses, even the bedding one sleeps on.

Children’s idols are no longer dimple-cheeked chocolate boys but celebrities with six pack abs, who look half their age. Film stars are asked more questions about their fitness routine, diet and the contents of their lunch boxes than about upcoming projects.

Insipid curries, tasteless vegetables and low calorie meals are gulped down in the attempt towards attaining the illusory state of ‘perfect health’.

How one can capitalize on this industry.

The wellness industry, like the IT revolution, complements most professions and careers, if adapted intelligently. It does not directly compete with or threaten a profession, unless of course the profession is clearly opposed to health and wellbeing. Wellness insurance and health foods are just two of the several options that wellness entrepreneurs and professionals have.

Fitness trainers, personal counselors and psychiatrists, nutritionists and massage therapists are all included in the wellness industry. Recently, entire magazines and journals are dedicated to wellness, giving rise to wellness journalists and publishers.

Farmers, dentists, real estate agents, beauticians and sales people could all gain on edge over their competitors, by adding a wellness touch to their products or services. They could emphasize on how eco-friendly the product is, how safe it is, how it has not employed animal testing, how good it is for the skin, how conducive it is to mental peace and calm, how natural it is… The list goes on.

When Henry Ford first invented a mass-production automobile that was affordable to the common person, many scoffed at the thought that people would buy it. There were few paved roads on which to travel, petrol and gas stations were nonexistent, and most people lived within walking distance of their workplace. But the need grew along with proliferation of the product. People moved to suburbia and needed cars. At the same time, gasoline stations sprung up. Soon the car became a necessity just to get to work or shop for daily necessities.

Over a couple of decades ago, a computer was a huge machine, occupying at least an entire room, requiring expertise to run and operate, and affordable only by big capitalists. To think that a computer could be personal, user friendly and prevalent in every household was unimaginable. Yet, here it is, in front of you, even as you read this.

That which is currently visible is just the tip of the iceberg; the wellness revolution is in its infancy. The unique feature about such pervasive revolutions is that their impact is not fully realized until they have completely become interlinked with every aspect of our lifestyle. And by the time this happens, we cannot imagine how we ever lived otherwise!

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—About our writer:

Pervin says, "A part time writer and full time thinker, I like to explore various avenues through my work as they invariably lead to deeper, inner discoveries. I also write stories for children and work as a consultant for a publishing house. I live by 'Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.'"

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