Health is the New Wealth

Even though the pandemic curve is starting to flatten, the new reality of life will be a heightened sensitivity to the cost of poor health and the value of good health.

And, like anything with value, it becomes sought after and marketed.

The cost of poor health has been clearly identified both in terms of the overall death rate from Covid-19 (over 50,000 as of the time of writing this post) as well as to who is dying from it (people with inflammatory issues due to diabetes, damaged lungs from smoking or pollution, and general obesity). I would have added age as a risk factor until this guy proved me wrong.

The impacts from both our current epidemic of bad health choices plus now this pandemic and future ones, highlight the immense cost of being unhealthy as well as the great value of being healthy.

By health I don’t mean necessarily six-pack abs and a bright smile fit for Instagram (although that indicates a controlled diet and good dental hygiene which is no mean feat), but it does mean a lifestyle where one makes better choices around their eating habits, how they socialize, and how they spend their time.

These choices make for healthy people and, from a societal and business perspective, those are the people who come with more assets and lower costs. For employers that means a person who shows up to work and can be a productive member of the team. For life outside work, that means a potential life partner who won’t be a burden on someone who cares for them.

If the 2008 financial crisis led to people inquiring about the debt burden of a potential partner, the Covid pandemic will lead to people inquiring about a person’s health before getting into a relationship.

Nature is a predator and predators always go after the weak. It thins the herd which improves the environment for those that remain. So put down that vape pen, take a run, and get to bed on time. Your choices matter more than they ever did before.