Preparing for the Tidal Wave
Understanding the profound shift in American health and how it will impact every category it touches
It’s projected that between 1990 and 2035, the U.S. lifespan in the U.S. will increase by a full 7 years. Innovation has contributed to our ability to live longer with chronic diseases that were a death sentence to previous generations.
The bad news is our healthspan – the number of years we live in good health – is not keeping pace with our lifespan. This gap is expected to increase from 10 years in 1990 to 16 years by 2035.
Nutrition related chronic diseases impact over 60 percent of our population. And while the U.S. ranks #1 in the world for healthcare expenditures, it ranks at the bottom of health care outcomes across industrialized nations.
As these trends intensify and the lifespan-healthspan gap increases, so does the cost. National health expenditures related to chronic disease exploded to $4.3 trillion in 2023 and are expected to exceed $7 trillion by 2031, over 20 percent of the U.S. GDP.
The Directions Group recently embarked on a landmark integrated intelligence study to gain insight into the current and future state of human health in the U.S. and how it will impact the business landscape. The result of that study is a deep understanding of three equally important variables (Life Lens, Future Factors, and Current Attitudes/Behaviors) that intersect and impact consumer health related behaviors.
The Race is On
The race to address the growing tidal wave of human health in the U.S. is just beginning and new innovations, technologies, products, and policies are coming into the marketplace. Some businesses will find themselves fighting to mitigate risks and disruption. For those that want to get ahead, this is a window of opportunity to grow, innovate, and meet customers where they are.
This model can help businesses across every industry proactively respond to the changing tides of American health.
How does this work and how will this impact my industry?