New Study Highlights Widening Lifespan-Healthspan Gap and Implications of Evolving U.S. Health Landscape

‍CINCINNATI, OH – September 18, 2024 – The Directions Group, a strategic insights firm, today released the results of a comprehensive integrated intelligence study on the future landscape of human health in the U.S., and on its far-reaching impacts on the economy and business. The study, Preparing for the Tidal Wave, highlights the growing gap between lifespan and health span in the U.S., as well as six long-term trends impacting American health that will have a disproportionate influence on consumer behavior, policy, and innovation over the next decade.

“It’s a pivotal moment in the trajectory of human health in this country, and it has the potential to disrupt every business sector we serve,” said Carmen Brace, Senior Vice President at The Directions Group. “But where there is disruption and change, there is also opportunity to get in on the race to innovate, adjust business models, evolve brands, and create new products. This work can help our clients innovate and proactively respond to the changing tides of American health.”

U.S. lifespans are projected to increase at a faster rate than the number of years people are living in good health and this gap between lifespan and healthspan is expected to increase from 9.8 years in 1990 to 16 years by 2035. And while the U.S. ranks first in the world for healthcare expenditures, it ranks at the bottom for health outcomes across industrialized nations. The U.S. National Health Expenditure is expected to exceed $7 trillion by 2031, or the equivalent of over 20 percent of the U.S. GDP.

“We’re living longer, we’re living sicker, and we’re paying more than ever for it,” said Justin Masterson, Senior Vice President at The Directions Group. “We live and work longer than we ever have, but more than sixty percent of our population is living with chronic disease. There is a massive economic impact from our changing health, and it goes way beyond health care costs; it is driving decision-making in every aisle in every store, every seat in every restaurant, and every service industry in the country.”

The study includes data and analysis from over 2000 U.S. consumers to understand current mindsets and behaviors surrounding their health and their purchasing, as well as how decisions will be made about brands they interact with in the future.

Additionally, analysts integrated foresight and trend analysis to identify the six most influential trends that will shape the evolution of human health in the U.S. over the next decade:

• Behavior-Supporting Medication
• Food as Medicine
• Growing Health & Nutrition Disparity
• Longevity
• Prevention Focus
• Ultra Targeted Everything

‍

Download the Executive Summary

‍

Media Contact:‍

Jennifer Coleman
‍Director, Communications

‍