(A) The relationships between age and brain activity are well documented in neurological research. Although human brain plays a significant role in how we think, behave, and interact with the world, our cognitive functioning can start to deteriorate as early as 40, (61) the age of 40 is a critical turning point for cognition. To be specific, according to Dr. Colin McKenzie, professor of economics in Keio University, most people become less capable of processing and memorizing information when they reach the age of 40. 

In addition to age, research has also found that a number of factors can influence our brain activity. For example, an Australian research team based in the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research discovered that full-time work and brain function were related. They suggested that, for people over the age of 40, the (62) amount of work time for their cognition is twenty-five hours a week, which can keep the brain (63) . While working excessively long hours can impair their mind and body, working less than that amount of time can be harmful to their cognitive agility too. The study by Professor Karl Ericsson at Florida State University also showed that expert performers spent around 21 to 35 hours of practice time a week. However, Professor Ericsson’s study was not limited to a particular age group, but focused on behaviors that can drive effective performances. Although the (64) that twenty-five hours is the best for people over 40 still needs further investigation, it provides important information for companies that are planning to raise work time.

Vivid Lo, insight research director at Dentsu Aegis Network, says consumers’ growing emphasis on their own mental and emotional well-being has opened the door to many commercial opportunities. As with running, painting, flower arranging, or DIY experiences all offer people the chance to embrace life and reduce their stress levels, she observes. 

 The global Vegan movement craze has also caught fire in Taiwan, with people not only eating vegetarian but opting for clothes, cosmetics, or other items that do not harm animals. Twenty-eight-year-old blogger Bluesomeone is one of the Vegan faithful. “If everybody has a little more empathy for others and makes a small contribution to the world, happiness will be sustained for a long time,” she insists. She has extended her support to products and services that embrace fair trade and eco-friendly practices, believing that achieving a balance between people and the environment is a form of “well-being.” 

This pursuit of a healthy body, mind, and spirit has emerged as a “new treasure” in which many consumers are now willing to invest considerable time and money and a “new gold mine” for companies. 

The catchphrase embodying then new phenomenon, “Wellness is the new luxury,” has been highlighted in Forbes, Vogue, and the New Yorker, reflecting how the world has redefined what it means to be precious. 

“In principle, health is something basic,” says Wei-gong Liou, a sociology professor at Soochow University and an expert on the sociology of consumption. But at a time when the world seems on the verge of collapse, afflicted with food safety scandals, the threat of lifestyle diseases, and climate and ecological change, “human health has turned into something precious and elusive.” 

“Wellness as the new luxury” has also created a lucrative commercial niche. In its report on the Top 10 Global Consumer Trends for 2017, market research firm Euromonitor International said that as “material things” have paled as indicators of achievement, wellness has become the new status symbol in the eyes of many consumers.

 “Healthy living is becoming a status symbol, as more consumers opt to flaunt their passion for wellness through paying for boutique fitness sessions, “athleisure” clothing, food with health-giving properties, and upscale health and wellness holidays,” the report said. 

International accounting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers said the global wellness and fitness market was worth nearly US$1.49 trillion (about NT$45 trillion) in 2015, while Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has estimated that the revenues of the domestic health and wellness services sector will double to NT$281.9 billion by 2025.