Considering the Future of the Healthcare Market Based on the Attitudes and Behaviors of "Young People"

"Youth Healthcare."

What impressions does this phrase evoke? "Don't people only start caring about health as they get older?" "I'm not even sure what 'healthcare' encompasses..." Such reactions are quite common.

Since 2007, Dentsu Inc. Healthcare Project has conducted a large-scale quantitative survey called the "Wellness 10,000 Survey." Looking at the 2017 results, it's true that young adults in their 20s, both men and women, don't show particularly high scores. Generally speaking, in the health domain, women's awareness and actions increase with age, while men don't show significant changes in awareness or actions until they reach their 60s. In other words, it's a fact that health awareness and actions increase with age.

However, over the past few years of working in the healthcare field, I've increasingly felt these questions: "I've seen friends and colleagues in their 20s choosing healthier drinks and foods," "Actually, aren't quite a few people in their 20s and 30s concerned about their bodies?" and "Why don't these show up in the survey...?"

Driven by this awareness, the 2017 Wellness Survey of 10,000 people included not only basic health awareness and behavior items related to "diet" and "exercise," but also trendy health activities like fun runs and SUP yoga (yoga performed on a board slightly larger than a surfboard, floating on water, rather than in a studio). This approach yielded unexpected results.

Surprising results emerged among men in their 20s!

Our pre-survey hypothesis was that we'd be able to visualize the health behaviors of women in their 20s and 30s. For women in this age group, beauty and health are closely linked, so we thought they'd likely engage in trendy health activities—including those for beauty purposes—with a lower psychological barrier.

But here's the kicker! When we looked at the data, the interesting group turned out to be "men in their 20s."

For example, fitness activities like SUP yoga, kickboxing, and entertainment-style gyms (you know, those club-like spaces where you pedal bikes). These have become quite popular in recent years.

I personally felt they were popular with women, but the survey results, as shown in Graph 1, revealed a different reality. Men in their 20s overwhelmingly have experience with these activities. The only activity that comes close to women in their 20s in terms of volume is climbing/bouldering.

When asked why they participate in these evolved sports, "It looks fun" tops the list, but "Because I think it's good for my health" follows closely. It seems they're not just doing it purely as a hobby; "body concerns" are also firmly in the back of their minds.

The trend of "men in their 20s having the highest participation rate compared to other genders and age groups" was also seen in the food sector. For example, "gluten-free" (Overall: 2.9% Men in their 20s: 7.0%) and "macrobiotic" (Overall: 3.5% Men in their 20s: 8.8%).

However, one might question whether this is simply men in their 20s jumping on new trends. In fact, the increase in awareness and action among men in their 20s extends beyond trendy behaviors to include basic health consciousness and practices.

The Wellness 10,000 Survey tracks scores over time for about 50 health awareness and health behavior items. Looking at these scores over time, we see that in 2017, scores declined for most items across the board, both overall and by gender and age group. In other words, awareness and behavior decreased. The decline among women in their 50s and 60s was particularly pronounced. (This is a significant topic in itself...) However, men in their 20s showed slight increases in many items compared to 2016. Graphs 2 and 3 show some of these. While the point differences aren't huge, this was the only interesting movement amid a general decline across all items for every gender and age group.

It appears that not only are they sensitive to trends, but their overall awareness of physical matters has increased, and their actions are also growing.

Four Hypotheses on Why Health Awareness and Behavior Are Rising Among Men in Their 20s

To avoid misunderstanding, let me clarify: this does not mean that men in their 20s have the highest overall volume of health awareness or behavior when compared by gender and age group. They are not the volume group for many items. However, when looking at the changes over the years from 2015 to 2017, this group showed a unique pattern: their scores increased across virtually all awareness and behavior items.

With this premise, let's explore why this phenomenon is occurring, considering the era and environment.

First, regarding the "20s" age group, I will present two hypotheses.

① "Physical impact" is one criterion for choosing goods and experiences

From a generational perspective, "choosing healthy options" is no longer seen as something special or requiring extra effort compared to the past. I imagine this trend is stronger among younger people.

Compared to the past, the amount of information available has increased, and of course, information about the body can now be easily gathered in large quantities. With the rise of products and services backed by evidence, I believe that for younger generations especially, the criterion of "seeming good (or bad) for the body" is becoming one of the naturally recalled selection criteria when choosing things or experiences. As a generational value, there's also a sense of wanting to make "reasonable" choices in every aspect. In other words, even without conscious effort, they naturally select options that are good for the body (and exclude bad ones), embodying a raised baseline standard compared to other generations.

② Health behaviors as components of individuality and values

Additionally, in the healthcare product and service space, we're seeing more offerings that are "cool, cute, or fun," which likely resonates with younger demographics. To put it bluntly, I believe the era of health actions taken solely for their efficacy is over. People now want their health choices to express their values and be part of a desirable lifestyle, incorporating preferred products and activities. Products and services meeting this expectation have gradually increased, becoming more visible around 2017.

Next, regarding why men rather than women: here are two hypotheses.

① 2017 was the year healthcare mainstreamed among young people

First, let's look at the timing of the survey in 2017. In 2017, there weren't many big hit products or services in the healthcare field that were new to young people. On the other hand, I think it was a time when things that were being adopted by a conscious minority became more accessible and mainstream.

Take green smoothies, for example. Until recently, the image was that you either made them at home or bought them at stylish shops in trendy neighborhoods, even if they were a little expensive. But then they became available at convenience stores. What's more, they seemed to be a hit, and people started thinking, "Let's try them." In other words, even men who had not been interested before began to encounter them naturally in their daily lives, and I think that health-related products and services gained a certain presence and stimulated their desire to purchase. Even among young people, women tend to be more health-conscious and take more action, but the timing was right for men to find it easier to get involved.

② Are gender differences in healthcare disappearing!?

However, if we only consider the above phenomenon, it would suggest men are still just followers. But as mentioned earlier, men are actually more likely to be the first to try trend-driven activities like SUP yoga or entertainment-focused gyms. These are trends, but they are also evolved forms of sports. So, it's possible that men in their 20s, who already have a high sports participation rate, experienced these as an extension of their usual activities.

On the other hand, while seemingly contradictory, one can imagine that gender differences in young people's healthcare awareness and behavior may gradually disappear. It's similar to how cooking has become less gender-specific among young people.

In healthcare, for instance, the phenomenon of "ab-toning women" exemplifies the trend of "stoically training the body." What was once predominantly practiced by men is now permeating as a lifestyle choice for both genders. Conversely, the spread of the salad boom among men since 2017 symbolizes the end of an era where "having a salad lunch during break time was synonymous with office ladies," and instead, choosing healthy meals is becoming established as a style for both men and women.

Then there's the technological evolution that will significantly impact daily life going forward. Health tech advancements are also remarkable, and personalized health behaviors based on individual data will likely increase further. For example, having your urine, gut microbiome, or genes tested beforehand could lead to receiving a customized supplement regimen. Since tech-savvy individuals, regardless of gender, will respond to such technologies and devices, I believe we risk overlooking important stakeholders if we remain confined by the previous tendency that "women in their 20s are more likely to take health actions because they have both health and beauty motivations."

Photographed at CES held in Las Vegas from January 9-12, 2018. In the healthcare sector, numerous players unveiled cutting-edge technologies and devices across categories like Health & Wellness / Wearables / Sleep Tech / Fitness & Technology.

The Future of Healthcare

I don't expect most men in their 20s to suddenly start taking health actions. Rather, health consciousness is polarizing. Even among the highly conscious, "style" and "enjoyment" likely rank higher than health as evaluation criteria.

However, I find it interesting that a definite segment of "men in their 20s who care about their bodies" clearly exists. Focusing on this group could potentially yield new ideas and insights.

Moreover, I suspect this youthful sensibility might resonate surprisingly well even with women in their 50s and older, the longstanding main target audience in the healthcare sector. For instance, as the bubble generation, who love fun shopping, enters their 50s, the younger generation's mindset of "health can be fun and cool" might unexpectedly fit. Pondering this, doesn't "youth healthcare" start to seem like a more concrete, appealing, and useful perspective for planning than it currently is?

Above all, in Japan's increasingly aging society, some people might view "taking care of their bodies" or "taking health actions" as an "obligation" or "something they have to endure." But that just feels depressing, doesn't it? Even if someone earnestly persuades you that "doing the right thing is the right thing," it doesn't exactly spark motivation. That's why "health can be fun" should become a fundamental keyword when considering the future healthcare market.