Global Scans · Wellbeing · Weekly Summary

• [New] Healthy life expectancy - the years in which a person can expect to live in good health - has fallen in the UK in recent years, while it has increased in most other wealthy countries. BBC News
• [New] Obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and air pollution are becoming increasingly important contributors to cancer risk. The Times Of India
• [New] More than half of global GDP depends on healthy ecosystems, yet nature continues to decline at a staggering rate, putting economic stability, climate progress and long-term prosperity at risk. Innovation Zero 2025
• [New] Nearly four in 10 cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and infections such as human papillomavirus and hepatitis B and C. UN News
• [New] There is an association between The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain scores of hip and knee OA and the gut microbiome of individuals, so possible future dietary interventions for OA could include maintaining a healthy gut flora. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The regulatory environment will continue evolving, particularly as the Make America Healthy Again agenda shapes FDA priorities and Congressional action influences enforcement. Signify
• [New] More than one half of all CRCs are attributable to modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, high alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and excess body weight, and thus potentially preventable. / USA PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The U.S. may be moving closer to the Healthy People 2030 goal - a national public health target - of reducing adult smoking to 6.1%. 930 WFMD Free Talk
• China's National Health Commission has mandated UNHS expansion as part of the Healthy China 2030 initiative, with screening coverage projected to reach 90% + of newborns nationally. Persistence Market Research
• China alone has approximately 300 million smokers according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), with government-mandated smoking bans in public spaces under the Healthy China 2030 initiative, creating awareness and quit motivation. Persistence Market Research
• In fact a new analysis from the UK Biobank shows that diet patterns higher in plant-based foods, such as the healthy plant-based diet index and the Eat-Lancet Planetary Health Diet, is associated with a lower risk of chronic pain, both musculoskeletal and other types of pain. Plant Based Health Professionals UK
• Drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are transforming obesity treatment, but without affordable, healthy food and appropriate support, they could widen health inequalities in the UK. EurekAlert!
• Even modest reductions in biologic treatment, admissions, and surgery could translate into savings of many millions of pounds annually for the NHS, alongside the major benefits for patients through fewer interventions, improved quality of life, or even durable remission. SciTechDaily
• Food insecurity poses a serious threat to human wellbeing, and it is one of the most demanding moments of our time, due to the growing global population and the pressure on food systems. AI for Good
• The ENVISION blueprint shows that homes, both new and old, can play an important role in improving health and wellbeing while also reducing energy costs and emissions. UKAuthority
• Companies that successfully combine scientific innovation, personalization, and consumer trust will define the future of skincare and healthy ageing worldwide. Spherical Insights
• Restorative functions, such as advanced prosthetic control with integrated sensory feedback via optical BCI, will offer unprecedented quality of life improvements for patients. Emre Arslan
• By 2030, we expect to see increased access to active, collaborative, and engaging learning environments, resulting in more students being equipped to engage in deeper thinking, develop healthy relationships with peers and adults, and set and achieve goals that matter to them. Overdeck Family Foundation
• The coming decade is decisive: without rapid, coordinated global action, ocean health will continue to decline, threatening climate stability, biodiversity resilience, food security, livelihoods and the wellbeing of billions. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• In contrast to other parts of the world, Australia's reconciliation agenda and focus on indigenous wellbeing present a singular, society-led opportunity to leverage digital health as an agent of equity and empowerment. IMARC Group
• In the next five to ten years, one of the biggest forces shaping food innovation will be consumers' growing desire to optimize everything - from energy, appearance, and cognitive performance to mood and healthy ageing. CNS Media

Last updated: 16 July 2026