Fireside Chat, Panel
The Business of Healthy
Milken InstituteJane Wells, Anu Chatterjee, Dr. Bill Dietz, Michael Johnson, Ryan Shadrick-Wilson, Tara Palmeri, Kathryn Hartmann, Kathy Hartmuth, Rachel Alters, Jeff Dunn, Dr. David Heber, Anu Srivastava, Anu Vatsalavanda, Eric Schmidt, David Levinson, Bill Alford Jr.
- Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is projected to decline to approximately nine cans per month by 2030 under current trends, with a potential reduction of three cans per month yielding 2.6 million fewer obese individuals and $26.2 billion in healthcare savings over the subsequent 20 years.
- Prevalence of obesity is expected to plateau globally while the adult U.S. population reaches 50% obesity by 2030, a trend projected to cause the first generation of children to live five years less than their parents and establish obesity as the largest societal cost within 30 years, surpassing tobacco.
- Returning mean BMI to 1970s levels requires daily caloric deficits of 30 calories for ages 2–5, 150 for ages 6–11, 180 for ages 12–19, and 220 for adults, with informational strategies modeled after 1970s tobacco reductions expected to drive further declines.
- Fresh and healthy products are anticipated to drive growth in developed markets as Gen Y and Z adopt healthy habits earlier, creating a demand for transparency that forces the removal of artificial ingredients and antibiotics while shelf-stable items decline.
- Organic farming is growing six times faster than conventional farming, creating supply constraints that will trigger a major push for land conversion, while personalized health measurement via blood testing is expected to become mainstream within five to 10 years.
- Companies selling high sugar, salt, and fat products face a deteriorating sales environment as measurement technology improves, prompting a cultural shift where health leaders succeed and businesses eventually lower the price of healthy food to meet demand.
- Campbell's is prioritizing a healthy, fresh platform, while other entities like Herbalife plan to expand nutrition education in food deserts and implement systems for constant nutritional measurement to guide customized diets.
- The plant-based diet sector is expected to undergo a massive shift in the next 10 years supported by millennial education and venture capital, including the creation of a dedicated VC fund and the potential entry of farmed or synthetic protein sources to offer lower-cost, healthier alternatives.
- Federal programs and workplace choice architecture are expected to significantly impact consumption patterns, and major food service providers like McDonald's may soon introduce healthier options such as kale to address health disparities.