To Your Health!

THERE IS A growing problem in the United States: citizens’ bellies. With each passing year, the Center for Disease Control, the surgeon general, and the American Heart Association continue their cries about the dangers of obesity. And, if the official U.S. health-oriented organizations aren’t proof enough that Americans are growing wider, surely a poll of any eatery would confirm the fact.

The warnings have reached a violently high pitch and Americans are finally catching on. Healthy living trends are changing retail and corporate focuses. The new considerations encompass relaxation, mental health and skin care, as well as exercise and diet.

This is an ideal time for distributors to call upon personal care items, said Donna Houston, national sales manager at SafeHaven Products, Simi Valley, Calif. “When you use a personal care item in your promotion, it sends a caring message,” she said. “Our world nowadays is so high-speed and automated. When you use personal care, it just kind of brings you back to humanity.”

From home and office computers to cell phones, MP3 players and PDAs, people must actually go out of their way to power down for a few minutes each day. This explains the growing demand for meditative products such as fountains, candles and aroma therapy, as well as bath and body products.

The shift in cultural focus to one of maintaining a healthy mind and body is affecting businesses internally, as well. Across the United States, employers are realizing the importance of caring for workers. This is not just a practice for the sake of corporate karma; it is economically intelligent. “My understanding is the number one reason why an employee might miss work is a backache,” said Dan Paul, director of special markets for HoMedics, Commerce Township, Mich.

Other reports, including an oft-cited study by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, show depression is also a leading cause of employee absenteeism. Whether they be electronic massagers, soothing fountains or aroma therapy products, many personal care items target these problems directly. This has a tremendous impact on the workplace, as Paul noted: “If employees feel better about themselves and feel better physically, then they’re going to be happier, more productive employees.”