According to a study conducted in the U.S., U.K., China, Spain, Brazil, and Germany, navigating the “new normal” is profoundly influencing our diets, how we approach health-promoting behaviors, and how we perceive our own health, with many people fostering attitudes and behaviors reflecting their belief that diet and overall nutrition will help them be more resilient overall.
 
Globally, to date, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there have been 47,596,852 cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with 1,216,357 deaths.
 
The study by HealthFocus International, “The Changing World of Nutrition and Wellness Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic,” summarizes macro- and micro-trends in changes to diet, food and beverage shopping, dietary supplements consumption, and overall health catalyzed by the onset of the global health crisis. Included in the study are questions specific to the COVID-19 emergence, and analysis which measures the breadth and level of change in key trended items.
 
According to the study, COVID-19 concerns overwhelm all other personal health issues, and the focus on health and diet is immediate and applicable to all health and diet products. Shopping behavior is shifting dramatically as well – people are shopping online at staggering proportions, and, when they do shop in person, they spend less time in stores. People are planning their purchasing behavior ahead of time at greater rates, and while they are willing to pay premiums for health-related products, are looking for savings in other domains.
 
Sustainability, when combined with health benefits, is proven to be a good price driver, as well. Consumers are observably spending more on health-promoting products if the sourcing, processing, delivery, and social impacts of those products appeal to their ethics.
 
Local conditions pertaining to COVID-19, and the type of media people consume also appears to affect consumer behaviors and attitudes surrounding health, though there are still significant differences across global regions, as well. Broadly, products being marketed with preventative, curative, and functional benefits are increasing, and broad desires for personal control and management of health are on the rise, as well.