A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich is shedding fresh light on how consumers really think about health, with the findings having implications for the spa and wellness sector.

The research, WELLSurvey 2.0 is an international follow-up to WELLSurvey 1.0, which was published in 2024 and seeks to establish clarity around the often-blurred concepts of 'wellness' and 'wellbeing' in the eyes of consumers.

A summary of the findings of WELLSurvey 2 will appear in Spa Business issue 2 2026, while a longer-read series of reports highlighting the findings will be published in three parts via the Spa Business ezine over the following three weeks.

You can read the first part here.

Drawing on responses from more than 3,600 adults across the US, UK and Germany, WELLSurvey 2.0 shows that consumers see a clear difference between wellness and wellbeing, viewing wellness as the things they do – such as exercise, treatments and nutrition and wellbeing as how those activities make them feel. Longevity is understood to be whether that positive state can be sustained over time.

Across all three markets, half of respondents said they were interested in improving their wellbeing, compared with just 38 per cent who are focused on wellness. Around 80 per cent also associate wellbeing with longevity, underlining its growing importance.

The research highlights a shift in priorities, with emotional health now playing a central role. Issues such as stress, sleep and anxiety are increasingly shaping how people judge both their wellness routines and their overall sense of wellbeing.

Engagement is high among the sample, with 91 per cent of respondents taking part in physical activity and more than half regularly using spa or preventive therapies, but the study suggests that access alone is no longer enough to stand out.

Trust is becoming a key differentiator. Consumers are far more likely to believe claims that are clinically proven or evidence-based, while influencer-led messaging carries far less weight.

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