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Media release: New GDI study

BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY AND FIT – YOUNG PEOPLE ARE PARTICULARLY FEELING PRESSURED

Rüschlikon, 27 May 2026. People are stressed and under pressure to perform, thus increasing their need for well-being offerings. The new GDI study entitled "Feelgood Revolution" shows for the first time what people in the DACH region think about nutrition, health and beauty – from dietary supplements to sleep and cosmetic surgery. The data-based categorisation into four Feelgood types reveals the different mentalities of each group in the three areas.

According to a representative survey conducted by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in the DACH region, the majority of respondents (54%) feel that the social pressure to look "good" is too high. In addition to good looks, today's high-performance society is also coming under pressure in other areas. Young people are being disproportionately affected, with more than half of 16 to 24-year-olds frequently suffering from time-related stress. Only 12% said they were rarely stressed. "The Feelgood Revolution, with wellness offerings in the areas of nutrition, health and beauty, is the answer to the constant feeling of overload being experienced in the high-pressure society," says study author Christine Schäfer. "Wellness has become a kind of repair shop for those who feel exhausted and beleaguered." At the same time, the constant pressure to achieve well-being can itself act as a stress factor, which is described in the study as the "wellness paradox".

Nutrition, health and beauty are increasingly converging from originally separate industries into an integrated ecosystem. In 2024, the wellness economy generated USD 6.8 trillion. This means the market has doubled in size since 2013 and is expected to grow to up to USD 9.8 trillion by 2029. "The wellness economy is a trillion-dollar market that is bigger than the IT, sport and tourism industries," says Christine Schäfer. "This is also due to the fact that, unlike with food for example, we don't feel full when it comes to well-being and are therefore receptive to new products." In the study, the GDI highlights the most important trends where these markets converge.

Extract of figures from the study

Desired life expectancy and social pressure
  • ​Approximately 43% of respondents feel younger than they actually are, with only 13% feeling older. – see Fig. 27, p. 44
  • The desired age people want to live until in good health is 90 years (median). This is 6–8 years longer than the current life expectancy. – see p. 43
  • Respondents would ideally invest CHF 199 (DE: EUR 180, AT: EUR 161) per month in an effective method to reach their desired age. – see p. 43
  • Women are under greater pressure when it comes to their appearance (+35% more women than men), physical performance (+23% more women than men) and healthy eating (+20% more women than men) – see Fig. 8, p. 20
Appearance, care routine and cosmetic surgery
  • Women are more dissatisfied with their appearance than men in almost all areas and invest more in care routines than men. – see Fig. 30, p. 48 & Fig. 31, p. 49/50
  • The phenomenon of "Brotox" (a portmanteau of "Bro" and "Botox"): The use of botox among men has increased massively in recent years. In the DACH region, they appear to have clearly overtaken women (6%) with an 8% usage rate. – see p. 50
  • Some 30% of respondents (24% of men and 36% of women) would be open to cosmetic surgery if it were cost- and risk-free. The most frequently mentioned areas to be improved surgically are the breasts and face for women and the face, hair, nose and stomach for men. – see Fig. 32, p. 51
Health, dietary supplements and sleep
  • A total of 9% of respondents in Switzerland use GLP-1 ("weight loss injections") and 15% could imagine taking it in the future. – see Fig. 36, p. 73
  • Approximately 84% take at least one dietary supplement: The top three supplements that are taken at least occasionally are minerals (64%), vitamin D (59%) and other vitamins (57%). – see Fig. 19, p. 35 & Fig. 22, p. 38
  • Almost 25% of under 25-year-olds almost always or frequently consult social media when it comes to health issues. – see Fig. 13, p. 26
  • Less than half of under-40s say they are satisfied with their mental health. – see Fig. 24, p. 40
  • During the week, 86% of respondents sleep for at least eight hours, rising to 91% at the weekend. Nevertheless, 51% of those surveyed often feel tired. – see p. 43

The four Feelgood types

People have very different mentalities when it comes to health, appearance and well-being. Based on the survey data collected, the researchers at the GDI identified four Feelgood types that differ in terms of their attitude and motivation. "Wellness is not a generational but instead a mindset issue."

  • Strugglers: The self-doubters see their body as a construction site. Health and appearance are important to them, but at the same time they lack a sense of self-efficacy. The desire for external validation dominates their thoughts and actions.
  • Achievers: The self-optimisers see their bodies as an asset. They are convinced that health and beauty can be achieved with discipline. They are driven by pressure, a focus on performance and status. Women are slightly overrepresented in this type. 
  • Balancers: The self-confident see their body as an ally. What matters to them is feeling good in their body without the need to compare themselves with others. They accept age-related and natural imperfections.
  • Agnostics: The self-deniers see their body as a useful object. They have neither the time nor the inclination to deal with wellness issues. What matters to them is functionality and maximum effect with minimum effort. Men are overrepresented in this type. 

In the GDI online quiz, you can determine which Feelgood type you belong to by answering nine questions about nutrition, health and beauty.

Wellness for everyone instead of the few

"Products and services in the wellness market are often expensive," says Schäfer. Health is increasingly becoming a private consumer project, thereby widening the social gap. Instead of wellness being a privilege for the rich, well-being should be available to everyone as a public good. Brands, suppliers and politicians should act responsibly in order to (re)gain the trust of consumers. The study shows that consumers are beleaguered, with almost three quarters of respondents (74%) considering the purpose of many of the trends in the beauty and anti-ageing sector to be simply to make money. Over half (54%) distrust most health promises. Approximately 39% find it difficult to distinguish between well-founded and exaggerated health promises. Although such products are in high demand, the data shows that the players in these markets must take the fulfilment of performance promises and the transparency of information seriously. 

The "Feelgood Revolution: The new ecosystem where food, health and beauty converge" study is now available to download free of charge at gdi.ch/feelgood or those of you who prefer listening to reading, the GDI podcast summarises the mains findings of the study – and can be listed to at any time and in any location (German only).

Study author Christine Schäfer will be pleased to arrange an interview to answer any questions about the study.


Media contact

Evelyn Reusser
Senior Communications Manager
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Rüschlikon
+41 44 724 62 05
medien@gdi.ch 

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About the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute

The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) is Switzerland’s oldest think-tank. A place of inspiration and innovation where strategic visions are expounded, the GDI brings together key decision-makers to shape the future of the economy and society. The GDI unites research and industry-relevant application to define path-breaking strategies in tandem with business. It provides management executives with high-level insights in the fields of retail, nutrition and health and delivers guidance in times of upheaval – always centring on social, technological and environmental changes. This institute, which operates independently, is supported by the Migros Culture Percentage.