CURATED READS FOR GEN Z—AND THEIR Z-CURIOUS COLLEAGUES

April is Stress Awareness Month, April 7 was World Health Day, and two weeks ago, the McKinsey Health Institute launched with a mission of adding years to life and life to years.

first up

How’s your health? Maybe you don’t give it a second thought unless something’s really wrong. Or maybe you’re biohacking your way to optimal performance.

Everything we do individually is part of the overall global picture of human health. And the wide-angle shot is pretty good: between 1800 and 2017, average life expectancy more than doubled, from 30 years to 73 years.

But the world can do better, says the newly launched McKinsey Health Institute. How much better? Over the next decade, humanity could add as many as 45 billion extra years of higher-quality life globally—or six years per person. (I don’t know about you, but I’d use those for a spectacular round-the-world retirement party.)

Adding years to life isn’t as simple as choosing the cauliflower in your fridge over takeout or skipping screen time for steps. Society will need to challenge its beliefs about health and reorient portions of public policy and the economy to meet this ambitious challenge. While we all work on that, here are some insights from the frontiers of health and well-being: 

‘Wellness’ is the new ‘health.’ Everywhere you look, it’s skincare supplements, neon athleisure, mental-health apps, and more—no wonder people spend about $1.5 trillion a year on wellness products and services worldwide.

Think big. Health is much more than a personal choice. The broader ecosystems are wide-ranging and include care beyond the doctor’s office: 

A brighter tomorrow. Want to know the best part? We already have some of the solutions that can make people healthier. Simply by expanding known health interventions, the world could: 

visualize it

Telehealth skyrocketed during the pandemic, but not everyone is thrilled—patients tend to like the convenience and want to keep receiving digital care, while physicians have a less rosy outlook. 

KEEP THE PARTY GOING

I want it now. In the first nine months of 2021, retailers invested $5.8 billion in “dark convenience stores” that offer delivery without a functioning storefront—are you up to date on the fastest way to get your last-minute feta? Read through our interview with the CEO of quick-delivery service Gorillas, and find out what we predict for the EU’s online-grocery landscape.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. In 2020, Californians bought up to 550,000 tons of clothing—500,000 tons that will eventually end up in landfills. How can that loop be closed?

Jerks at work. Toxic coworkers threaten mental health, and making allies is your best bet (because the jerks have allies, too). But be careful not to become the work jerk yourself. 

MAN vs MACHINE

How do computers solve games? Explore a reinforcement learning overview that combines ’80s video games, sailing, farming, and more—it’s part of our McKinsey for Kids series (though it’s really for everyone). 

IF YOU KNOW THESE, YOU’RE COOL

— Edited by Sarah Skinner, Gen Z curation editor, New York