#038 ᐧ 05 January 2026

Happy New Year, you wonderful human!

I’m back to kick off the new year with a long-awaited newsletter. It has been six months. Six months! It’s not good enough, really, even by my casual, non-committal standards. In 2026, I will try harder to make the irregular, at least be more present.

It’s a cool, crisp freezing 2℃ here on the UK’s south coast (edit: Monday am - snow dusted). Is it just me, or despite the frost and the short days, the sun’s gleam and the powder blue sky do nothing but put a spring in your step? 

I’ve had a complete shutdown over the festive break, taking two and a half weeks off work. A nice amount of time to rest and reset for 2026. Much needed. Always needed. I hope you managed to take some time for yourself, too?

For some, the new year signals “new me” vibes. For me, it’s always a moment for deep reflection. Rather than meticulously plotting resolutions, I lean towards introspection, creating space to look back on the year. This year has been a little different, though. After some encouragement from the LT at VCCP Health, I’ve entered (and been shortlisted for - squee) the WACL Talent Awards. It’s forced me to take glimpses into the past; in life, in career. The good kind. The kind that warms your heart and bubbles up a sense of self-worth. 

One of these moments was digging out my old Lovemarks book. My pride and joy in my final year of uni. My passport to working with brands. And a dear Christmas gift from my late Nana. Opening it up, I found the old receipt, handwritten from Nana’s local village bookshop, where she’d order all the “off the wall” books I wanted. I’m not even sure I appreciated her effort and generosity back then the way I do now.

All this unintentional soul searching has done wonders for my usual winter blues. Honestly, this feels like the most ‘up’ January I’ve had in years. It’s a nice place to be, promising 2026 as brightly as the glint of sunlight I see outside my window. As for resolutions and goals? These can wait until spring… and here’s a Guardian article to show why that might actually be a good idea (backed by science, naturally).

I’m back, you’re back... and so is POPhealth. So, shall we jump right in? Enough reflection, let's look forward, with a few healthcare and cultural trends we should all look out for in 2026…

The New Consumer 2026

Health at the heart of the next transformational forces

Forbes’ coverage of The New Consumer 2026, a venture capital trends report, feels like a good starting point. If that’s where the money thinks the world is going in 2026, that’s good enough for me.

The New Consumer was founded by business journalist Dan Frommer and venture firm Coefficient Capital, and the report is based on surveys of over 3,000 Americans conducted in November 2025. Granted, this is US-centric, but we’re looking at what behaviours are showing up and how it’s reshaping the consumer landscape, not why.

The report identifies five transformational forces:

1. The creator economy's maturation into a commerce powerhouse

2. GLP-1 medications are revolutionising health spending

3. Longevity optimisation is becoming mainstream

4. Wealth polarisation is creating "two Americas"

5. AI-driven personalisation is accelerating across categories.

Let’s look at 2 & 3 in more detail:

I love a conclusion that describes a consumer landscape as “in flux” (🤢), and yet it’s clear that health is where VCs are hedging their bets. Whether you work inside or outside of healthcare, my view is this: messaging rooted in prevention and performance will attract attention. Tools that help consumers make sense of their health data will align to real needs. And ultimately, brands that can position themselves as a way to regain a sense of control will win.

If you plan to cut down on swearing in 2026, think again… research suggests that a well-placed expletive can dull pain, regulate the heart, and help the body recover from stress. Read more about it in The Conversation.

Forget food allergens

Are there any weight loss meds we should know about?

The Infatuation, a restaurant reviews website, has released its trends predictions for 2026. Among the hot dog’s identity crisis and tin foil handbags for your leftovers, you’ll also find Ozempic. 

Once again, the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs in the States makes the trends list. Its effects on both appetite and desire mean customers are ordering differently. Restaurants are adapting to these new demands, citing Tucci’s single meatball and arancini dishes, Cuba Libre’s “GLP-Wonderful” menu and Smoothie King’s GLP-1 Support menu from last year as the start of this new norm.

We can expect GLP-1s to keep showing up in reports this year. As I touched on above, the ripple effect is reaching industries far and wide, not just impacting how we consume, but even how we respond to advertising. Take note.

With CES 2026 just around the corner, Victoria Song at The Verge has penned her thoughts on what to expect at the biggest technology showcase of the year. When it comes to health tech, she predicts fewer trackers, more AI, and apparently every other gadget will have the word ‘longevity’ tacked on (in line with the report above). Read more here.

WHO wrapped

Health milestones that mattered in 2025

From its social media posts, you’d think WHO had tried a bit of trendjacking à la Spotify Wrapped.

But this is the World Health Organisation we’re talking about! So instead, we get a formal, undynamic, text-heavy report … still worth a look if you care about the world’s health. 

Jokes aside, if you work in healthcare, this report provides a solid overview of the status of some of the world’s most critical diseases and health concerns, and highlights what remains a challenge in 2026:

• 86 million girls vaccinated against HPV as of 2025, moving the world closer to eliminating cervical cancer

• Measles deaths down 88% since 2000, yet cases have surged worldwide

• 20 million children missed essential vaccines due to conflict, supply disruptions, and misinformation

• 1.4 billion more people enjoy healthier lives thanks to reduced tobacco use, cleaner air, and better water and sanitation

• Funding cuts in 2025 have severely disrupted services, including maternal care, HIV prevention, and disease surveillance

• A global shortfall of 11.1 million health workers is projected for 2030

• Over 1 billion people live with mental health conditions, yet most lack access to care

2025 is wrapped. These milestones show the victories and gaps in global health, and provide perfect context as we navigate 2026.

Nothing to do with 2026… Just something beautiful and fun, the perfect rabbit hole to fall down when January procrastination hits as you drag yourself back to work:

>> Size of Life <<

I’m really hoping you find this roundup useful as we step into 2026. I spent a lot of time over the past few days skimming trends reports, and honestly? I felt underwhelmed. 

Maybe it’s the sheer onslaught of reports themselves. I was sent a link to a drive containing 183. One hundred and eighty-three! It’s not just me being lazy or unwilling to dig deeper. So much of this stuff feels repackaged from previous years, too generalised, too vague, or a bit too “duh, no shit,” especially when it comes to actions for brands. 

With trends reports, it really is a case of quantity over quality. So if you have read a genuinely good one, please send it my way. I. WOULD. LOVE TO. READ. IT.

I’ll (hopefully) be back in a few weeks. I’d love to do a deeper dive into CES 2026, and as usual, I’ll keep an eye out for campaigns hitting the mark early in the year and share the health stories breaking into the mainstream.

Until then, here are a few bits and pieces that might get you thinking in January:

📺 Watch: Chris McCausland - Seeing into the future - BBC iPlayer

🎧 Listen: MM+M says ‘Goodbye’ to 2025 and ‘Hello’ to 2026 - MM+M Podcast

📖 Read: The health trends that will shape 2026 - Live Science

One final thing from me: if you’re new here, please don’t forget to subscribe, especially if you’ve found my musings insightful (or at least mildly thought-provoking). You’ll receive POPhealth straight to your inbox once it’s published. And to all the old faces: thank you so much for continuing to support and share POPhealth with friends and colleagues.

Wishing you all the best for the year ahead,

And until next time, good health and good culture 🫰

EML