The LOHAS concept was originally founded in 2000. It is the brainchild of US sociologist Paul Ray and psychologist Sherry Anderson, co-authors of The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People are Changing the World.
LOHAS is an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. It is a market segment focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living, and social justice.
LOHAS consumers are not only concern about their lifestyle being environmental friendly, but also support saving the planet’s environment. Today, high expenses and materialistic lifestyle do not bring high quality living to all human races. On the contrary, it causes air and water pollution, health problems and food pollutions; human civilization destroys the balance of nature; our planet is sick, the world will come to an end.
The LOHAS companies practice “responsible capitalism” by providing goods and services using economic and environmentally sustainable business practices.
LOHAS consumers have grown to be a group of powerful voice. They emphasize a lifestyle of environmental friendly, promote organic food, physical, and mental health, care for others and protect the planet. One-third of the populations in Europe, America and Japan are LOHAS, the number is increasing every year. LOHAS markets are growing, for example: environmental friendly building, recycled energy, environmental friendly furniture, second-hand products, organic food, and health food, alternative remedy, self improvement program (e.g. yoga, spiritual uplifting programs). These are getting more and more popular in recent years. As a result, big organizations in many developed countries have invested huge amount of money in environmental friendly products and services.
Here is a conference/forum of Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) in the USA video clip. Feast your eyes and understand its important on joining the evolution LOHAS (eLOHAS) herd.
According to Wikipedia, the products and services scope is below, [exact quote]
“The marketplace includes goods and services such as:
Organic and locally grown food
Organic and natural personal care products
Hybrid and electric cars
Green and sustainable building
Energy efficient electronics/applicances
Socially responsible investing
Natural household products (paper goods and cleaning products)
Complementary, alternative and preventive medicine (Naturopathic, Chinese medicine, etc.)
Fair trade products”
So, LOHAS pretty much covers a broad range of areas through this products with the initiative of saving our planet for the next generation and also the subsequent ones.
eLohas has now been positioned in such that it will begin to gather a community of people that will work towards the sustainability of the planet earth so that we can at least preserve what Mother Nature and God Himself has given us.
Wall-E, the Pixar animated movie, that talks about the Robot that was built to save the world is an example of why LOHAS needs to be in the minds of people. If you have not watched the movie, please grab your tickets in the cinemas, or get it on NetFlix, or even get a DVD copy of the movie.
So, why are we talking about LOHAS, or eLOHAS, and also what is the difference?
To start off, let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about LOHAS.
“Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability ( LOHAS ) is a demographic defining a particular market segment related to sustainable living, “green” ecological initiatives, and generally composed of a relatively upscale and well-educated population segment. Researchers have reported a range of sizes of the LOHAS market segment. For example, Worldwatch Institute reported that the LOHAS market segment in year 2006 was estimated at $300 billion, approximately 30% of the USA consumer market; and , a study by the Natural Marketing Institute showed that in 2007, 40 million Americans were included within the LOHAS demographic. Author Paul H. Ray, who coined the term “Cultural Creatives” in his book by the same name, explains that “What you’re seeing is a demand for products of equal quality that are also virtuous”. Included in the cultural creative demographic are consumers of “new age” goods and services.”
So, there, the definition of LOHAS and the statistics to go along with it.
Now, let’s go to the next one, e-LOHAS or eLOHAS.
eLOHAS is a termed coined by Malaysian entrepreneur and environmentalist, KK Lai from www.top-ozone.com
“eLOHAS is a movement of LOHAS, where we will create a community that is sustainable and healthy, which is the primary principles incorporated into their lifestyle. It is much like, iPod to MP3 and music industry, and eLOHAS is to environmentalist and LOHAS herd,” says the charismatic and passionate KK Lai.
So stay tune, to our next instalment of creating a positive “cult” status and structure for LOHAS.
