Today, much of what we do is designed towards implementing these resolutions. And, having spent time thinking of the best ways to achieve this, it was clear that a common language was needed. With so many organisations and people involved in health and wellness the world over, it was evident that progress was being stifled by the fact that often, while we share a common understanding, we use different terms.  We may assign different definitions when terms like “nutrition content claims” or “malnutrition” are used.  However, with the recent publication of the Health & Wellness Glossary, we hope to tackle this head on.

The simple truth is that with the absence of a common, well-defined lexicon of health and wellness terms, it is difficult for professionals to speak a common language. The purpose of the Health & Wellness Glossary is to begin to harmonise and clearly define the terms that businesses use to describe their health and wellness efforts.  Through the Glossary, we hope to:

  • Equip professionals working within the consumer goods industry with a shared understanding and common language on health and wellness terms and definitions.
  • Enable professionals to communicate better in order to work towards industry alignment and implementation of the Health and Wellness resolutions.
  • Drive convergence. The CGF’s Health and Wellness Initiative built this glossary to describe best existing terms and definitions, upholding relevant International Standards – where these exist – and to provide a common interpretation of health and wellness terms.
  • Offer a practical and easy-to-use guide to health and wellness terminology and vocabulary used in the resolutions.

Of course, the goal is for the Glossary to evolve and grow over time. It’s not meant to be a static document, and I would say that its true success will come with that evolution.  Alas, if you are involved in this area, I hope that you find the Glossary a useful resource. We know it’s not exhaustive, but as I say, we do hope it will evolve over time.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your feedback.

Saliha Barlatey,
Head of Corporate Industry Affairs, Nestlé
and Chair of the H&W Stakeholder Engagement Taskforce