From streaming services to bicycles: The 2024 Building H Index reveals which everyday products help—or harm—your health and how small changes can make a big difference in improving well-being. Building H Index 2024 Image Credit: Stokkete / Shutterstock A recent report , Building H Index 2024, by Building H, which is part of the Public Health Institute, rated and ranked popular products and services based on how they impact their users' health, focusing specifically on non-healthcare-related items. The authors, Steve Downs and Thomas Goetz, co-founders of Building H, identified more than 75 services and products across the transportation, housing, food, and entertainment industries and reviewed their influence on health behaviors related to time spent outdoors, social engagement, sleeping, physical activity, and eating.
A health index to hold companies accountable Housing leads the way: Culdesac, a car-free apartment community, topped the rankings for providing outdoor spaces, fresh food access, and social engagement, setting a benchmark for health-positive housing developments. The Building H Index identifies and ranks products and services that can affect human health by influencing behavior. Items that modify diet, physical and outdoor activity, sleep, and social engagement can affect mental and physical health and even increase the risk of chronic diseases, and their influence should be scrutinized.
Each item was given an H-score between 0 and 100; a higher score indic.
