Content That Defined 2021

2021 brought positive changes, with people more optimistic than ever about health innovations, including hopeful COVID-19 research and developments. Many continued to diversify their perspectives on health equity, built healthier habits, and learned to ask each other for help. At Healthline Media, we took the lead for our audiences, bringing them the trusted information they need to make changes in their lives. As the largest health information property in the United States, we take seriously our ongoing mission to bring health and well-being to the world.

On Healthline.com, MedicalNewsToday.com, Greatist.com, and PsychCentral.com, we helped people navigate the ongoing pandemic, forged a brighter future for more people through our work in health equity, and went deeper with whole-person well-being than ever before.

Themes That Defined 2021

Health Equity & Intersectionality: This year, we continued to make good on our plans from 2020, taking action to understand and address issues of race, gender, and culture across health and wellness. We rolled out our corporate commitment page, where you can learn more about how we bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to our relationships with audiences, nonprofit partners, business partners, and employees. To see how we activated this theme across our brands, start with our Health Equity hub, Transform Health Equity hub, or Mental Health Resources for People of Color and Indigenous People.

Whole-Person Well-Being: We’re bringing wellness to more people, in more actionable ways. Our whole-person approach looks at various aspects of health and their impact on overall well-being. Across categories like fitness, sleep, and nutrition, we’ve begun to launch dedicated campaigns designed to help people get started and stay motivated. If 2020 was the year time stood still, then 2021 is the year people got moving again, looking to build new habits and feel their best.

COVID-19: There’s no denying we all needed guidance this year. As the situation changed rapidly — we saw vaccines, masking requirements, boosters, the Delta variant, and now the rapid rise of the Omicron variant — we continued to bring readers up-to-the-minute COVID-19 news on our dedicated Healthline and Medical News Today feeds. We provided the latest research, mental health insights, and important information on long COVID, including its impact on cognition and female well-being.

The Topics That Got Us Talking in 2021

While a wide range of topics resonated with readers, these are some of the stories that they engaged with the most.

COVID-19 Symptoms Usually Show Up in This Order

Not sure what to make of your cough or fever? This guide offers a starting point for understanding your symptoms.

11 Tips to Gain Muscle Like a Pro

With more people finding time for workouts, our expert-backed fitness guides help people level up at their own pace.

The 18 Best Books About Anxiety for Kids of All Ages and Their Parents

Many kids with anxiety don’t have the vocabulary to explain what they’re experiencing. These books can help.

What is the grey rock method?

This article offers a strategy people can use when interacting with people who are manipulative or abusive.

All About Stonewalling and Gaslighting

Creating healthy boundaries is important for improving personal relationships. This article offers a starting point.

19 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Freeze

This article opens up a whole new world of freezer functionality, revealing things you never even knew you could stash there.

Is My Blood Oxygen Level Normal?

Monitoring your blood oxygen level can provide critical insight into your health and show whether treatments are working.

Likely cause of Alzheimer’s identified in new study

Research has uncovered a blood-brain barrier factor that may be one of the likely causes of Alzheimer's disease.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

As we look back on another fulfilling year, our metrics show us that readers were staying engaged — finding healing, exploring new healthy hobbies, finding ways to track and monitor their goals, and growing their health knowledge on relevant topics.

In 2022, our goal is to keep readers informed and engaged as we activate exciting projects, use and evolve our conscious language guidelines, and keep care and compassion at the forefront of everything we do.

Interested in learning about how your brand can align with diverse health and wellness audiences, content, and conversations? Contact us today.