Two years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic receded, with some semblance of normalcy. But just as we were healing from one health crisis, there is another in the wings—the pervasive reach of the wellness industry. It is seemingly a part of everyday life – from local spas to luxury retreats, and also by influencers and celebrities peddling products making unfounded health claims.
The Global Wellness Institute has defined wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.” But beneath this broad definition lies a marketplace saturated with products and services that lack scientific support. Therapies such as coffee enemas, cold plunges, and detox juices are being marketed as paths to optimal well-being, but there is no established efficacy. Clinical psychologist Jonathan N. Stea notes that the wellness industry is “laced with pseudoscience,” and criticizes much of its offerings.
The real danger of the wellness industry is beyond its exorbitantly priced products; it is in the transmission of medical disinformation that generates fear and diminishes faith in established healthcare practices. False claims like parasites induce brain fog or that vaccines are harmful, for example, not only misinform consumers but also have severe health consequences by deterring individuals from seeking proven medical treatments. The spread of such misinformation has tangible effects; can have major repercussion for many people. It has been shown that individuals have reported developing unhealthy obsessions with restrictive diets being promoted online, with adverse effects on their social and personal lives.
ANother worrying fact is yhe rapid expansion of the wellness industry.. The global wellness economy in 2023 reached $6.3 trillion, and according to projections will reach almost $9 trillion by 2028. For context, the global pharmaceutical sector is valued at $1.6 trillion. A lot of the rapid growth can be attributed to the rising rates of distrust in medicinal science due to the effects of misinformation in social media and is further encouraged by the latest Make America Healthy Again movement.
But this trend also reflects an increasing distrust of traditional healthcare driven by the dissemination of wellness propaganda and political ideologies grounded in pseudoscientific ideology.
But, now the main question is what can we do to help alleviate this issue?
The market depends on us, as consumers. False information on social media increased because we consume such content – we enable them by liking, sharing, and reposting such posts without realizing their drastic effects.
Here are some things you can do to help –
Seek Expert Advice: Get medical advice from trained health professionals and draw on peer-reviewed scientific literature.
Check Facts: Cross-check health claims that one discovers on social media with authoritative sources and studies.
Advocate for Accuracy: At the very top, challenge and correct misinformation and contribute to building a more intelligent public discourse.
And if you can only take away one thing from this, please remember: actual wellness is not in a bottle of miracle supplements or the trendy hashtag—but from a comprehension that our bodies are deserving of respect, our brains are deserving of knowledge, and our choices are deserving of the honesty of facts and evidence-based figures. And it is time we made them demand that from the wellness industry, holistic health creators, and more importantly, from our government leaders.
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