The gospel of wellness Gyms, gurus, Goop, and the false promise of self-care

Who among us wouldn't like to feel better physically, emotionally, spiritually, or socially? Journalist Raphael examines the benefits and hype driving a more than $4-trillion wellness market. She defines "wellness" as an "active pursuit of well-being outside the realm of medicine." She identifies a growing "distrust of mainstream medicine" as a major culprit for an expanding, empowering embrace of alternative remedies buoyed by dubious claims and promises, pseudoscience, and promotional campaigns. The lifestyles and activities scrutinized here range from mainstream (cardio fitness, yoga, meditation) to woo-woo (crystal therapy) to deceptive (intravenous vitamin drips, biohacking). In the chapter, "Gym as Church," Raphael considers how fitness studios function as a form of group therapy and stoke fervor with exercise dogmas. In "Nutritionmania," she surveys popular diet fads and doctrines: strictly organic, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free. The culture of wellness embodies more than evading sickness. It additionally encompasses self-improvement, body enhancement, and trendiness. One kinesiology professor laments, "As a society, we really have a warped image of what health is." Raphael delivers an eye-opening, cautionary study of the contemporary, amorphous meaning of "wellness."

Fast Company reporter Raphael declares that "the wellness industry isn't well" in this sharp and evocative account. Documenting a plethora of dubious claims and empty promises, Raphael contends that wellness companies have stepped into the "a void created by the unreasonable expectations that torment us." She vividly describes boutique fitness studios such as The Class and SoulCycle and weekend retreats like the Ganja Goddess Getaway, explaining how participation in these "churches" of wellness culture offers women some of the benefits of traditional belief communities but can leave them feeling abandoned and alone when a real crisis hits. Raphael also highlights how the conflation of thinness and health and the "subtle pressure to always be improving" drive the clean eating, supplement, and fitness sectors of the wellness industry, while the appeal of easy and attractive lifestyle solutions is touted by "hyperconsumerist" companies such as Goop. Sympathizing with women whose dissatisfaction with the medical system makes them susceptible to pseudoscience, Raphael makes clear that "the status quo isn't cutting it" ("We go to yoga because we need a moment to slow down") and guides readers to a more critical consumerism and an understanding that systemic solutions and community focus are required. This astute and revealing investigation packs a punch. (Sept.)

An eye-opening account of how the U.S. has become "a self-care nation, though arguably one that still lacks the fundamentals of well-being." A journalist who specializes in health and women's issues, Raphael is perfectly situated to investigate the massive wellness industry. What started as a movement to increase health and reduce stress has become, in many cases, a cure worse than the disease, with social media "fitfluencers" setting standards that are impossible to meet and a host of self-appointed gurus selling diet programs of every conceivable type. Most of the diets claim to be backed by science, but when Raphael drills down, she finds little reliable evidence and plenty of nonsense. Nevertheless, many people worry endlessly that they might inadvertently deviate from the plan, even if it is making them less healthy. Others stress about chemical pesticides infecting their vegetables and fruit, but the amounts are so miniscule as to be meaningless. "Food has become an utterly fraught ordeal for the average woman," writes the author. "A Fear Factor episode that never ends. If you're to take extreme wellness gurus and fad diets at face value, you cannot consume any sugar, gluten, pesticide residue, dairy, 'chemicals,' and more." Some gym programs resemble cults, and countless people get caught in a vicious cycle: You have to work hard to pay for the stress-reduction programs that are needed because you are working too hard. Raphael delves incisively into the marketing techniques used by so-called wellness companies and finds a remarkable level of manipulative cynicism. Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop line is a prime example. "Their health advice always seems to converge to one end point: buy more stuff," writes the author, who saves her sharpest barbs for the purported benefits of crystals and biohacking. She hopes the pendulum will swing back toward a more sensible center; until then, it's clear that she subscribes to a useful piece of old advice: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Writing with authority and empathy, Raphael tells a disturbing story of taking a good thing and then overdoing it. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.