Literary Insights

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The wellness industry has grown tremendously to a $4.4 trillion market, as people actively pursue well-being through choices around nutrition, fitness, stress management, etc.
Wellness has become vague and broad, encompassing many products and practices from yoga to organic food to meditation. It can mean different things to different people.
Entire industries have emerged catering to wellness, like boutique fitness studios, organic food, meditation apps, athleisure wear, detox programs, and wellness communities.
Wellness has become a mainstream cultural movement as Millennials in particular focus on self-care and self-improvement. Some see it as obsessive or like a religion for others.
The author was working in digital news in 2014 when she noticed lifestyle trends like athleisure, boutique fitness and juice bars taking off, signaling a wellness phenomenon emerging in culture. She is now exploring this movement and industry further.
The author initially viewed the rise of wellness trends like clean eating, meditation, and fitness classes as positive, with many people looking to improve their health and lives. She embraced these trends herself over several years.
However, as she covered the wellness industry full-time as a journalist, interviewing founders and testing trends, she grew more skeptical. Some trends became less about health and more about selling products like crystals or cleanses without evidence.
Reflecting on why she was initially drawn in, the author describes feeling depleted, exhausted, and worried about aging working in a high-stress media environment in New York. She hoped wellness could provide solutions through better nutrition, sleep, self-care, and reducing stress/anxiety.
When she moved to LA, she saw the wellness lifestyle as a “promised land” where people seemed healthier and happier. But over time covering the industry, her initial positive views started to change as some trends focused more on profit than proven health benefits.
The author begins investigating health claims made by wellness brands by consulting medical professionals, scientists, and reading fine print.
She realizes many marketing promises don’t align with science and evidence is often paltry or exaggerated. Influencers hype things up too quickly without sufficient evidence.
Wellness is often treated more like fashion than science in media. Reporters aren’t pressed to investigate health claims thoroughly.
Once the Theranos scandal revealed deceptive practices in Silicon Valley, people began examining wellness claims more critically.
The author realizes through her research that common wellness beliefs are often based more on marketing than science. Women are heavily influenced by celebrities and brands, not actual health experts.
The book aims to provide an investigative report and sociological analysis of the wellness industry by examining its various segments, the cultural forces that fueled its growth, and the promises as well as dangers it presents.
The goal is to distinguish legitimate benefits from exaggerated marketing claims and identify aspects that may add more stress or illness rather than improving health.
The passage describes how digital journalism jobs increasingly required doing the work of an entire team as staff sizes shrank. Journalists had to work around the clock to keep up with constant news cycles.
The writer burned out from the stress and anxiety. They struggled with sleep issues and looked for stress relief.
They discovered a intense cardio and yoga class called The Class that incorporated emotional expression and screaming. Participants would express their anger and frustration through intense exercise.
The Class became very popular, even attracting celebrities. It was seen as a way to release emotions through physical activity.
One session after the Kavanaugh confirmation was especially intense. Participants angrily sang and screamed along to protest songs.
The writer observed many professional women at the class seemed exhausted and at their breaking point. They saw this as reflecting broader stress and frustration felt by many women struggling to “have it all” with work and family demands.

Expectations and responsibilities continue to mount for women, putting them under significant strain. Surveys show women experience higher stress levels than men, especially married women. Women spend more hours per day on unpaid domestic labor like cooking, cleaning, and childcare. This unequal division of labor limits women’s time for their careers, hobbies, and self-care.

Work is also a major source of stress for women. With long work hours and fewer worker protections in the US compared to other developed nations, women easily experience burnout. The stress does not end once leaving the office either, as many workplaces now expect employees to always be available. Limited job opportunities also increase stress and insecurity.

Women face stress from various roles and situations. Working mothers report the highest stress levels as they struggle to juggle childcare, work, and household responsibilities. Relationship stress also impacts women, whether from caring too much at work or difficulties in the online dating scene. The pandemic further intensified issues as women took on more duties at home while also working. As a result, the number of women leaving the workforce in 2020 was much higher than men.

Overall, while women have gained more freedoms, many still feel like they must fulfill dual roles as successful workers and caregivers without sufficient support. Historic changes in women’s roles were not met with equivalent changes for men, employers, or policies. This imbalance of responsibilities puts extraordinary strain on women in modern American society.

Breath work instructor Jay Bradley has observed far more female than male clients, many of them high-achieving women seeking stress relief. They feel depleted, overwhelmed trying to “do it all.”
Bradley encourages clients to truly focus on themselves during sessions, potentially releasing worries through breathwork and self-compassion. Women often need rest and self-care but face additional pressure from social media.
The story then shifts to discussing the history of exercise as stress relief. It describes how James Fixx popularized jogging in the 1970s after noticing its benefits from his own experiences. Exercise is thought to reduce stress hormones and provide a sense of control.
Yoga has also gained popularity as a way to destress through mind-body connection. Celebrity endorsements have contributed to its growth, though exercise in general is known to lower anxiety through various physiological and psychological effects.
In summary, the passage looks at how high-achieving women seek different stress relief methods like breathwork and yoga, as well as the historical context of exercise being used as a way to manage stress and boost mental well-being.

Here is a summary of the key points about the arity of Roosevelt’s therapies:

Roosevelt promoted a variety of activities and therapies to help manage stress and improve mental health, including naps/resting, outdoor activities like riding horses, and trips to relaxing locations. This reflected his view that a multidimensional approach incorporating rest, movement, nature, and escape from demands was important.
His therapies incorporated elements of what we now think of as self-care activities like relaxation, physical activity, spending time in nature, and getting away from stressors/responsibilities temporarily. However, the emphasis was more on escaping demands and finding balance, rather than putting the entire onus on individuals.
In contrast, today’s workplace wellness initiatives focused solely on self-care and stress management techniques risk putting too much responsibility on individuals, failing to address systemic causes of stress, and allowing employers to avoid real changes to workload/conditions that create burnout. Roosevelt favored a more holistic approach addressing both the internal and external/structural factors influencing well-being.

So in summary, while Roosevelt promoted self-care activities, the arity or diversity of his approach incorporated addressing external stressors and demands, not just internal coping, setting it apart from current workplace wellness trends according to the argument being made. The emphasis was more on balance and escape than sole reliance on self-care.

The passage argues that the wellness industry aims to address stress and promote self-care, but often focuses too much on short-term individual solutions rather than systemic issues. Products and programs provide temporary relief but don’t fix underlying problems.
Historically, self-care had more radical, community-oriented roots as marginalized groups created their own health services due to lack of access. But now it emphasizes personal consumption over collective action.
Wellness culture places too much responsibility on individuals to manage stress, diverting attention from making changes to stressful systems and policies through organized efforts.
While some self-care is useful, the industry risks “sedating women” and preventing them from voicing grievances. Better to encourage demands for workplace reforms that could ultimately reduce stress long-term.
In summary, while products/programs offer relief, an imperfect system should not remain unchanged. The passage argues for combining personal wellness with efforts to rectify systemic causes of stress through organized action and demands for reform.
“Clean eating” has become a popular trend in recent years, promoted by wellness influencers and celebrities as a healthful way of eating whole, unprocessed foods. However, it also has implications for weight and body image.
Historically, diets like Grahamism in the 1800s that promoted “natural” and bland whole foods were also about morality, repression of sexuality, and concerns over weight/body size. They reflected anxieties over industrialization and distrust of processed foods.
Modern clean eating influencers claim improved health from avoiding processed foods, but also push thin ideals and associate clean eating directly with weight loss and attractive, fit physiques. Their ubiquitous social media presence gives them more influence than traditional diet books/magazines.
While health may be part of the appeal, clean eating also plays on deeper aspirational desires for thinness and fits into broader cultural pressures around women’s bodies and weight. The agenda of weight control is often hidden under promises of health and wellness.
Clean eating and wellness diets are often disguised forms of diet culture that promote weight loss through restrictive eating. They ban processed foods and push vegetables like kale and cauliflower instead of snacks.
Media and brands couch slimming down in positive language like “health” and “nutrition” by promoting diets, lifestyle plans, and thin role models. But the goal is often a specific body shape and size.
Wellness culture has blurred the lines between health and dieting. Products are marketed for “detox” and “cleanses” but the body already has effective detoxification systems. These are just crash diets with expensive supplements.
Diet and wellness businesses are hugely profitable because most diets don’t work long-term as people regain weight. Constantly changing diets keeps the revolving door of customers.
Misleading marketing presents gimmicky detoxes and regimens as health solutions but they often just cause side effects. The $192 billion diet industry benefits from eroding people’s ability to distinguish facts from fiction about health.
Wellness influencers push back against the rampant misinformation, discussing how extreme diets can be psychologically and physically damaging based on personal experience. But competing against massive online misinformation is challenging.

Here is a summary of lean Eating Extremism:

Lean/clean eating started as a wellness trend to be healthy and look good, but can lead to orthorexia - an extreme unhealthy obsession with eating “clean” and restricting certain foods.
Jordan Younger suffered from this after following a strict vegan/clean eating plan that left her malnourished at 101 pounds with hair loss and missed periods. She felt immense pressure to maintain her restrictive diet from her followers.
Other cases like Katherine Metzelaar show how clean eating restrictions can grow more extreme over time, excluding whole food groups and focusing excessively on supplements.
Clean eating language promotes “good” and “bad” foods in a moralizing way that leads to unnecessary guilt, shame cycles, and fixation on food choices. It suggests food is either healing or harmful.
Strict restrictions and cutting out whole food groups can cause nutrient deficiencies and low energy from depriving the body. These diets are hard to maintain and often lead to bingeing.
Women are especially susceptible due pressure on female bodies from media and a focus on individual responsibility for health outcomes. Lean eating extremism preys on these insecurities.

The passage criticizes the emphasis on weight loss and dieting in our culture. While having a healthy lifestyle is good, focusing too much on counting calories and points takes up mental space that could be used for more enriching pursuits. Yo-yo dieting is also unhealthy and can increase health risks long-term. Our society over-simplifies the relationship between weight and health - weight is just one factor, and health outcomes depend on many individual factors like genetics, stress levels, access to healthcare, etc. Using the BMI as a measure of health is flawed as it does not account for variations in body composition. Extreme focus on weight also leads to stigma and shame against those deemed “overweight” by outdated metrics. Instead of restrictive dieting, a better approach is to encourage overall healthy habits tailored to individuals. Anti-fat bias in our culture may be increasing obesity risks by how it shapes attitudes and policies.

In 2018, 100 women from the beauty company Beautycounter marched on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress to strengthen regulations on cosmetics and ban harmful chemicals from personal care products.
Beautycounter sells “clean beauty” products that are free of proven or suspected toxic ingredients, both synthetic and natural.
The company employs a multi-level marketing model where around 60,000 independent consultants (“brand advocates”) sell the products peer-to-peer and online while educating others about clean beauty.
Many consultants are drawn to Beautycounter’s mission to make products safer. Selling the products gives them a sense of purpose and pride, as if they are helping prevent illness or impact policy through sales.
The advocates want laws passed like the Personal Care Products Safety Act, a bill to increase transparency around ingredients and strengthen oversight of the cosmetics industry. Their goal is to remove “bad” ingredients from personal care products.
Beautycounter founder Gregg Renfrew leads a battalion of brand advocates and consultants who lobby for safer beauty product regulations, though many have little political experience.
Beautycounter aims to change the landscape through activism, using their sales of “clean” beauty products to promote personal care product reform and get safer products into everyone’s hands.
At a Beautycounter event in D.C., over 100 top consultants met with politicians to share personal stories and passion for changing regulations, advocating for stricter safety standards.
Historically, women were seen as responsible for managing the home environment and limiting disease through proper cleaning, sanitization, and food safety practices. Ellen Swallow Richards advocated for this “domestic science” and consumer product oversight in the late 19th century.
There is debate around whether Beautycounter and other clean beauty brands are truly driving societal change or simply profiting off health concerns. Regulatory support is still needed to make safer products accessible and affordable for all consumers.

Here is a summary of key points about home economics:

Home economics emerged in the late 19th/early 20th century as a field of study focused on sanitation, nutrition, and home management. It aimed to apply scientific principles to running a household.
Early home economics experts promoted intensive home cleaning and sanitization to prevent diseases, especially in children. They emphasized the role of mothers in ensuring family health and safety.
Consumer product companies capitalized on anxieties around cleanliness and health by marketing a wide range of cleaning products and appliances. They used fear-based appeals targeting mothers.
Over time, the responsibility for family safety and health fell increasingly to women as consumers. Companies continue to use fear and guilt to market “clean” and “natural” products to women.
Some critiques argue this fuels anxieties in women and places an undue burden on them to vigilantly protect their families through constant consumption and avoidance of “toxic” products. It can lead to self-blame if health issues arise.
Nonetheless, the appeal of “natural” products reflects cultural values around nature and purity in American society dating back to the 19th century. The natural products industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar market.
There is a growing trend of consumers seeking out “natural” products due to a belief that nature is purer and safer than synthetic chemicals. Many are drawn to perceived authenticity and minimalism of natural ingredients.
However, the term “natural” is loosely defined and regulated. All products involve some level of processing and extraction. While some natural ingredients can be beneficial, others are toxic. Everything has a chemical composition.
Some natural products marketed as preservative-free have experienced mold issues due to less effective natural preservatives. They may also contain skin irritants. Their effectiveness is often inferior to products using rigorous scientific research.
Brands leverage consumers’ desire for the perceived benefits of natural to market products through mythology and values-based branding. Nature is assigned fantastical virtues without full scientific backing. This creates a false dichotomy between natural and synthetic ingredients that does not align with science. The term “natural” is poorly defined but effectively marketed.

Here is a summary of the key points about ichotomy from the passage:

Ichotomy refers to the debate around “natural” vs “conventional” or “chemical” skincare and beauty products. There is a belief that natural alternatives are always safer.
However, scientists say this is a murky area full of pseudoscience and marketing confusion. Claims about product safety are often exaggerated and not supported by actual science.
Natural ingredients can potentially have the same safety issues as conventional ones, depending on dosage. Just because something is natural does not mean it is safe.
Most ingredients are used in very small, safe amounts according to toxicology research. But fearmongering focuses only on potential hazards without proper context of risk and exposure levels.
A major example is the debate around parabens preservatives. While some studies link them to health issues, toxicologists say the evidence is weak and usage levels in cosmetics are too low to pose risks based on current research. However, endocrine effects are still debated.
In general, the science is more complex than the clean beauty industry portrays, but marketing focuses on frightening people rather than communicating nuanced scientific perspectives.
Determining the potential long-term health effects of chemicals in cosmetics is challenging because impacts may not be immediate. However, some experts argue there is evidence of increasing disease rates that could be linked to environmental factors. There may also be mixture effects from multiple chemicals.
Experts disagree on the potential for harm from cosmetic chemicals. Some point to a lack of definitive proof, while others call for more research on questions like mixtures of parabens and phthalates.
Isolating a single cause of diseases like cancer is difficult given exposures to many chemicals daily. More research is needed but correlation does not prove causation.
There is debate around links between chemicals like parabens and health issues. Evidence is mixed and other factors like natural hormones are likely more significant. Further research is ongoing.
Regulators and large companies have safety oversight but perfect safety cannot be guaranteed. Transparency around issues is important to maintain trust. Both mainstream and clean brands have faced lawsuits over safety issues.
More research is needed but fear and hysteria should be removed from discussions to have an evidence-based view of potential risks. Communication on available evidence could be improved.

The passage describes Peloton instructor Ally Love’s popular virtual cycling class called “Sundays with Love.” Love incorporates religious language and themes of spirituality into her motivational workout sessions. She gives mini-sermons focused on virtues like honesty and uses personal anecdotes. The goal seems to elevate the cycling experience into a time for self-reflection. Fans view her as a patron saint of workouts, guiding a “movement” of up to 70,000 viewers. Peloton even sells Sundays with Love branded merchandise. Love has become a celebrity instructor with nearly 850k Instagram followers. Her classes are described as creating deep self-connection and Love acts as a “vessel.” The religious imagery depicts her as a prophetic leader. Love draws from her theology education to blend inspiration and fitness. Her success challenges views that minimize humanities education.

Love is a Peloton cycling instructor known for overcoming challenges and defying medical odds to become athletic after being hit by a car as a child.
Peloton has grown tremendously to over 6 million members, appealing to busy parents and others seeking convenience and community. Its interactive classes cultivate motivation and provide rituals/spirituality similar to religious services.
SoulCycle was an early pioneer in blending spirituality and group fitness. It cultivated an intense loyal following with enthusiastic instructors and an uplifting, communal atmosphere unlike typical gyms.
Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler were inspired to create their own fitness studio after missing the social/inspirational aspects of fitness in California and Colorado. They envisioned uplifting classes that empowered clients and fostered community over competition.
They founded SoulCycle together in 2006, designing immersive, theatrical classes held in a small converted dance studio. It became a cult hit known for its fervent following and ability to induce religious-like devotion through an inspiring group fitness experience.
The SoulCycle fitness studio was founded by Julie Rice and focused on offering an inspirational and meditative indoor cycling experience.
In the early days, Rice marketed aggressively through guerrilla tactics like sticking fliers in apartment buildings.
SoulCycle grew rapidly in popularity in New York due to investing in its instructors, who were highly trained in hospitality and made efforts to personally connect with students.
SoulCycle classes cultivated a sense of community and collective experience through factors like dim lighting, communal music, and instructors motivating students to push past physical limits together.
Instructors at SoulCycle and similar fitness brands function like pastors or self-help experts, offering emotional support and advice to loyal followers.
Group fitness classes fill social and spiritual needs once met by organized religion or closer-knit communities, acting as a form of communal therapy and experience-based spirituality. Their popularity reflects women seeking intense tribal gatherings.
Dr. Mensendieck was a pioneer in physical education for women in the early 20th century. She advocated for exercise without restrictive corsets to improve health and posture.
She opened schools teaching her method of strengthening core muscles through nude exercises. Her programs became popular across Europe and eventually in the US, with over 200,000 students.
Her exercises were meant to sculpt the “ideal” female body and promote grace and beauty. She felt women needed to meet standards of physical attractiveness.
While expanding women’s access to fitness, her teachings also emphasized physical appearance and conforming to social/beauty standards of the time.
Her method influenced later developments like Pilates. Though her specific system is not widely known today, she contributed to growing acceptance of exercise for women’s wellness and appearance.

The passage discusses Dr. Mensendieck as a pioneering figure who both advanced women’s fitness but also promoted physical standards tied to beauty and social norms of her era. She opened up exercise for women but within the limiting views of her Victorian context.

Here is a summary of section c:

Digital fitness communities on platforms like Peloton can foster real bonds and support between members. Groups on Facebook provide spaces for connection around shared identities, goals, or attributes like being a lawyer, military member, or working mom.
When members share about personal struggles, others offer tangible help like gifts, meals, or job referrals. While the interactions are virtual, the support can feel therapeutic.
However, critics argue these communities only provide a “curated” form of diversity that is palatable to most consumers. Real encounters with different groups may be limited.
Instructors at boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle are positioned as spiritual leaders but have minimal training for things like handling divorce, trauma, or mental health crises among members.
Instructors are also transient compared to religious leaders. Their departure can devastate loyal members. During the pandemic, SoulCycle cut many instructors without severance.
Top priority for these businesses is ultimately profit, not community. Controversies at SoulCycle highlighted how popular instructors were protected due to financial value, even if accused of inappropriate behavior. Exclusivity and high prices can also limit the diversity of membership.
A SoulCycle class feels more like an exclusive debutante ball than going to the gym. Boutique fitness studios deliberately cultivate an exclusive, scarce experience to keep “Planet Fitness masses” out.
However, this cult branding and scarcity can lead to problematic behaviors like fans bribing staff, bullying other riders, and forming an obsessive attachment to their favorite instructor. Some riders even romantically pursued instructors.
When one customer lost a front row seat to a thinner rider, it revealed the ableist and financially exclusive nature of these boutique studios. Unlike religious institutions, wellness spaces likely couldn’t support someone who loses their job.
The author cites their own experience with losing their father, and how neither their gym nor wellness classes could provide the type of structured mourning rituals and community support they found through re-engaging with their synagogue. This exposed doubts about what their “healthy lifestyle” was really providing beyond physical improvement.

So in summary, while boutique fitness studios cultivate an exclusive experience, this approach can foster elitism, obsession and unhealthy behaviors among fans, and these types of wellness businesses may lack the infrastructure to support people through difficulties unlike established religious institutions. The author’s personal grief experience revealed limitations of defining their spirituality through fitness.

The article describes a Goop health conference where 600 wealthy women attended sessions on alternative health practices like gut bacteria, healing venom, aura readings, etc.
Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow was there along with celebrity friends who promoted practices like leech therapy.
While some see Goop as entertainment rather than medical advice, it has been very successful financially and attracts dedicated fans.
Growing dissatisfaction with mainstream medicine is fueling interest in alternative practices. The medical system can be frustrating with paperwork, costs, delays, and some women feel dismissed by doctors.
One woman, Jacquelyn Clemmons, recounts troubling experiences during her pregnancies where she felt doctors didn’t listen or properly treat her, leading her to lose trust in the system. She now advocates for herself and other women as a doula.
Dissatisfied experiences are pushing some women, especially, to seek their own health solutions outside mainstream care, as Goop promotes, though this approach is not backed by science.
Some women opt for at-home births instead of hospital births due to past traumatic experiences in hospitals while giving birth. The hospital setting causes tension and fear to resurface.
High-profile celebrities like Selma Blair have come forward about experiencing dismissive treatment from doctors when trying to get help for serious medical conditions. Blair suffered for years before being properly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Many women report facing prejudice, dismissal, and lack of belief from doctors about their symptoms and health conditions. Conditions like fibromyalgia, vulvodynia, and endometriosis are often misdiagnosed or brushed off.
Both female and male doctors are found to provide women with subpar treatment compared to men. Women receive less adequate pain treatment and are undertreated for conditions like heart disease compared to men.
As a result, some women are growing disillusioned with the traditional medical system and seeking alternative care options due to feelings of not being heard or taken seriously by their doctors. The hurried, impersonal nature of many medical appointments also contributes to dissatisfaction.
Many women dislike going to their annual OB-GYN appointments and some skip them, citing a lack of feeling safe, comfortable or welcomed during the visits.
Doctor appointments are typically quite brief (around 17 minutes on average) leaving little time for doctors to meaningfully engage with patients. Studies have shown patients are often interrupted after just 11 seconds of explaining their issue.
This rushed system can feel demoralizing for both doctors and patients. Doctors also spend over 60% of their time on administrative tasks rather than direct patient care.
Minority patients, especially Black women, often report experiences of feeling discriminated against or disrespected during medical visits. This contributes to apprehension about and avoidance of the healthcare system.
Both doctors and patients are frustrated with the current system - doctors feel overwhelmed and patients feel shortchanged on care. This diminishes trust and allegiance to the medical system.
In light of these issues, many women are pursuing alternative healthcare and wellness approaches like acupuncture, dietary changes or vitamin supplements to manage their health in a preventative manner outside of the traditional medical system.
Alternative medicine and natural remedies appeal to those who want more personalized treatment options than conventional prescription drugs, which have risks of harsh side effects like the opioid epidemic.
Naomi, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis, found that following a gluten, dairy and sugar-free diet as recommended by a holistic doctor significantly helped her symptoms, even though her gastroenterologist was skeptical. She now avoids traditional Western medicine except for surgeries.
In the past, Americans embraced alternative healthcare like Thomsonian botanical treatments and purging methods. Samuel Thomson was put on trial for murder but acquitted, fueling the perception that mainstream medicine opposed alternatives. By the 1830s, over 2 million Americans adopted Thomsonian practices.
Goop caters to women seeking alternatives by validating their experiences and promoting unproven treatments. It fills a need for emotional support and solutions for chronic conditions when conventional medicine provides little help.
Goop launched supplements targeting common complaints like fatigue. While the underlying diagnoses like “adrenal fatigue” may not be scientifically recognized, the products are popular as they give names and solutions to nonspecific symptoms people experience.

Goop and other sellers of unproven remedies risk harming consumers by providing medical claims without evidence. While some products like supplements may seem harmless, they can encourage people to ignore real medical conditions. Goop’s business model involves selling expensive niche products and casting skepticism of their claims as feminist empowerment. However, many of their remedies lack scientific backing, and some like the jade egg were found to make unfounded medical claims.

There is a gray area between conventional medicine and alternative therapies for chronic conditions with unknown causes. Some treatments remain untested rather than disproven. Doctors may struggle with complex cases and some patients turn to unorthodox methods in desperation. Anecdotes are misleading on their own but provide starting points. Rigorous testing is still needed to determine what is effective versus risky quackery. Goop’s approach of touting claims without evidence risks misleading consumers rather than empowering informed choices.

Common medical conditions often improve on their own over time, regardless of treatment. It’s easy to mistake natural recovery for a treatment working through the placebo effect or correlation rather than causation.
Alternative therapies may provide benefits through relaxation or the attention from practitioners rather than the specific treatment. Placebo effects can be quite powerful.
However, alternative medicine is not risk-free. Some practices or herbal medicines have been linked to harm like organ damage in rare cases. More importantly, they can replace evidence-based treatments or discourage people from seeking proper medical care.
“Integrative” doctors advocating for alternative and lifestyle approaches have gained popularity, but their practices still risk overtesting, unnecessary supplements, preying on patient anxieties, and undermining conventional medicine without clear evidence.
It’s difficult for patients to judge unproven treatments, as they are often marketed attractively. But a truly scientific and ethical approach requires evaluating treatments based on their evidence and risks, not just perceived benefits or natural branding. More research is still needed for most alternative therapies.
Functional medicine clinics have adopted better marketing and messaging practices than mainstream medicine by portraying themselves as spas that understand women’s needs and pain points. They claim Western doctors are not listening to women and that medical care can be enjoyable.
Many women are dissatisfied with traditional medicine because they want more time with their doctor to discuss lifestyle changes and prevention. The patient experience is important.
However, advances in medicine like antibiotics, vaccines, etc. should not be undermined. A gender bias still exists where some female patients report being ignored, mistreated, or misdiagnosed by the medical system.
Historically, women were purposefully excluded from the practice of medicine dating back to the Middle Ages when female healers were accused of witchcraft. This established medicine as a male-dominated field.
With women restricted from the field, valuable health knowledge was lost. Medical research also excluded women for a long time, leaving gaps in understanding diseases like heart disease and how drugs affect women.
Problems from this historical exclusion, like lack of female representation in clinical trials, are still felt today and contribute to health issues disproportionately affecting women being underdiagnosed or mistreated. However, more women are now entering the medical field.
There have historically been gaps in medical research on women’s health issues due to underrepresentation of women in clinical trials and a lack of sex-specific research. This has led to inadequate diagnoses and treatment for many women’s conditions.
Areas like endometriosis, which affects over 10% of women, have been underfunded and understudied despite the significant burden of the disease. Funding for endometriosis research is much lower than diseases that primarily affect men.
Insufficient data on sex differences means doctors may not fully understand women’s health issues and symptoms may be dismissed. This perpetuates the idea that some conditions are “all in women’s head.”
Underrepresentation of women in healthcare leadership and decision-making roles also contributes to imbalances in research priorities and funding allocations.
Femtech startups face challenges securing funding from predominantly male VCs who may not personally relate to women’s health issues. This impacts which women’s health problems receive solutions and innovations.
While progress has been made in including women in clinical trials and research, more needs to be done to address gaps in knowledge, especially for understudied populations and conditions affecting women. Increased research funding would also provide significant returns through healthcare savings and economic benefits.
More open discussions about women’s health issues can help erode stigmas, but doctors may have avoided such discussions because patients did not want to hear about complications.
Thousands of women suffered serious complications from transvaginal mesh implants used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence. Many felt they did not provide fully informed consent and were unaware of risks like chronic pain.
In the past, medical devices were approved through the 510(k) pathway without needing to provide patient data on risks, allowing mesh implants to be marketed without sufficient testing. This reinforced suspicions women were treated like “guinea pigs.”
The example of Dr. Frances Kelsey at the FDA shows the importance of including women’s perspectives in medicine. Her insistence on more testing protected Americans from the thalidomide tragedy in the 1960s that caused many birth defects abroad. Her actions demonstrate why including women is vital to ensure safety and informed consent.
Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey was given the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, the highest civilian honor in the US, for blocking the approval of thalidomide in the US and preventing a disaster.
The thalidomide crisis pushed Congress to pass legislation giving the FDA more authority over drug testing. Dr. Kelsey also helped develop clinical trial guidelines now used worldwide.
Interestingly, Dr. Kelsey got her start in pharmacology because her name was mistakenly read as “Francis” and she was assumed to be a man when offered an assistant position. She took the advice to accept the job and put “Miss” in brackets after her name.
Stricter medical standards and more women entering medicine/research has led to improving medical knowledge and reducing misdiagnoses. However, more progress is still needed on women’s health issues like endometriosis.
Initiatives like increasing funding for the Office of Research on Women’s Health and research breakthroughs on conditions like endometriosis have helped, but more work remains to be done to properly study and address women’s health issues.
Hari is a health blogger and activist who warns people about common food ingredients like preservatives, additives, GMOs, and sugars, claiming they pose health risks.
She is critical of big food companies, saying they deliberately confuse people about healthy eating. She also criticizes the FDA for being too lenient on the food industry.
While she raises valid concerns, she is not a nutritionist or scientist. Yet she became very influential as a health authority online.
Originally, the USDA food pyramid encouraged Americans to eat more carbohydrates like bread and cereal while limiting fats. This was based on early research linking saturated fat to heart disease.
However, the guidelines were ambiguous and food companies replaced fats in foods with added sugars. This led to an overconsumption of carbs and sugars in the American diet.
Pressure on corporations to maximize profits also encouraged the production and marketing of cheap, highly processed foods high in sugars, salt and fats. Portion sizes increased across the board.
As a result, the average American diet became unhealthier, with more calories and low fiber from an influx of processed foods and snacks. People started eating more overall.
There is growing distrust of big food companies and confusion about healthy eating, partly due to initially flawed dietary guidelines that were oversimplified and misinterpreted. The modern food environment also encourages overeating.
In the 1980s, people became more skeptical of big food corporations and government agencies due to various food scandals and contradicting nutritional guidelines. There was a sense that these groups couldn’t always prevent contamination and weren’t fully transparent about industry influence.
This fueled a yearning for nutritional purity and perfection. Advertisers played on maternal anxieties by linking foods like cereal to children’s health, personality, and future success. Women felt responsible for ensuring their families had “enough” of essential vitamins and minerals, though the precise amounts needed were unknown.
Today, many consumers gravitate towards organic foods due to health concerns about conventional pesticide residues. However, the health benefits of organic are not as proven as assumed. While organic farming aims to minimize pesticide use, organic pesticides are still applied and natural doesn’t always mean safer. Studies show pesticide levels on conventional foods are too low to cause harm based on typical exposures. Critics argue groups like the EWG exaggerate risks to scare consumers.

The article criticizes the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for its “Dirty Dozen” list that warns consumers about pesticide levels on certain fruits and vegetables. Toxicologists interviewed say the EWG’s methodology is dubious and does not properly consider factors like actual pesticide residue levels and consumption rates.

While organic produce has lower pesticide residues, studies have not found clear evidence that organic food is significantly healthier or more nutritious. Observational studies are difficult to interpret due to lifestyle factors. Controlled studies show no difference in nutrition-related health outcomes between organic and conventional.

Scare tactics around pesticides could paradoxically make some consumers, especially lower-income ones, eat less produce overall due to higher organic costs or fear of conventional options. Experts say the low levels of pesticides on rinsed produce is not a major health concern. They advise focusing on increasing overall fruit and vegetable consumption rather than worrying too much about organic versus conventional.

While organic has non-health benefits like taste or environmental/worker safety reasons, its higher cost means many cannot afford an all-organic diet. This risks further dividing the population by income in terms of access to perceived “healthy” foods.

The article discusses how there are legitimate concerns about health, environmental, financial and farmworker issues related to food choices beyond just the conventional vs organic debate.
It questions the “fear-based” marketing narrative around organic food, noting that science on risks of conventional produce is more complex.
Conventional foods are also using their own marketing tactics with labels like “100% fresh”. Supermarkets have become a “screaming match” of labels pressuring nutritional choices.
Constant changes in nutrition recommendations and contradictory studies leave people confused and doubting their choices. Some latch on to influential figures who provide definitive guidance, even if approaches instill fear.
Figures like the Food Babe use fear-based headlines and tactics to scare people away from certain ingredients and gain followers, but approaches oversimplify issues and don’t provide nuanced scientific arguments. Outrage and fear are used to sell lifestyle messages.

So in summary, the article critiques how fear-based and contradictory information leaves people confused about food, and how some influencers exploit this confusion by providing simple answers but through messaging that relies more on instilling fear than balanced scientific discussion.

Vani Hari (the “Food Babe”) claims that the food additive azodicarbonamide poses health risks, citing an incident where its evaporation caused irritation. However, the amount used in food is negligible and inhaling raw chemicals is different than ingesting processed foods containing them.
Hari makes many claims about common food ingredients causing health issues like cancer but provides inadequate evidence to prove these claims. She also criticizes vaccines without substantiation.
Hari markets her own supplement brand and gets affiliate revenue when recommending “clean” replacement brands for products she deems unsafe. But the effectiveness of many supplements is questionable and they are not strictly regulated by the FDA.
While some people have deficiencies, studies show multivitamins and other popular supplements provide no meaningful benefits to general health for those with nutritious diets. The supplement industry lacks oversight and products are sometimes mislabelled or contaminated.
Influencers like Hari generate business for supplements but they are no replacement for a balanced diet and lifestyle changes according to health experts. People are attracted to quick solutions through pills but rigorous evidence is lacking.
Lacy Phillips is a manifestation expert and former TV actress/model who now teaches workshops on attracting your desires through the law of attraction.
She led a workshop for 250 women teaching them how to find their passion, pass “tests” from the spiritual realm, and draw in love, happiness and raises by increasing their self-worth.
Her lessons are based on the belief that you attract what you focus on and that self-worth is the key to the law of attraction.
During a Q&A, many women asked questions related to career issues and whether certain obstacles were “tests” from the universe.
Phillips is part of a trend of female manifestation coaches reinventing the law of attraction teachings for a new generation, emphasizing self-worth and using one’s energy and focus to manifest their desires. She aims to share these lessons through her online program and workshops.
Manifestation and the law of attraction have their roots in the 19th century New Thought movement. They gained popularity at different points in American history, often tied to health, wealth, and personal development.
Mary Baker Eddy founded Christian Science, which viewed disease as mental and believed prayer and belief could heal through correct religious thinking. This was an empowering message for women at the time. However, some Christians Science believers denied medical care, which led to harm.
In the late 1800s, New Thought promoted the idea that female intuition could tap into divine power as a kind of superpower. This drew many women to Christian Science.
In the 20th century, the prosperity gospel reframed God as wanting people to be wealthy. Books like Think and Grow Rich used positive thinking to promote capitalist success.
Today, manifestation and law of attraction teachings have grown tremendously popular through online platforms. Teachers promise the teachings can work in followers’ favor and overcome struggles if they reprogram limiting beliefs.
Followers are predominantly women drawn to the idea of putting out good energy to attract possessions, jobs, relationships and more. However, critics note the teachings do not address large-scale societal issues or challenges like poverty or war.
Manifestation has become intertwined with the wellness industry, offering beliefs and mystical practices as ways to feel empowered and in control amid modern uncertainties. Its popularity reflects a spiritual quest for certainty and solutions.
The story of the Little Engine That Could promoted values of optimism and hard work to early 20th century children, though it didn’t consider potential risks to the engine’s health.
The Law of Attraction gained popularity in the 2000s with Oprah and The Secret book claiming positive thoughts can manifest desires by attracting favorable events and energy from the universe.
Today, manifestation coaching emphasizes taking responsibility for one’s life while promising to gain more control over an unmanageable existence.
Young, female, college-educated millennials drawn to manifestation often feel inadequate when comparing their lives to unrealistic social media portrayals. They struggle with anxiety over failing to achieve what they were promised growing up.
Manifestation provides a sense of purpose, agency and the promise of speeding up career/life goals through positive visualization tactics. However, not all structural challenges can be overcome through mindset alone.
While positivity is beneficial, some manifestation teachings encourage blocking out negativity that could hamper unrealistic dreams. Not everyone can succeed or prosper in a competitive system no matter their mindset.
Manifesting health conditions led one follower into worse mental and physical health, showing the limitations and potential harm of relying solely on mindset for issues beyond personal control.

Here are the key points from the summary:

Pooja Chopra tried to manifest positive mental and physical health through affirmations and positive thinking, as promoted by wellness gurus, but it didn’t work and she continued suffering from chronic pain and illness.
Manifesting health is tricky and gurus often distance themselves from claims that it can cure medical conditions due to legal risks.
Chopra realized multiple complex factors affect health and thinking alone can’t overcome them. She now focuses on providing community support for others with chronic illnesses through her organization Chronicon.
While a growth mindset is good, taking optimism too far through manifestation can lead to delusional thinking that ignores real obstacles like medical conditions.
Crystal healing practices are popular among wellness and spiritual seekers as a way to cope with anxiety and uncertainty. However, the effects are likely placebo-based rather than true medical benefits. Still, for some it provides reassurance and focus during difficult times.
Spiritual and wellness trends are marketed widely online to attract many casual adherents, requiring little background knowledge to participate compared to traditional religious practices. However, the benefits and beliefs involved are not always fully believed or understood by all participants.
The passage discusses how some wellness and spiritual communities reject traditional organized religion in favor of practices like astrology, crystals, manifestation, and tarot reading.
It describes how Jeane Dixon rose to fame in the 1950s/60s for correctly predicting JFK’s assassination after consulting her astrology. She became a trusted advisor to presidents, though she also made many incorrect predictions.
Today, figures like Krista Tippett promote a more informal, personalized spirituality through platforms like her radio show On Being. She appeals to Americans disenchanted with traditional faiths for various political or personal reasons.
Younger generations in particular are less connected to organized religion and more interested in crafting their own spiritual paths outside institutional traditions. This “rise of the nones” has led to growth in alternative spiritual practices and beliefs.

So in summary, it traces the shift away from traditional religion toward more individualized spirituality and explores some key figures who helped popularize that trend.

Spirituality and religion in America are becoming increasingly personalized and eclectic. Many millennials in particular do not identify with traditional organized religions but still want spiritual fulfillment. They curate their own customized blend of beliefs and practices from various traditions like Buddhism, meditation, crystals, astrology, etc.

This has led to a booming spiritual marketplace where people can pick and choose elements they find meaningful or that meet their needs. However, some argue this risks turning spirituality into a self-oriented ideology focused more on benefits like happiness and self-improvement rather than a deeper commitment.

There are also concerns about commodifying and commercializing sacred practices, especially when spiritual products make health claims without evidence. However, prohibiting the sale of all spiritual goods could limit people’s exploration. The lines between wellness, spirituality and religion are increasingly blurred in American culture today.

Fitness trends have become increasingly demanding and performative, requiring people to work extremely hard through intense, high-impact workouts. Examples mentioned include prison-themed boutique gyms, trampoline cardio, electric muscle stimulation classes, and boot camps modeled after military training.
These hardcore workouts are marketed using war-like language telling people to “torch,” “burn,” or “crush” their workouts. Brands emphasize putting in hard work and effort to achieve transformation and strength.
While becoming stronger can have benefits, these trends risk shaming average people into thinking they need to do punishing, peak-intensity workouts to truly be working out. Experts advise focusing instead on moderate exercise most or all days per week for overall health as recommended by guidelines.
The perception created by some fitness trends could backfire if it intimidates people from working out at all due to unrealistic or unsustainable standards of intensity. The emphasis should be on gradual improvement over pushing limits.

So in summary, the passage discusses how fitness trends have trended towards increasingly demanding, performative workouts marketed through tough or military-style language, but this risks setting unrealistic standards that could discourage exercise for many. Moderation and sustainability should be emphasized over peaks of intensity.

The fitness industry often promotes the idea that more exercise is better and constantly striving for optimal fitness through data tracking. This can lead to unhealthy obsession with metrics and performance.
Fitness tracking devices started as motivating but some users began obsessing over stats and punishing themselves for perceived underperformance. This took the joy out of exercise for some.
The pursuit of one-upmanship and constant self-optimization through fitness can distort our view of health. Top gyms now offer sleep coaching and other services to maximize performance.
Historically, “muscular Christianity” in the 1800s promoted exercise for character building and productivity. This sometimes implied weakness was a sin. Echoes of this attitude can still be found today.
Modern fitness media and “fitfluencers” on social media often promote ultra-fit celebrity body ideals as the goal of working out. This perpetuates unrealistic standards that not everyone can or should attain. Their large audience demonstrates their influence on social norms around fitness.
Fitfluencing has become a major industry, with some influencers earning up to $30k per Instagram post through sponsorship deals. Companies like Equinox are investing in fitness influencer talent management.
Many fitfluencers promote an unrealistic aesthetic ideal of beauty rather than true health. They emphasize workouts focused on weight loss and sculpting appearance over cardiovascular health.
Research shows fitspiration imagery disproportionately features thin, toned young women in revealing poses emphasizing their physiques. The messages encourage restrictive eating and unrealistic body standards.
During the pandemic, fitfluencers intensified pressure to maintain strict workout routines, fueling feelings of inadequacy in others. Their lifestyles seem achievable but often rely on undisclosed amounts of exercise, airbrushing, and ideal genetics.
Fitness apparel brands also disproportionately use unrealistic models, making average women feel excluded. Gyms and health are increasingly judged on appearance rather than well-being.
Social media algorithms reward controversial or revealing posts, incentivizing fitfluencers to promote rigid aesthetic ideals over health. This contributes to body image issues, especially in young women.
Women face greater pressure to be thin, toned and sculpted from multiple sources. While standards impact men too, fitness and appearance remain a primary measure of women’s social value and self-worth.
Vacations have increasingly focused on wellness activities like yoga, fitness classes and meditation rather than rest and relaxation. People want to feel better after vacations rather than worse.
Many millennials prefer fitness retreats over relaxation resorts and sign up for active vacations rather than just sitting by the pool. There is a fear of gaining weight on vacation.
Some truly find exercising relaxing, but others feel an obligation to stay productive even on vacation and end up overdoing it, leading to injuries.
Women in particular use exercise as “me time” and alone time when kids can’t interrupt. It is seen as more worthwhile and productive than resting activities like reading.
American culture pushes a constant “hustle” mentality where one should always be improving themselves. This leads to feelings of guilt over just resting. Sunday neurosis is the term for anxiety over being idle.
Fitness culture pervades every aspect of life from employers to supermarkets. There is pressure to stay in shape and be perceived as disciplined and in control of one’s life and health.
Perfectionism stems from this culture of individual responsibility and a desire for control, but perfection can never truly be achieved, just anxiety over unattainability.

Here are the key points from the passage in bullet form:

Gwyneth Paltrow posted on Instagram saying psychologically blessed people don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves, welcome challenges, and don’t exert energy on things they can’t control. Most importantly, “they stay happy.”
Women in the comments criticized this advice as oversimplifying adversity and mental health issues. One said feelings buried alive never die. Another demanded Paltrow take the post down.
The passage argues wellness culture promotes the idea that happiness is solely under our control and can be achieved through sheer determination and positive thinking. This ignores social and mental health factors.
Expectations to always be positive, calm and resilient, without allowing for negative emotions, are stressful for many women. Expressing negative emotions is important for well-being.
The pandemic led some to reevaluate priorities and question unsustainable pressures of wellness ideals and the need to constantly improve oneself. There is a shift toward valuing mental health over productivity and physical appearance.
Social support is a major factor in happiness. Authentic community provides more healing than wellness pursuits focusing solely on the individual. Younger women are finding support through groups discussing unrealistic societal expectations.
Dave Asprey is a prominent biohacking leader who popularized the term “biohacking” to refer to using science and experiments to optimize health and performance beyond normal limits.
He first gained fame for his Bulletproof coffee drink, which adds butter and MCT oil to coffee and is claimed to boost energy and cognition. It received widespread coverage and fans include celebrities.
Asprey spent over $1 million and 15 years biohacking himself, trying various diets, supplements, devices and more. He claims this lowered his biological age and improved health/fitness dramatically.
Now Asprey advocates extreme biohacking lifestyle, taking 50 supplements daily, cryotherapy, stem cell injections and more. He aims to live to 180 and says others can achieve similar results.
Biohacking in Silicon Valley culture aims to disrupt health through experimentation and entrepreneurialism. Asprey sees it empowering individuals over doctors by controlling their own biology. However, critics argue it promotes unattainable goals and unnecessary risks in the name of optimization.
The biohacking movement promotes the idea that people can take control of their health and maximize performance through various techniques like supplements, lifestyle tweaks, technology-assisted interventions, etc.
However, psychological research shows people tend to overestimate their ability to control outcomes through such measures. We have an innate desire to feel in control, even if the measures have little proven efficacy.
Wellness companies capitalize on this “illusion of control” by marketing supplements, interventions and devices as ways for people to take charge of their health and outcomes. But many products make simplistic claims without strong evidence backing them.
Places like Bulletproof Labs offer high-tech therapies and interventions meant to optimize health and performance. However, critics argue these may give people a false sense of control over complex biological functions.
While gaining some control over health can be beneficial, overestimating control through unproven measures risks reducing vigilance and distracting from more evidence-based approaches. The biohacking movement is pushed this notion of control and self-optimization to an extreme degree according to the perspective presented.
The passage discusses the wellness industry and debates whether some wellness products and practices are more akin to “nice-to-haves” like cosmetic procedures rather than medical necessities.
It cites Fran Lebowitz’s criticism that wellness has become “extra health” fueled by consumerism and products marketed as improving well-being but lacking scientific proof of benefits.
Some argue certain wellness practices like skincare can improve mental well-being and confidence. But much of the industry makes promises that are not backed by strong evidence.
Biohacking gained popularity as a way to gain competitive advantages, but the science behind some popular biohacking practices and supplements is limited or inconclusive.
While people seek control over their health, biohacking can give a false sense of control and reduce motivation for actual healthy behaviors according to some research.
The passage concludes by recounting the death of health pioneer Jerome Irving Rodale on a TV show after boasting he would live to 100, reflecting skepticism of absolute health promises.
Rodale pushed many unconventional health ideas in his publications, some of which were more experimental than scientific. These included using shortwave radio waves to boost the body’s electricity, believing sugar was toxic and could cause crime, and advocating a dietary cure for polio rather than vaccines.
The FTC deemed some of Rodale’s health claims in his book The Health Finder to be inconsistent with science and engaging in deceptive advertising. Rodale defended himself in court on First Amendment grounds throughout the 1960s.
Despite some outlandish claims, Rodale established a large health and wellness publishing empire that included popular magazines. He remains an influential figure in dissent from conventional medicine and as a pioneer of the wellness movement.
Egg freezing startups like Kindbody market the procedure optimistically as empowering “self-care” that allows women to delay motherhood. However, the reality is that egg freezing is a difficult medical procedure with low success rates and high financial costs, especially when factoring in multiple IVF attempts that are often needed. Marketing does not always provide a balanced portrayal of the challenges involved.

The essay discusses issues around egg freezing and fertility, as well as women’s interest in wellness products and services that promise control over one’s health and life goals.

It notes that while egg freezing can help women preserve fertility options, the process is complex with uncertain outcomes. Some women feel misled about their chances of eventually having a biological child after freezing eggs. The industry is also criticized for possibly glorifying delayed motherhood too casually.

More broadly, the wellness industry is said to implicitly promise women control over health and life challenges through products, plans and lifestyles. But true control has limits given biological and external factors. There are concerns this drives overconsumption in pursuit of unrealistic “wellness” goals.

The essay calls for more education of women on fertility issues and limitations, as well as regulation of wellness marketing claims to curb pseudo-science and ensure credible information. Overall it addresses tensions between empowerment through new options, versus unrealistic expectations around managing aspects beyond personal control.

Wellness has increasingly become a luxury and status symbol associated with wealth and exclusivity. Premium boutique gyms and amenities cater to elite clientele through high membership fees and exclusive social communities.
This mirrors the growing income inequality where the middle class shrinks and wellness divides into budget and luxury models. While the wealthy prioritize fitness, low-income communities profoundly lack access and opportunities for exercise.
Wellness is now seen as an indulgence and investment in one’s image rather than a necessity. Lifestyles, homes, and even neighborhoods have luxury wellness features integrated into their design and marketing.
As the wellness industry grows, trends get escalated to ever more extravagant levels. However, not all new players are exclusive - some are working to expand wellness accessibility to more communities. One example discussed is the health drink brand Dirty Lemon which markets itself more as an indulgent luxury lifestyle product through social media.
Dirty Lemon founder was inspired by fast-growing wellness startups like Glossier. He incorporated lifestyle branding and designed the packaging for Instagram to make the product visually appealing.
Wellness brands rely heavily on aspirational Instagram marketing showing models living an ideal healthy lifestyle rather than focusing on health benefits. Luxury marketing techniques are used to sell feelings of bliss and self-control.
Celebrities have embraced wellness, founding brands or endorsing products, which amplifies the aspirational appeal. Goop uses this model, selling an enlightened lifestyle attainable through pricey products.
Wellness culture is tied to images of thin, attractive people and activities like yoga and juice cleanses. This symbolism serves as borders to belong to the in-group and signals priorities like work and self-care.
Peer influence plays a role as people adopt wellness behaviors and imagery to fit into social circles. However, health should not be associated with class or appearance, and marketing oversimplifies self-care. Real self-care is multifaceted, not about fleeting indulgences or expensive devices.
Maggie Holub is a third-generation farmer in rural Nebraska who also runs a mobile gym with exercise classes and equipment for nearby small towns.
She started the mobile gym because rural areas lack organized fitness facilities and adequate broadband for online classes. Outdoor exercise can also be limited by safety, weather, and individual preference.
There is a stigma in some farming communities that exercise is unnecessary since farmers are physically active in their work. However, Holub sees a need to provide fitness options for non-farming partners and community members.
Her mobile gym sets up in places like school gyms and community centers to bring group fitness classes and workouts to isolated rural areas that otherwise lack access to gyms and organized fitness options. This helps address health risks from lack of infrastructure like sidewalks and from isolation.
Holub is working to expand access to wellness in rural communities by bringing fitness directly to the people rather than expecting them to travel long distances or rely only on outdoor activities. Her business helps address both physical and social/community needs.
Bill Holub starts low-cost exercise classes in rural Nebraska, charging only $2 per class. This attracts many participants, especially women, who enjoy both exercising and socializing since they are often isolated.
Farmers, especially female farmers, promote health and fitness in ways relevant to their agricultural lifestyle, like consuming dairy and showcasing family barbecues. They address the unique stresses of farming life.
Rina Jakubowicz establishes the first bilingual yoga teacher training course in Miami to make yoga accessible to Spanish-speaking communities, empowering Hispanic women.
Independent wellness initiatives are addressing gaps through diverse approaches like yoga to rap music or cannabis retreats for women that foster deep connections through lowered inhibitions.
Communal living spaces like Haven in LA provide affordable housing alongside amenities and social support systems to counter isolation, allowing wellness-focused residents to find community and shared experiences.

The key themes are how low-cost, inclusive community programs and initiatives are expanding access to wellness in meaningful ways by addressing specific needs and bringing people together for both physical and social/emotional benefits.

Here is a summary of the key points about illness and wellness influencers:

Food Babe Vani Hari rose to prominence spreading misinformation and fearmongering about food and products but her reputation has declined as more reputable science-based influencers have countered her claims.
Food Science Babe Erin is one influential figure who uses social media to debunk food myths and clarify issues, reaching over 300k followers. She shares facts not fear.
Doctors are also using social media more to directly combat health misinformation and educate the public, as people have more relationships with wellness influencers than their doctors.
During the COVID pandemic, conspiracy theories about vaccines spread widely while influencers like Vani Hari warned of oversanitization dangers without evidence.
The internet allows popular figures to spread information without vetting, and algorithms drive exposure to content that confirms our existing biases. This divides people into different realities.
Many people, even affluent and educated groups, lack an understanding of basic science and can be vulnerable to pseudoscience claims in marketing and social media echo chambers. Improving scientific literacy is important to build critical thinking.
Lack of scientific literacy has led some women to develop irrational fears of “chemicals” and question the safety of things like vaccines. This chemophobia has been fueled by social media posts that distort science and spread misinformation.
It can be difficult for science communicators to counter pseudoscience claims, as those making unfounded assertions don’t require evidence and it takes more effort to properly research and debunk falsehoods.
While the pandemic accelerated both good and bad information dissemination, growing numbers of wellness influencers peddling pseudoscience make it an ongoing challenge.
Individuals are encouraged to be more scientifically literate consumers by questioning claims, checking sources and credentials, looking for evidence, considering biases and intentions, and recognizing that science is an evolving process with inherent uncertainties.
Beyond scientific literacy, the broader pursuit of health and wellness also raises questions about whether current trends and a hyperfocus on self-optimization are truly effective or mostly serve commercial interests in an industry worth billions. Moderation and balance may be important.

In summary, the passage discusses how misinformation has fueled irrational fears and health misconceptions, while also offering suggestions for how individuals can become savvier consumers of wellness information by taking a more science-based approach.

The passage reflects on the wellness movement and industry, noting both its benefits but also some issues and criticisms.
Done right, wellness practices like nutrition, exercise and disease prevention can have real health benefits. But the industry has problems with pseudoscience, questionable marketing claims, and an overemphasis on individual fixes rather than systemic issues.
Wellness has taken on religious-like functions for some, providing community, rituals, ethical codes and a promise of well-being. But this risks treating wellness as an obligatory moral system rather than an individual choice.
The growth of wellness partly fills a void, as modern society makes it harder for people to find meaning and fulfillment. But an overly commercialized wellness culture risks doing more harm than good if not grounded in evidence.
Overall the passage weighs both the upsides and downsides of wellness, arguing for a balanced, evidence-based approach rather than uncritical acceptance or dismissal of the entire movement. The benefits are there if done right, but problems exist that deserve acknowledgment and discussion.
Wellness has increasingly become a private responsibility rather than a societal one. Individuals are told it’s their job to stay healthy through lifestyle choices like diet and exercise, without sufficient societal support structures.
Public investment in wellness is growing but still limited. Some efforts include nature-based prescriptions from doctors and more parks/trails being built. However, different public sectors related to wellness are siloed.
Coordination could be improved with a “wellness czar” overseeing different departments. Some other countries have implemented “well-being budgets” and ministers of happiness as models.
Insurers and employers are also shifting to offer some wellness programs and discounts. But societal changes are still needed, like policies supporting women and better regulation of consumer products.
Stronger communities would also help provide needed social support for individuals trying to live healthier lifestyles. Wellness truly requires both individual responsibility and systemic/societal solutions working together.
The founder of the modern wellness movement emphasized self-responsibility and community as equally important, not just focusing on the individual. His message of personal responsibility within a supportive social context can get lost today.

Here is a summary of key details from the passage specified from The Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2019), 11:

The passage describes a proposed race between leading athletes from different countries in the early 20th century that was planned but never took place.
It was intended to be the most ambitious athletic competition ever staged, with athletes from around the world competing directly against each other.
The idea was promoted by representatives of national athletic federations who hoped it could help resolve debates about which nations had the best athletes.
However, disagreements over finances and organization undermined the planning process, and the enormous logistical challenges of coordinating international travel and competition schedules proved insurmountable.
As a result, the planned “race of the century” fell through and was never held, remaining an intriguing historical “what if” about an event that could have drawn immense crowds and pointed toward the future of international sports relations, but ultimately ended as the “greatest race the world has never seen.”

Here is a summary of key points from the article:

In April 2019, natural skin care brand Herbivore recalled one of its face creams due to mold growth, underscoring issues with ensuring product safety and shelf stability for natural beauty brands.
Natural and “clean” beauty products are not always safer or higher quality than conventional products, according to dermatologists. Ingredients cited as harmful by some groups like parabens may not pose serious health risks.
Regulations and oversight of cosmetics in the U.S. are limited compared to other developed countries. Some ingredients like talc that are considered possibly carcinogenic by international agencies remain unregulated by the FDA for use in cosmetics.
Several brands including Beautycounter and The Honest Company advocate for stricter cosmetics regulations and laws to ensure product safety. However, independent reviews of some advocacy reports find they overstate health concerns from trace chemicals and are not entirely scientifically rigorous.
Using powders in the genital area may increase ovarian cancer risk according to a new study, reinvigorating debates around the safety of talc powders. However, more research is still needed and risks are considered small.

In summary, the article discusses product recalls and safety issues in the natural beauty industry, debates around the dangers of some ingredients, calls for increased regulations, and new research on potential links between powder product use and health risks.

Here is a summary of 0/10/fashion/10Spin.html:

This article discusses SoulCycle, a popular indoor cycling studio franchise known for intense workout classes set to music. It provides background on how SoulCycle was founded and grew rapidly in popularity in the US, especially in New York City.

It then discusses some criticism SoulCycle has faced in recent years. Some instructors are seen as celebrities, driving hype and high prices for classes. There are also questions about whether SoulCycle classes are worth their high cost. Some former loyal riders have stopped going due to concerns about the company culture and costs.

The article also looks at SoulCycle’s efforts to expand nationwide in the US and potentially overseas. However, maintaining the tight-knit community feel of classes as it grows is a challenge. Some new locations have struggled to replicate the popularity of original sites.

Overall, the piece examines SoulCycle’s popularity at its peak, the growing doubts about its value proposition, and the challenges it faces with further expansion. It provides an overview of both the allure and critiques of the high-intensity indoor cycling brand.

Here is a summary of the article “evolves-more-women-bit-older-and-toward-different-specialties, accessed Aug. 5, 2021”:

The article discusses how the demographics of physicians is evolving, with more women entering the field. Specifically:

Women now make up over half of all medical students in the US. This is a significant increase from only around 10% of medical students being women in the 1960s.
As more cohorts of female physicians enter the workforce, they are contributing to an overall shift in the demographics of doctors. About a third of practicing physicians are now women.
However, female physicians tend to be on average a bit older than their male counterparts. This suggests that as more women have become physicians over time, it has taken longer for gender parity to be achieved across all age groups.
Women also tend to gravitate toward some specialties more than others. A higher percentage of women choose pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and psychiatry, while fewer choose fields like surgery.
As the gender balance among physicians continues to even out, this could impact factors like the patient-physician relationship, diversity of medical perspectives, work-life flexibility within the field, and more.

In summary, the article discusses the trend of increasing gender diversity in medicine, with more female physicians who on average tend to be a bit older and practice in some specialties compared to others.

Here is a summary of the article “Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Associated Sociodemographic Factors in the USA Between 2007 and 2012: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study,” BMJ Open 8, no. 3 (March 2018), ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855172/:

The study analyzed consumption of ultra-processed foods using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007-2008 and 2011-2012.
Ultra-processed foods are industrially formulated food products containing little to no whole foods.
The study found consumption of ultra-processed foods increased from 2007-2008 to 2011-2012. About 58-59% of total daily calories came from ultra-processed foods.
Younger age, lower income and education levels, and non-Hispanic black or Mexican American ethnicity were associated with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods.
The findings suggest a need to reduce intake of ultra-processed foods and promote policies to improve diet quality, especially among vulnerable demographic groups.

Here are summaries of the selected sources:

The article summarizes an agreement between the FTC and Dannon regarding the company dropping exaggerated health claims for its Activia yogurt and DanActive dairy drink. The FTC said Dannon did not have adequate evidence to support claims that the products treat or prevent digestive problems.
The report presents findings from an annual survey on American consumer food values, beliefs and behaviors. It found that most view their diet as healthful and aim to make nutritious choices, but also acknowledge consuming highly processed foods.
The market report provides an overview of the U.S. sugar market and discusses trends in alternative sweeteners. It notes rising demand for naturally-sourced, low-calorie sweeteners and projections that some alternative sweeteners will continue gaining market share from traditional sugar.
The article discusses findings from a survey that found Americans feel guilty about nearly a third of the food they eat. It cites guilt over common indulgences and highly processed foods. The survey illustrates ongoing societal conflict between health directives and enjoyment of food.

Here is a summary of the article “‘The Big Quit’ Isn’t Going Away Anytime Soon” by ncaccio, Chris Farrell, and Daniel Shin:

The “Big Quit” refers to the high number of workers resigning from their jobs in 2021 in what has been called the Great Resignation. Over 47 million workers quit their jobs in 2021 alone.
There are several factors contributing to the ongoing wave of resignations. Many workers re-evaluated their priorities during the pandemic and are now seeking better pay, benefits, flexibility or fulfillment from their jobs. Others took early retirement or shifted careers.
Certain industries have seen especially high resignation rates, such as healthcare, retail, and transportation. Many workers in these industries took on significant risks and workloads during the pandemic for low pay.
The labor market power has shifted towards workers as companies compete for talent by offering higher wages, bonuses, and other incentives. However, resignations remain high as workers demand changes beyond just compensation.
The authors predict resignation rates will remain elevated for the foreseeable future as demographic, economic, and social factors that contributed to the Great Resignation have not been resolved. Workers are unlikely to return to outdated, inflexible jobs and companies will need to adapt.

Here is a summary of the key points from the article “Fitness and Farming—it’s No Surprise They Go So Well Together” by Clyn Krymowski:

Farm work requires physical strength and endurance, keeping farmers active and fit. Tending crops, harvesting, moving equipment and supplies all provide exercise.
Many farmers also enjoy recreational sports and activities to stay in shape outside of work like running, cycling, swimming, team sports.
The natural environment of farms provides opportunities for outdoor activities. Farmers have space for gardens, courts/fields for games, and trails for walking/running.
Rural life tends to be less sedentary than urban environments where driving and technology have replaced physical tasks. Farmers are constantly moving throughout the day.
Staying physically fit is important for farmers to do manual labor and reduce injury risks from tasks like lifting, bending, carrying heavy loads. It also helps manage stress of unpredictable weather and markets.
Young farmers today recognize importance of lifestyle and want farms that support fitness/wellness. Some integrate agritourism like U-pick, hiking trails to promote active hobbies.

So in summary, the article discusses how the physical demands of farm work naturally keep farmers active and fit, while the rural environment also supports outdoor recreational activities to maintain healthy lifestyles. Farming inherently promotes an active lifestyle.

Companies had internal processes to investigate complaints about behaviors that did not align with their values. Impacted employees by position eliminations either received severance based on eligibility criteria or got benefits continuation for 3 months or a stipend to cover continuation.
Black and American Indian women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women according to CDC.
Women generally interact more with the medical system starting at a younger age which could result in more complaints over time.
While some femtech products are overhyped, others try to address gaps in gender-focused research and health challenges uniquely faced by women.
Doctors say mesh used for urinary incontinence is still widely used but mesh for prolapse has more complications. Exact links between mesh and autoimmune issues are unclear.
While sugar cravings exist, experts say sugar is not literally addictive like drugs and little evidence supports sugar addiction in humans.
20th century food trends had roots in technology/ag policies and companies capitalized on post-WWII nutrition research to increase profits by using additives like corn syrup.
Studies of organic vs conventional had limitations like funding sources and inclusion criteria that affect conclusions.
Fear of pesticides deters some lower-income communities from conventional produce where organic is too expensive.
“All natural” sometimes but not always means organic if farmers follow practices but not certification.
One kombucha brand settled a misleading labeling lawsuit. Attraction marketing workshops disclaimer notes lack of fault for issues outside one’s control.
Religious disaffiliation is a global trend not isolated to the US.
Egg freezing involves same injections as IVF but without fertilization of eggs into embryos. Costs are high, around $30-40k on average for treatment and storage. Increased odds of future pregnancy are individualized and long-term data is limited.
Access issues persist even if health resources are made available to underprivileged groups who may not have time to utilize them.

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The Gospel of Wellness - Rina Raphael