Do you really know? What is wellness syndrome?
5 snips
Dec 29, 2025 Dive into the intriguing phenomenon of wellness syndrome, where pressure to pursue physical and mental well-being has turned into a moral obligation. Explore how societal norms enforce wellness as a virtue, leading to guilt and anxiety. Discover the commercial scale of the wellness industry and its ties to personal development. Uncover the darker side, including pseudoscience and inequality, as well as the consequences of turning self-care into a judging standard. Is wellness truly beneficial, or does it come with hidden pitfalls?
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Wellness As A Moral Standard
- Wellness has become a moral standard that judges people by their visible health and happiness.
- This ideology pressures individuals to constantly optimize pleasure and self-care, treating wellbeing as virtue.
Everyday Pushes To Be Well
- Joseph Chance gives everyday examples like 'Here's my yoga instructor's number' to show how people push wellness on others.
- These casual recommendations illustrate social pressure to adopt wellness practices.
Origin And Commercial Drive
- The term comes from Carl Sederström and André Spicer's 2015 book The Wellness Syndrome.
- They argue that wellness now functions like an ideology tied to personal development and profitable markets.