Point of Inquiry Broken Promises and False Prophets: Rina Raphael on the Business of Wellness
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Oct 27, 2022 In this engaging discussion, Rina Raphael, author of The Gospel of Wellness and a seasoned health journalist, critiques the wellness industry and its misleading promises. She explores the connection between wellness culture and women's self-esteem, highlighting dangers of pseudoscience and unrealistic health standards. Rina delves into the emotional community aspects of fitness classes, the allure of alternative medicine among women, and the rising trend of biohacking among men. She emphasizes the commercial exploitation of wellness and the need for skepticism in today’s approach to health.
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Wellness Is A Vague Marketing Construct
- Wellness has become an ambiguous marketing term that can mean anything from meditation to CBD toilet paper.
- Rina Raphael warns the industry has butchered the term, making it hard to distinguish real care from products sold as cures.
Pervasive Pseudoscience Targets Women
- Women encounter pseudoscience from multiple outlets like magazines and influencers without scientific vetting.
- Rina Raphael says cherry-picked or paltry evidence gets passed unchallenged because the claims are pervasive.
Crystal Healing Goes Mainstream
- Crystal healing is presented as a simple solution for physical and emotional problems, often via books and therapists.
- Raphael found jade rollers and crystal prescriptions marketed as inner healing, which would have seemed unlikely a decade ago.
