The Gospel of Wellness: A glance behind the beaded curtain of the fashionable health industry
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- Create Date：2022-12-28 09:51:54
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Rina Raphael
- ISBN：1788168232
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Summary
How did a modest industry of diets and calisthenics evolve into this mammoth business of luxe self-care？
In this fun-filled dive into the wellness industry， journalist Rina Raphael looks at the roots of a sector that is now worth $4。5 trillion dollars and explores why it's been so alluring to women all over the globe， promising health and vitality in the most fashionable package。
At times both fun and funny， from interviews with leading players in the industry to adventures in more bizarre practices such as desert dancing while drinking your own urine， The Gospel of Wellness reveals how its growth is a direct result of gender inequalities and structural sexism within medicine and society， forcing women to look elsewhere for health solutions。 In theory a huge force for good， women are now flooded with offerings from more exploitative areas of the industry， peddling snake oil and questionable ideas for a pretty price。
For anyone who values their exercise but has raised an eyebrow at the use of a certain jade egg， The Gospel of Wellness balances the bad with the good and offers a cool and steady look at powerful player in today's society。
In this fun-filled dive into the wellness industry， journalist Rina Raphael looks at the roots of a sector that is now worth $4。5 trillion dollars and explores why it's been so alluring to women all over the globe， promising health and vitality in the most fashionable package。
At times both fun and funny， from interviews with leading players in the industry to adventures in more bizarre practices such as desert dancing while drinking your own urine， The Gospel of Wellness reveals how its growth is a direct result of gender inequalities and structural sexism within medicine and society， forcing women to look elsewhere for health solutions。 In theory a huge force for good， women are now flooded with offerings from more exploitative areas of the industry， peddling snake oil and questionable ideas for a pretty price。
For anyone who values their exercise but has raised an eyebrow at the use of a certain jade egg， The Gospel of Wellness balances the bad with the good and offers a cool and steady look at powerful player in today's society。
Reviews
Jennifer Wright
，
This is a sensitively handled book about a topic that impacts so many women！ If you've ever read GOOP and found yourself annoyed that they seem to be hawking untested powders to people who may need real medical help， it's absolutely worth a read。 But Raphael does an especially good job examining how people who buy into wellness trends aren't silly or foolish。 Even some （though not all） of the people marketing wellness products have good intentions。 After all， we all want to be "well。" In a world This is a sensitively handled book about a topic that impacts so many women！ If you've ever read GOOP and found yourself annoyed that they seem to be hawking untested powders to people who may need real medical help， it's absolutely worth a read。 But Raphael does an especially good job examining how people who buy into wellness trends aren't silly or foolish。 Even some （though not all） of the people marketing wellness products have good intentions。 After all， we all want to be "well。" In a world where the medical establishment often fails women， and the government provides little support to working mothers， it can be extremely tempting to grab for some Paltrow approved powders to give us more energy。 It's a way to take some control when not enough external resources are allotted to bettering our physical or mental health。 It's an excellent topic， and this strikes me as a great book club book to discuss。 。。。more
Lara
，
Interesting book。 This author had a similar view of "wellness" that I did so probably some confirmation bias here but a good overview of the wellness culture， seem unbiased。 Interesting book。 This author had a similar view of "wellness" that I did so probably some confirmation bias here but a good overview of the wellness culture， seem unbiased。 。。。more
Rebecca P
，
I could have done with less nasty critique and more nuance。
Gina
，
This book needs an index！
Renee
，
If you listen to the Maintenance Phase podcast， this book has all of its greatest hits: Moon Juice， Dave Asprey， Goop， and more dubious wellness influencers or “gurus。” As the book says， this industry really is focused on a “culture of lack。” It exacerbates all of your worst insecurities and shortcomings， only to sell you something that will supposedly fix all of your issues。 Suddenly， you NEED that $100 tonic or $1，000 gym membership。 It’s all about using psychology and emotional manipulation t If you listen to the Maintenance Phase podcast， this book has all of its greatest hits: Moon Juice， Dave Asprey， Goop， and more dubious wellness influencers or “gurus。” As the book says， this industry really is focused on a “culture of lack。” It exacerbates all of your worst insecurities and shortcomings， only to sell you something that will supposedly fix all of your issues。 Suddenly， you NEED that $100 tonic or $1，000 gym membership。 It’s all about using psychology and emotional manipulation to encourage consumerism—and it is sooooo effective。 And I’m not putting anyone down for falling for these tactics。 I definitely am susceptible to them—still am sometimes！ But reading books like these， I hope I’m a more conscientious consumer。 。。。more
Abby
，
（see Storygraph）
Zibby Owens
，
This book goes into the good， the bad， and a whole lot of the in-between of the wellness and self-care industry。 The term wellness refers to everything that medicine and insurance don't touch—nutrition， sleep， meditation， and relaxation techniques。 It's devolved into an ambiguous marketing term。 She talks about how companies prey on women， specifically moms—for example， organic snack brands—and how we treat health and wellness like fashion fads。 I liked how the author dissected the different par This book goes into the good， the bad， and a whole lot of the in-between of the wellness and self-care industry。 The term wellness refers to everything that medicine and insurance don't touch—nutrition， sleep， meditation， and relaxation techniques。 It's devolved into an ambiguous marketing term。 She talks about how companies prey on women， specifically moms—for example， organic snack brands—and how we treat health and wellness like fashion fads。 I liked how the author dissected the different parts of the wellness industry and tackled them head-on。 She talked about the underbelly of self-care run by very clever marketing that targets women more than men。 It promises women the one thing they desperately desire: control。 I found it very， very interesting and eye-opening， and intellectually fascinating。 It changes how I see this world and will make me think before I buy， which is one of the best things a book can do。To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://www。momsdonthavetimetoreadboo。。。 。。。more
Jt O'Neill
，
I picked up this book off the "new arrivals" shelf at the library。 I am a skeptic when it comes to all things new age-y and/or alternative so I was curious。 Being a skeptic doesn't mean I don't show interest and/or practice some wellness behaviors。 It means I practice with thought and care。 I think that is essentially what Rina Raphael is urging readers to do。 The book seems aimed at women but I think it's a valuable read for anyone who is puzzled by claims from the wellness industry。 I've alway I picked up this book off the "new arrivals" shelf at the library。 I am a skeptic when it comes to all things new age-y and/or alternative so I was curious。 Being a skeptic doesn't mean I don't show interest and/or practice some wellness behaviors。 It means I practice with thought and care。 I think that is essentially what Rina Raphael is urging readers to do。 The book seems aimed at women but I think it's a valuable read for anyone who is puzzled by claims from the wellness industry。 I've always been an avid "follow the money" person。 It didn't surprise me， then， when Raphael cited facts around the high profits earned by some corporations in the business of promoting health/fitness/beauty related products。 But it isn't just money that drives customers to think that they （the customers） are doing health wrong。 Raphael also points the finger at the way American women are treated。 She suggests that women are looking for some kind of control in their stressed lives。 Women are often dismissed by the medical system while being told repeatedly by social media that they need to look and be a certain way。 It can all be overwhelming。 She postulates that women are often searching for the magic fix - the solution to their fatigue， to their self image issues， to their general unhappiness。 Enter the wellness industry。 I appreciate the way that Rina Raphael presented the material。 She looks carefully at many sectors of the wellness industry ， presenting the history on certain behaviors and products ， but doing it via engaging anecdotes infused with lightness and occasional humor。 If you don't have time to read the whole book ， read the final chapter （Guide for the Perplexed） and the conclusion。 That's the substance of the whole book。 。。。more
Liz marx
，
Some good research to help you make decisions on organic food choices。
Steph
，
I have really mixed feelings about this book。 The premise was so promising: breaking down the mirage that is wellness to what is actually based on science and what is simply a business marketing scheme。 However， this book was far too black and white to fairly represent every component it touched。 On certain subjects I agreed with her conclusions， gyms as communities and nutrition taking over entire lifestyles for example。 As someone who comes from a scientific background and has an understanding I have really mixed feelings about this book。 The premise was so promising: breaking down the mirage that is wellness to what is actually based on science and what is simply a business marketing scheme。 However， this book was far too black and white to fairly represent every component it touched。 On certain subjects I agreed with her conclusions， gyms as communities and nutrition taking over entire lifestyles for example。 As someone who comes from a scientific background and has an understanding of bias research methods， I appreciated the reality she brought forward with some brands and how this trend of wellness is being used by companies to increase profit。 However as someone with a chronic illness， I also felt that this book did little to provide information about methods that do have actual scientific evidence and help a good amount of people。 For example: where was Integrative Health in this entire book？ She talks about “alternative medicine” but in a way that states it is not legit and not medically sound。 This is just not the case about many regulated medical fields that don’t fall within “the norm” meaning the majority of Americans don’t see this type of practitioner but in which these certified professionals combine Western and Eastern approaches to help a patient with their overall functional health。 Instead， when it came to healthcare， it was all or nothing which is a dangerous way to look at a person’s wellbeing and ultimately what made me most skeptical about this book。In essence it became the same as what was argued against: don’t drink the koolaid and read into the wellness world because it won’t be the answer to everything as promised。 Of course it won’t！ Anyone who sees things in such absolute terms is just naive。 But balancing different ways to promote your health that isn’t all or nothing （including not just shunning wellness altogether and perhaps using a combination of means that work for you personally） is just as important！ When it comes down to it， look into the science， look into multiple options， and make the best decision for you based on the most reliable information you can get your hands on。 Be skeptical， but also be open to whatever works for you。 。。。more
Susan Heim
，
This book was fascinating but not satisfying。 There are tons of interesting tidbits as the author pokes holes in pseudoscience and throws back the curtain on deceptive marketing but it doesn’t all come together in an organized digestible fashion。
Cassey
，
I wasn't sure this would go deep enough to be interesting but it does build nicely if you stick with it。 Would like to see a more in depth follow-up on some topics covered。 I wasn't sure this would go deep enough to be interesting but it does build nicely if you stick with it。 Would like to see a more in depth follow-up on some topics covered。 。。。more
Cassandra
，
This was a surprisingly enjoyable read for a depressing topic。 A brilliant look into the history， lies， and manipulations of the wellness industry。 I consider this an excellent recommendation for those newly interested in the topic and those who already consider themselves knowledgeable。 I put myself in the latter category and while most of the big points weren't new to me， many of the specific references and some of the more nuanced details were revelations。 Specifically the way 'wellness' is c This was a surprisingly enjoyable read for a depressing topic。 A brilliant look into the history， lies， and manipulations of the wellness industry。 I consider this an excellent recommendation for those newly interested in the topic and those who already consider themselves knowledgeable。 I put myself in the latter category and while most of the big points weren't new to me， many of the specific references and some of the more nuanced details were revelations。 Specifically the way 'wellness' is constantly being adapted and updated in our society to better prey on the fears， and even prejudices， of the population。 All in all， a long and worthwhile read for anyone effected by this industry。 I'm so thankful to GR for the chance to review it。 。。。more
Stacy Purcaro
，
THIS。 This book validates everything I’ve been feeling about “wellness” in the past few years。 Rina Raphael has a way of writing that calls out the scams and hypocrisy of the wellness industry， but doesn’t make you feel bad for still loving your Peleton。 If you need the perfect book for your next Book Club， this is it！ So many good discussion points。 Grab a glass of wine （that you don’t have to feel guilty about） and dig in。
Sabina Z
，
4。5
Chris Boutté
，
This is easily one of the best books of the year。 I didn’t have high expectations going into this book because I’ve read many books on the topic， but Rina Raphael did an excellent job。 This book is about the wellness industry and the pseudoscientific products and practices pushed on people， but it’s much more than that。 Raphael discusses how women are targeted by the wellness industry and how challenges in their lives make them drawn toward these products and methods。 Whether it’s the need for a This is easily one of the best books of the year。 I didn’t have high expectations going into this book because I’ve read many books on the topic， but Rina Raphael did an excellent job。 This book is about the wellness industry and the pseudoscientific products and practices pushed on people， but it’s much more than that。 Raphael discusses how women are targeted by the wellness industry and how challenges in their lives make them drawn toward these products and methods。 Whether it’s the need for a community， keeping up with the ideal body type or dealing with everyday stress， women are dealing with a lot。 And the wellness industry is right there to take their money。My favorite part of this book is how Rina discusses how our medical industry is failing women as well as how it’s even worse for women of color。 Due to a lack of care from the medical industry， women are being pushed toward these wellness gurus， and we’re seeing a big lack of trust in modern medicine and science。 Rina offers a ton of scientific research throughout the book as well as potential solutions。 This is a must-read， and I really hope it’s getting the attention it deserves since it was released。 。。。more
Jessica
，
People （and in particular women） are pursuing "wellness" like never before - Peloton bikes， juicing， fasting， meditation and the like have taken off at a fast pace。 But， are we really all that unwell？ That's what Rina Raphael covers in this book。 Her main premise is that women in particular are seeking wellness so hard because it offers what we can never really have - control。 And it may seem like all these wellness options are still good for us either way， but as Raphael uncovers many are not g People （and in particular women） are pursuing "wellness" like never before - Peloton bikes， juicing， fasting， meditation and the like have taken off at a fast pace。 But， are we really all that unwell？ That's what Rina Raphael covers in this book。 Her main premise is that women in particular are seeking wellness so hard because it offers what we can never really have - control。 And it may seem like all these wellness options are still good for us either way， but as Raphael uncovers many are not good for us and could actually be harmful instead。 "The wellness industry has thrived on a very low-health-literate， high-disposable-income consumer。" says Sarah Greenidge， the founder of WellSpoken， an organization committed to regulating wellness brands for accurate information。 I also think social media has added to this because as I recently read in The Chaos Machine the most controversial stories tend to get pushed the most， so more and more fringe content （regardless of the topic） is pushed on social media and that definitely applies to the wellness industry。 I was extremely impressed with this book and Raphael's writing。 I also felt like she had a good balance to the book - it wasn't bashing health or good habits - but it did point out some not-good trends that are masquerading as healthy。 Overall， I would definitely recommend this book。There were LOTS of quotes I liked:"We may have fought the good fight for women's careers， but as [Arlie] Hochschild observed， 'The workplace they go into and the men they come home to have changed less rapidly， or not at all。 Nor has the government given them policies that would ease the way， like paid parental leave， paid family medical leave， or subsidized child care - the state-of-the-art child care， that too is stalled。' In essence， women changed， but many men， employers， and the government simply put up their feet。" （p。 24-25）"The wellness industry stepped in to fill a void created by the unreasonable expectations that torment us。 Self-care promised salvation， deliverance from the evils of stress。 But if it's a toxic workplace， a meditation program isn't going to fix it。 A fitness app won't solve the uneven distribution of housework within your marriage; CBD gummies will not enforce better childcare policies; bath salts won't stop late-night work emails。 Buy whatever makes you feel good， but realize that these are short-term mental Band-Aids that do not ensure long-term redemption。" （p。 36）"Trust that nature has a plan， brands state， while ignoring the earthquakes， tsunamis， pandemics， famines， and poisonous mushrooms plaguing this troubled earth。 Nature， as science shows， does not signify goodness: nature is brutal， relying on survival of the fittest。 And yet it's exalted as a higher power we can put faith in or that can transport us to a more wholesome era。" （p。 79-80）"Goop's supplement line sold $100，000 worth of product on its first day。 （Even though you can buy the supplements' equivalents for half the price at your local GNC。） If women feel more understood by Gwyneth Paltrow than their own doctor， there's a problem with medicine。" （p。 139）"'There's a lot of good education online， but don't go hook， line and sinker， especially after someone is making a lot of money from selling products，' [Dr。 Lucinda Bateman] says， singling out supplements， for one。 'As soon as people are earning their living by selling these [pills and products]， then all credibility goes out the window as far as I'm concerned。'"（p。 146） [I understand why people are drawn to more "natural" supplements because big Pharma is DEFINITELY making a LOT of money off people staying sick。]"As the clergy saw it， the only reasonable way to account for women healers was as testaments of malicious magic。 Their herbal concoctions and childbirth techniques became proof of consorting with the devil （as if Satan were， of all things， a doula）。 A high percentage of women who practiced what we would call medicine were accused and subsequently burned for 'practicing witchcraft，' though undeniably because they circumvented （and threatened） the Church's authority。 Fueled by religious dogma， those in charge successfully pushed women out of care， thereby restricting their role in society。" （p。 152）"In 2020， the U。S。 House of Representatives doubled funding for endometriosis research， which amounted to just $26 million per year。 Kim Kardashian's home is worth more than double that。 All in all， that comes out to about $4 per U。S。 woman afflicted with endometriosis。" （p。 155）"The United States saw a 600 percent increase in veganism between 2014 to 2017， and 30 percent of all Americans now avoid gluten， though only a small percentage actually have Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity。" （p。 169）"There are no Manifesters Without Borders。 Followers， mostly women， are drawn to the idea that whatever good energy you put out into the world inevitably comes back to you。 When I ask， however， whether the Jews in the Holocaust lacked the right energy to escape Nazi Germany， some seem legitimately stumped。 'Huh， I didn't think about that，' one college-aged manifester replied。" （p。 201）[On egg freezing and IVF] "The chances of a single frozen egg resulting in a live birth for a woman under the age of thirty-eight is between 2 and 12 percent， according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine。 One stat you won't see on a peppy social media post: of the approximately 2。5 million IVF cycles performed annually， a staggering 2 million do not succeed， which puts the global IVF cycle failure rate at nearly 80 percent。 A lot of confusion exists as to what constitutes 'success' in this sector。 Are we discussing the success of retrieving and storing eggs， of getting pregnant， or of actually having a baby at the end of the process？ A lot of accurate but misleading numbers are floating around。" （p。 267-68）"Other industry experts agree that wellness is indeed a global trend， but what's going on with American women is something else。 It is a mania not replicated in certain European countries where they have better work-life balance， more communal societies， and a more attentive （or socialized） medical healthcare system。 Some have policies in place that support self-care。 Sweden， for example， set up a 24/7 open hotline for registered nurses to respond to citizens' non-urgent health issues。 One Italian academic told me， 'We take two-hour lunches with friends or coworkers to eat fresh food an we receive four weeks mandated vacation。 I'm not sure my country needs all this wellness。'" （p。 284） 。。。more
Dodi
，
This book was a breath of fresh air after recently reading a different book warning me about all the health hazards and toxins all around me。 （No worries; I'm taking each with a grain of salt。） I'm breathing a sigh of relief and holding on to my laundry detergent--but ditching the scented candles。 :-） This book was a breath of fresh air after recently reading a different book warning me about all the health hazards and toxins all around me。 （No worries; I'm taking each with a grain of salt。） I'm breathing a sigh of relief and holding on to my laundry detergent--but ditching the scented candles。 :-） 。。。more
Cat Ratajczak
，
A nice critical analyses of all types of wellness practices （exercise， food， spirituality， skincare， etc。） with tidbits of historical context thrown in each chapter。 Reading through this book felt freeing in the sense that it reminded me about the difference between science and scarcity-based influence in the context of “health” and how that is different from deriving joy from fitness classes， jade rollers， and yoga。 I appreciated that the book didn’t demonize the latter joys， with the author sa A nice critical analyses of all types of wellness practices （exercise， food， spirituality， skincare， etc。） with tidbits of historical context thrown in each chapter。 Reading through this book felt freeing in the sense that it reminded me about the difference between science and scarcity-based influence in the context of “health” and how that is different from deriving joy from fitness classes， jade rollers， and yoga。 I appreciated that the book didn’t demonize the latter joys， with the author saying “I do those things for fun， too” repeatedly。 I also was interested to see that this book focused only on women - I actually don’t think I saw one study about men referenced。 That was a unique lens and I don’t think I can say I have read a book that has come from that angle before。 A bit repetitive at times， could have been parred down。 I also love loved how much the word “svelte” was used。 Would recommend， overall :） 。。。more
Patricia
，
I enjoyed this book and learned some things。 True， it could have been better organized in that it felt more like reading a series of essays at times， but I'm okay with that。 I really appreciate that the dangers of diets and society's inherent fatphobia are finally making it into more mainstream works like this。 I enjoyed this book and learned some things。 True， it could have been better organized in that it felt more like reading a series of essays at times， but I'm okay with that。 I really appreciate that the dangers of diets and society's inherent fatphobia are finally making it into more mainstream works like this。 。。。more
Janine
，
3。5 provides some satisfying arguments against the capitalist-wellness complex， but does tote a relatively even stance。 Some chapters more interesting than others。 Good for someone newer to this space。
Kaila
，
I had a hard time choosing how to rate this。 On the one hand， I wouldn't shut up about it。 I talked about it incessantly to anyone who would listen。On the other hand， I hated basically everything about it。Are you in society？ Things probably feel bad to you， yeah？ Like life is hard， the world is literally on fire， and dear lord what kind of world are our children going to inherit？ Yes， same！ It's almost like everything sucks。 But， you know， we still have to live。 We still have to make it through。 I had a hard time choosing how to rate this。 On the one hand， I wouldn't shut up about it。 I talked about it incessantly to anyone who would listen。On the other hand， I hated basically everything about it。Are you in society？ Things probably feel bad to you， yeah？ Like life is hard， the world is literally on fire， and dear lord what kind of world are our children going to inherit？ Yes， same！ It's almost like everything sucks。 But， you know， we still have to live。 We still have to make it through。 And so we come up with coping strategies。 Vitamins。 Steps。 Meditation。 Skin care。 These are very normal coping mechanisms。Did you know you should actually feel very very guilty for partaking in any of these things？ Because Rina Raphael is out to make sure you do。I don't do everything on her list of "Things White Women Do And They Suck Because Of It，" but I do some of them。 Because of the whole "the world is on fire" thing。 So I'm having a hard week - a hard year - you know what， it's been a hard decade， and you're going to make me feel bad for the few endorphins I get from going into my basement gym and Pelotoning for 30 minutes？No。 You don't get to make me feel bad about that。 It's all women's fault - AGAIN - for trying to do anything。 No matter what we do， it's wrong。This book legit brought on a bout of depression for me。 I know the list of coping mechanisms I have aren't doing it for me， because life still sucks。 But goddamnit， I'm trying。 And this book made me feel like I should stop trying。 Just sit down and cry because nothing you do is ever going to be good enough， no one will ever love you， and you are a silly goose for thinking someone ever could。 。。。more
Natalie （readswithnatalieb）
，
Since 2020， I’ve been updating my idea of wellness on a daily basis。 After reading this book， that definition continues to change。 This book provides a lot of insight and even more to think about， but ultimately， wellness is individualized in what you need。I took away two major things from this book: how wellness is evolving and how marketing creates said evolutions。 Just like we’ve seen changes in other industries， there’s no one size fits all。 Not one workout works for everyone， or skincare ro Since 2020， I’ve been updating my idea of wellness on a daily basis。 After reading this book， that definition continues to change。 This book provides a lot of insight and even more to think about， but ultimately， wellness is individualized in what you need。I took away two major things from this book: how wellness is evolving and how marketing creates said evolutions。 Just like we’ve seen changes in other industries， there’s no one size fits all。 Not one workout works for everyone， or skincare routine， or literally anything。 Truthfully， it reassures readers to not feed into what you see online or what your favorite influencer is doing because there’s a chance it’s not for you （as hard as this is）。It really gave CULTISH vibes， and since I’m one who loves to workout and try the latest skincare regimen， I was really fascinated with Raphael’s findings。 My only complaint is that it tends to jump around a bit and doesn’t have a consistent flow， but also see the POV of having an ever moving thought process of one thing leading to another。 In the end， it’s all connected。From a marketing perspective， it was fascinating how one word can increase sales。 Gluten free， organic， “me time，” etc。 I think everyone understands how marketing is always finding the flashiest ways to grab consumers， so learning just a few steps beyond what I see on labels was eye opening。 Big thank you to Henry Holt for the ARC copy！Content warnings: eating disorders， fat shaming 。。。more
John
，
This book took about a month to read as I would stop after each chapter and do some research and think about the topic of the chapter。 Raphael's work is painstaking on target which makes the book an essential read。 Before I go into more detail- please know I am an avid wellness-oriented person and have had tremendous luck with certain supplements。 I'm also a skeptic， researcher， and psychologist。 This book provides much-needed insight that shows the mimesis of the wellness movement through capit This book took about a month to read as I would stop after each chapter and do some research and think about the topic of the chapter。 Raphael's work is painstaking on target which makes the book an essential read。 Before I go into more detail- please know I am an avid wellness-oriented person and have had tremendous luck with certain supplements。 I'm also a skeptic， researcher， and psychologist。 This book provides much-needed insight that shows the mimesis of the wellness movement through capitalistic commodification and misinformation。 Raphael also gives a variety of suggestions about why this has happened and notes the historical systematic ways that once again show inequality within health measures。 Highly recommend this book。 Just the way she trashes goop makes it worthwhile。 But please know she balances the line and suggest there is ample room for still making wellness a priority in our lives。 。。。more
Sarah
，
An interesting perspective on a societal movement that disguises unhealthy body image and diet culture as “healthy lifestyle” choices and exploits consumers in the process， but weak in many of its arguments nonetheless。
Jennifer Myers
，
Scathing commentary on our “wellness industry？” ✔️Science and research backed illustrations of how we can do better？ ✔️A breath of fresh air for anyone wondering why they can’t have it all （as seen on social media？） ✔️Action items for true self-care？ ✔️Read it。 You’ll see your life differently。
lana
，
I think I just expected more from this。
Caroline
，
3。9 stars
Marilyn Maya
，
I enjoyed this book， which explores the business of wellness and why so many （mostly） women are pursuing alternative therapies。 It's a very well-rounded account and although the author makes fun of and shows why many therapies are infective， even harmful， she explains women feel disrespected and dismissed by the medical profession which has let them down。 There are laugh-out-loud moments and accounts of snake oil salespersons disguised as gurus。 Fun and important read。 I enjoyed this book， which explores the business of wellness and why so many （mostly） women are pursuing alternative therapies。 It's a very well-rounded account and although the author makes fun of and shows why many therapies are infective， even harmful， she explains women feel disrespected and dismissed by the medical profession which has let them down。 There are laugh-out-loud moments and accounts of snake oil salespersons disguised as gurus。 Fun and important read。 。。。more
Erin
，