Are you suffering from a winter sniffle? Perhaps a spot of dry skin, or the odd feeling of depression as the nights get darker and the sun takes longer to emerge on your morning commuteA regular journey to/from work or school.?

No need to worry. The wellness industry has a million cures for almost every possible afflictionIllness or injury.. "Psychic healing", the keto diet, cryotherapyThe use of extreme cold as a medical treatment., jade eggs, bone broth, bee venom therapy, leech therapy, "internal showers"... Before long, you will feel right as rain.

Or so some say. Many think that wellness cures are all a big scam. Mostly spread via social media, the cures have limited and mostly only anecdotalBased on personal accounts rather than facts or evidence. evidence.

Furthermore, some point out, they seem to mostly target women. As a society, we are sold an unattainableNot able to be reached or achieved. standard of womanhood with glossy, perfect skin and gleaming charismaA charm or attractiveness that can inspire others.  - the picture of health and beauty. And we are told that the only way to achieve this is through gimmickyIntended to attract attention or publicity. health trends which can cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds apiece.

One expert described it as analogousSomething that is similar to another thing. to the myth of Tantalus, a figure from Greek mythology.¹ As a punishment from the gods, Tantalus had to stand in a pool of water with low-hanging fruit just above him. But the water and the fruit would recedeMove back or further away from a previous position. whenever he reached for them. He was condemned to eternal hunger and thirst, with the object of his desires just out of reach.

Wellness could be quite similar. The industry encourages us to spend more and more money in the pursuit of perfect physical health. But the more we spend, the further we seem from our goal. From snake oil to "prebiotic sodas" to blood sugar pills and cleansing juices, there is a seemingly endless list of products to invest in for the sake of our "health."

Some think that wellness is even sinisterThreatening, or suggesting that something frightening or disturbing will happen. in its goals. Many have pointed out that it was wellness communities who pushed for more libertarianA political philosophy that stresses personal freedom above all else. policies during the Covid-19 pandemicAn outbreak of disease which occurs across a wide geographic area, as opposed to an epidemic, which is confined to a particular region., advocating against lockdowns and other public health regulations. Wellness influencers often oppose vaccination.

Others believe that wellness culture has its roots in the 20th Century fascistFollowing fascism, a set of ideologies that advocates dictatorial power, political violence, suppression of opposition, traditional gender roles, and official racism. ideologies which portrayed a strong body without injury or disability as a symbol of moral, genetic and national superiority.

Others urge us not to get carried away. Certainly, not all of the "wellness cures" you see floating around are really going to help. But not all of them are fake either. In fact, some claim that "wellness" is a way for women to reclaim autonomyThe right to make your own decisions. in medicine, which has often portrayed their needs as secondary to men's.

Yes: The wellness industry was founded to exploit people, predominantly women. It leads us to believe that there are infinite problems in our bodies that need to be fixed with more and more money, but they can never fully be fixed. It is like the curse of Tantalus.

No: Not all wellness cures are good for you - some of them are even bad. But the spirit of the movement is good: people taking ownership of their health and their bodies, trying to be as healthy as possible.

Or... The wellness movement is just a symptom of the bigger curse: misinformation, particularly on social media. People are not equipped to tell real information from fake, which is what makes these kinds of scams so successful.