The wellness industry, valued at approximately $5.6 trillion globally, thrives on pseudoscience, according to clinical psychologist Jonathan N. Stea’s book, “Mind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry.” This lucrative sector traces its roots back to figures like John Harvey Kellogg and Bernarr Macfadden, who shaped early health ideologies infused with moralistic overtones and dubious scientific claims.
John Harvey Kellogg, better known for his cereal brand, co-founded the Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1878, a prominent center for health and wellness. He espoused a mix of health reform grounded in Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, promoting what he termed “biologic living”—a regimen involving exercise, sleep, and a predominantly plant-based diet. His ideas were notorious, as he prescribed remedies such as circumcision for boys and, for girls, extreme measures regarding sexual health, reflecting a troubling moralism.
Kellogg insisted on healthy living to prevent illness, warning against sedentary lifestyles, processed foods, and various vices. His obsession with cleanliness led to bizarre practices like obsessively chewing food. As medical historian Howard Markel notes, he was ahead of his time yet steeped in the moral health issues of his era, creating a legacy that influenced the wellness culture we see today.
Concurrently, Bernarr Macfadden emerged as a celebrity health influencer in the 20th century, promoting pseudoscientific methods entwined with fitness and fasting. His magazine, “Physical Culture,” became a sensation, encouraging Americans to believe that personal will could conquer diseases. Macfadden, who avoided vaccinations and slept on the floor to “align” with Earth’s magnetic fields, capitalized on the appeal of alternative medicine, emphasizing individual agency over mainstream medical practices.
According to family physician Michelle Cohen, Kellogg and Macfadden significantly impacted health promotion, merging 19th-century health moralism with modern celebrity culture. They established the idea that health is a personal responsibility, a theme prevalent in today’s wellness marketplace. However, Cohen cautions that equating health with virtue can perpetuate stigma, especially regarding mental illness and medication.
The modern wellness industry has followed in their footsteps, taking cues from historical movements and societal trends. After the Flexner Report of 1910, which reformulated medical education, alternative medicine’s influence was diminished, but disillusionment with conventional healthcare laid the groundwork for wellness’ rise as a commercial enterprise. By the late 20th century, consumerism intertwined with health, promoting a myriad of wellness options.
The concept of “wellness” pervaded North American culture, evolving from Halbert L. Dunn’s 1959 definition of integrated functioning to an ambiguous marketing term that encompasses everything from yoga classes to wellness apps. Journalist Rina Raphael highlights the industry’s sprawling ambiguity, where the same term can refer to vastly different products and practices.
Within this chaotic market, the wellness message promotes the notion that one can enhance their health through an endless array of products aimed at resolving nebulous issues. This approach has made the industry immensely profitable, notably encompassing the burgeoning mental wellness economy. It’s important to recognize that the wellness industry may provide comfort, but much like a defective vehicle, it often falls short on delivering reliable health solutions.
The wellness industry is worth $5.6 trillion, rooted in pseudoscience and early influencers like Kellogg and Macfadden. Kellogg promoted moralistic health practices and dubious remedies. Macfadden became a celebrity health figure advocating individual agency over science. Today, wellness is a vague term encompassing various products, generating significant profits, often detached from scientific rigor.
The wellness industry, deeply rooted in pseudoscientific beliefs and moralistic health notions propagated by figures like Kellogg and Macfadden, continues to thrive on ambiguity and consumer demand. While promoting healthy lifestyles can be beneficial, conflating that with moral virtue can lead to stigma and misinformation about health and medicine. As this $5.6 trillion industry grows, it is crucial to navigate wellness claims critically.
Original Source: bigthink.com
