The global wellness industry, valued at approximately $5
trillion, harbours a dangerous underbelly, according to a
new RNZ podcast.
Unproven therapies and charismatic
gurus can lead vulnerable individuals away from life-saving
medical treatments, the investigation reveals.
Lodge”, an eight-part series by journalist Phil Vine,
examines the rise of wellness culture through the story of
Aiping Wang.
Wang, a Chinese-born guru established a
following first in Eastern Europe, then in New Zealand’s
remote Fiordland. She offered her followers the possibility
of healing without medicine.
Several experts featured
in the podcast warn that social media has supercharged
problematic wellness claims, creating an environment where
influencers can reach millions with unproven health
“What’s new is the rise of social media and
many digital technologies that enable ordinary individuals
to build a brand online and to reach a vast global
audience,” explains Dr Stephanie Baker from City University
She’s the author of Wellness Culture:
How the Wellness Movement Has Been Used to Empower, Profit
and Misinform.
The podcast explores how wellness
movements often exploit legitimate distrust in conventional
healthcare systems, what Dr Baker calls the “low trust
Dr Jon-Patrick Allem, Associate Professor of
Social and Behavioral Sciences from Rutgers University, New
Jersey, notes this dynamic in his research.
wellness industry is so appealing to people because there’s
a lot of problems with medicine,” Allem explains. “There’s a
lot of problems with how one interacts with their physician,
when they see their physician, what their physician is
versed in to communicate.”
The podcast documents
real-world consequences through the stories of Wang’s
followers who rejected conventional treatment for conditions
including: breast cancer, melanoma, and HIV after hoping for
cures through “energy healing”.
Allem highlights a
particularly concerning wellness trend: “What I am seeing in
the social media space is individuals claiming to have
alternative ways to not just prevent a cancer diagnosis, but
to cure a cancer diagnosis.”
Dr Emily Yang from
Western Sydney University, who has trained in traditional
Chinese medicine, warns against using unproven therapies as
substitutes for evidence-based treatments: “For example I
would never claim Tai Chi can treat cancer,” she says,
advocating instead for complementary approaches alongside
conventional medicine.
The podcast examines the
psychological appeal of wellness gurus, with Baker noting
that people often turn to such figures during tough times –
an aspect she calls “situational vulnerability”.
could be the situation involving the death of a loved one or
possibly divorce. A moment when one feels less stable.
They’re often searching for answers, for meaning.”
Zealand cult
expert Anke Richter identifies a clear warning sign in
wellness practices: exclusivity. When practitioners insist
their method is the only acceptable approach and discourage
conventional medical treatment, it can have fatal
consequences.
“There’s a quiet death toll,” Richter
The podcast connects these modern wellness
trends to the rise of figures such as Dr Joe Dispenza, who
claims to cure cancer through “coherence healing” and has
amassed 3.6 million Instagram followers.
Allem warns
listeners to be sceptical of practitioners who make
expansive claims: “The wellness industry, broadly defined,
is so appealing to people because there’s a lot of problems
with medicine. But that doesn’t mean that wellness practices
should replace proven treatments.”
Baker offers advice
for those concerned about loved ones who may be falling
under the influence of questionable wellness practitioners:
“Don’t cut them off. It’s the worst thing you can do.
Through maintaining a sense of common ground with these
people, rather than just dismissing their belief system, you
can help them see contradictions.”
For consumers
navigating the wellness landscape, experts recommend
maintaining open communication with conventional healthcare
providers and being wary of any practitioner who suggests
abandoning proven medical treatments
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