Standards of wellness
Unleashing The Truth Behind The Unleashed
Avni Lalchandani
AIS Vasundhara 6, X A
Imagine sipping on a bottle of jet-black water, marketed as a miraculous elixir for detoxification and hydration. Or perhaps you’ve tried the ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carb regime that promises rapid weight loss. These are just a few examples of the countless wellness trends that have exploded in recent years. Wellness, which began as a focus on self-care, self-confidence, and prioritising personal needs, has evolved into a complex and often expensive pursuit of well-being. But as these trends continue to gain traction, a critical question arises: do they genuinely promote health, or are they merely products of a commercialised wellness culture?
The wellness bloom...
...a market at it’s peak
The global health and wellness market is thriving and is projected to expand at an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% over the next decade. Even after the pandemic’s economic blow, the wellness industry rebounded swiftly, with market size climbing from $4.5 trillion in 2019 to $5.6 trillion in 2022. This phenomenal growth is driven by three sectors: beauty, mental health, and nutrition. These areas have sparked the rise of sleep trackers, mood trackers, water intake trackers, and fitness gadgets galore. Meditation and mindfulness, once niche markets, contributed $4.3 billion in sales alone. Similarly, the nutrition sector has gone beyond traditional dietary advice, offering innovations such as plant-based meat alternatives and personalised supplements tailored to individual needs. The beauty industry, too, has surged, boasting sales of $1089 billion in 2022. While these advancements offer numerous opportunities to enhance health, they often lead people to err on the side of self-indulgence rather than self-care.
The evolution of self-care...
...from necessity to luxury
Once synonymous with simple acts like taking a day off or getting enough sleep, self-care has morphed into a luxurious, often indulgent pursuit. The commodification of self-care has created an entire industry focused on selling products that promise enhanced well-being. Yet, the core principles of wellness, exercise, meditation, and healthy eating remain unchanged.
The wellness industry’s market size is expected to reach a staggering $8.90 trillion in 2030, and this expansion is driven by the idea that self-care in itself is a lifestyle. The industry thrives on the principle that spending money on specific products guarantees certain results, but this is rarely the case. In reality, these widely endorsed organic products and popularised healthcare regimes tend to be a mirage, enticing yet elusive.
The dark side of wellness...
...a world of deception
Beneath the polished surface of the wellness industry lies a darker reality. Social media influencers often curate picture-perfect routines that set unrealistic and unhealthy expectations for their followers. This isn’t just about vanity, it’s about the lack of regulation and transparency in the wellness sector, especially in nutrition. A glaring example is the documentary ‘Bad Influencer’, which exposed wellness entrepreneur Belle Gibson. Belle Gibson falsely claimed to have cured her terminal brain cancer through clean eating, amassing a large following of people with similar illnesses. She capitalised on her deception by launching a ‘Whole pantry’ healthy eating app, only to be exposed as a fraud two years later. The lesson here is clear: in a vast industry like wellness, some influencers and entrepreneurs prioritise profit over people’s well-being. A ‘cure’ that you can buy doesn’t always address the root problem.
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