The Gospel of Wellness: A glance behind the beaded curtain of the fashionable health industry

(Paperback, Main)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

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 a powerful player in today's society.

Reviews

'Of course, the desire to be healthy is anything but new. Consumers have long focused on improving their wellbeing and taking care of themselves ... But what we're witnessing today is completely unlike its predecessors. If "being healthy" once meant abiding by doctor check-ups, now it means ensuring that one rarely ever need to see a doctor ... Wellness, in its current form, is almost an obsession. The average person believes adherence can delay sickness, and even death. A strict overhaul of diet, movement, and thoughts is hailed as the new messiah. In wellness, it seems, we trust.' - Rina Raphael

Author Bio

Rina Raphael is a health and wellness features writer for Fast Company. She has also contributed to New York Times, LA Times, CBS and NBC News. A seasoned speaker at wellness conferences and festivals, she previously served as a senior producer and lifestyle editor at The TODAY Show for over a decade.