The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care

This is a sensitively handled book about a topic that impacts so many women! If you've ever read GOOP and found yourself annoyed that they seem to be hawking untested powders to people who may need real medical help, it's absolutely worth a read. But Raphael does an especially good job examining how people who buy into wellness trends aren't silly or foolish. Even some (though not all) of the people marketing wellness products have good intentions. After all, we all want to be "well." In a world where the medical establishment often fails women, and the government provides little support to working mothers, it can be extremely tempting to grab for some Paltrow approved powders to give us more energy. It's a way to take some control when not enough external resources are allotted to bettering our physical or mental health. It's an excellent topic, and this strikes me as a great book club book to discuss.

Very well written and researched. A good start but doesn't question the name Wellness because it will expose the damaged bodies and minds. This huge industry for mostly HUGE people began in the 60s with diet and exercise; morphed to fitness and nutrition; and now it has been renamed WELLNESS. No different than WW which is still selling weight loss or KFC as if dining with the Colonel means you are not eating fired chicken. Believing that Americans are exceptional because we live the American dream means we are so vulnerable to being suckered. Today 65% are obese and the fastest growing--pun intended- segment is the Morbidly Obese so fat acceptance is the rule of the land.

WOW. This book is truly eye-opening and anger-inducing. What’s being peddled as “wellness” is really just the diet industry reincarnated, preying on women’s anxieties. Such a fascinating read - grounded in facts but elevated by the author’s engaging and relatable style. Really appreciate the practical tips for navigating it as a consumer. Save the money you’d spend on a couple green juices and buy this book!

I was so excited to read this book, as I’ve watched with interest seasoned with skepticism as the “wellness” industry has grown into big business. The author tackles many aspects of the industry and has fabulous statistics sprinkled throughout the book. She divides the book into categories of wellness, then explains why people have discovered that avenue of wellness, explaining how modern life, medicine, doctors, or whatever applies, isn’t meeting the needs of women (primarily) and how the wellness product she’s exploring seems to be meeting that need, then she goes into a long patronizing explanation of why the women should actually have more faith in the established solutions rather than the new “wellness” solutions. Whether it comes to your families’ diet, your exercise program, your medical issues, she ends up fully supporting the establishment (GMOs aren’t bad, organic isn’t good, supplements aren’t good because the FDA hasn’t studied them the way they’ve studied drugs, your doctor doesn’t give you solutions because he can’t make promises, but don’t try alternative medicine because they’re snake oil sellers). In every single category, she makes the case for why people have gone “alternative “ and then she is almost mocking as she “debunks” their choices. It was a hard book to listen to, as it was narrated by the author, and her disdain was palpable. As she blames women’s “desire to control or the illusion of control” for their gullibility, I wanted to smack her… I gave it 3 stars because some of the statistics and data were interesting and valuable, but overall, it was a disappointing read.

This book takes a comprehensive look at the world of wellness, and serves back the trends with stunning insights.Highly recommend!

Utterly fascinating and incredibly informative.

Anyone who made the wise decision to disentangle themselves with diets and "wellness" culture would benefit from reading this book and digesting an enlightened and different perspective. I got suckered into and wasted so much money on bougie gyms and face and body procedures that were a complete disappointment (ultherapy and coolsculpt specifically). Women in particular are preyed upon with toxic, fear-based messages about this moral obligation and superiority complex to "control" their body by other women who are too blind to see their own disordered eating behaviors (hello Gwynneth Paltrow). This book is a refreshing read to opt out of the madness. Just because you don't know your weight doesn't mean you can't take care of your body. That's the toxic diet culture narrative that keeps you a prisioner in your own body. For most of the book I found myself nodding and highlighting as I read.Wasn't totally on board with her opinion about alternative medicine (they are not ALL snake oil salesmen; perhaps in your experience but I've worked with some amazing natural healers and some shammy shamens) and I take some well-documented, professional grade supplements that have saved me from osteoporosis and another one that helps me sleep so blanket statements that are opinioned felt really off which is why I dropped a star.Regardless, I recommend reading this because it IS well-researched but the author might get to a point in her own journey where she finds a more neutral ground with some of her observations.

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