Photo: Amrita Marks
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.
"The 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 advice.
"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 in London.
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 society."
Dr Jon-Patrick Allem, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences from Rutgers University, New Jersey, notes this dynamic in his research.
"The 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".
"It 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."
New 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 explains.
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 entirely.
