The article critiques the modern wellness industry, likening it to 19th-century snake oil salesmen. It examines the industry’s rise as a response to gaps in traditional medicine, particularly its inability to address chronic conditions or focus on prevention and holistic care. Wellness promises solutions through supplements, detoxes, and alternative therapies, but often lacks scientific backing and exploits consumer fears about health, aging, and “toxins.” Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness brand, epitomizes this dynamic, blending dubious claims (e.g., jade eggs, ozone therapy) with high-priced products. While wellness offers an antidote to some failures of conventional medicine, it often promotes anxiety, encourages excessive self-monitoring, and benefits the wealthy. The article also highlights how wellness influencers profit immensely, rivaling “Big Pharma” in market size, while perpetuating a cycle of consumer dependency. Ultimately, the author advocates skepticism, urging consumers to rely on proven practices like diet, exercise, and rest instead of falling prey to unsubstantiated trends. The wellness industry, despite its flaws, continues to thrive, blending spectacle with commerce, much like the original medicine shows of the past. https://medium.com/the-sp.. #Biohackers Connect #Healthspan Advocates #Sporty Life