22 | Goopified Wellness: When the Pursuit of "Wellness" Creates Barriers to Health

This episode has been a long time coming for us. Today we not only want to talk about problematic wellness brands and the treatments and products they promote, but the barriers they create around wellness and how that negatively impacts our personal pursuit of health.

2:00 We talk through our thoughts on Goop as a wellness brand and how it has made “wellness” feel like something different than what it actually is — the pursuit of health and wellbeing. There is a massive responsibility that comes with advising or influencing people on their health, and that responsibility can be used incorrectly when focusing on money over health or if promoting harmful practices.

4:10 Is it Goop or utter poop? Tune in for a game of distinguishing a true Goop recommendation or a made up scenario from Michael.

9:14 We talk through Goop’s conception — from the name to the launch in 2008 as a health and wellness blog. Goop is now a lifestyle site with the intention of sharing information from experts. This has taken Goop from home-style recipes shared to lawsuits around false health claims, harmful treatments branded as natural remedies, and unfounded products.

15:45 Ethical and evidence-based practices and recommendations are often at odds with anecdotal experience or personal belief, and that is where wellness companies can lead us astray at times.

19:30 Our goal with this episode is not to invalidate or talk down on alternative methods of care. We understand the draw to alternative practices while also recognizing that major platforms have a responsibility to provide accurate and safe information.

20:10 Annual Goop health summits have been the host platform for many problematic practitioners who now have a larger audience to whom they can spread more misinformation. This further fuels criticism of experts and leaves space for more rampant misinformation and overwhelm.

24:00 As consumers, the draw to new, shiny, interesting information is very alluring.

26:49 This is a bigger issue than just Goop; Goop has paved the way for the success of many other problematic brands who are marketing and selling wellness in a way that may not be in our best interest. Rampant pseudoscience only adds to information overwhelm and an image of wellness and health that is not accurate, attainable, or inclusive. 29:00 Problematic wellness brands spread a message that we can have long lasting health if we are white, slim, and have the money to purchase expensive products and services required to be “well.” Wellness should be accessible to anyone and should be a right rather than a luxury.

31:00 Problematic wellness brands can be a distraction from what can truly benefit us, our health, and our habits. What can be empowering to us on our pursuit of health is understanding what truly moves the needle on our health goals rather than what has minimal impact but appears shiny and exciting.

36:55 We believe that our pursuit of health is not black or white. Brands like Goop can have some helpful recommendations and resources AND still be problematic. What is problematic, however, is creating barriers to health when health should be achievable for everybody and doesn’t have a specific cost or look.

Due to limited space in show notes, email for references: kate@katelymannutrition.com

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