This One Thing... The Gospel Of Wellness

Rina Raphael’s new book, The Gospel Of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop And The False Promise Of Self-Care, takes a playful but thought-provoking look at the $4.4trillion wellness industry; a world rooted in perpetuating the belief that our bodies can’t self-regulate and that the answer lies in the latest detox, exercise regime or meditation retreat. She highlights the ways this global phenomenon plays on women’s vulnerabilities because of societal expectations to be slimmer and ‘sexier’ and wraps the solutions up in a fashionable package. As Raphael says, “I’ve seen far too many women – myself included – adopt new rituals and debatable products with nary an ounce of scepticism.” However, Raphael offers a balanced argument, also acknowledging that the industry does have some positives, such as encouraging people to think about their health when they shop. For a light-hearted look at an industry that is dominating a lot of our lives, this one’s a good read.

Samantha de Haas is acting managing editor and chief copy editor at Service95