Hype in the Wellness Business

One problem with the wellness industry is that there is a lot of hype. Many of the vitamin, minerals, "health foods" on the market have been designed by accountants not scientists. Marketing teams push the envelope on health claims that are not supported by science or anything else. The real problem here is to sort out what's real and what's hype. Hype can look and sound like the real thing because the people promoting it are good at what they do. The amazing part to me is that 1. they get away with it and 2. They don't seem to mind playing with people's health just to make a buck. It is no wonder that many consumers feel that vitamins just don't work. In order for vitamins and such to work, there has to be something of real value in the pill or the box. As a result of these shady practises, the Canadian and US governments are getting more involved in natural product regulation. This will eventually get rid of the shady characters in the wellness business but it may also stifle the development of future wellness products.

The drug industry is very much behind this regulation because they fear that this tiny wellness industry threatens their humongous empire. By the way, anytime you see a study in Google about certain vitamins, minerals or health foods that don't work, check around a bit and find out who funded the study and what were the ingredients of the formulation used. I have found that a lot of studies are funded by drug companies and the potency of the product tested is way under effective levels. But who reads the background material? The bottom line is that you the consumer have to be proactive about the wellness products you consider. Do your own research. If the people/institutions/companies doing the research are credible, then the product is probably ok. Just remember, everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for all. Even drugs do not work for everyone--I've heard that some drugs only work for 50% of the people who take them. So when your doctor says "here, try this" That's what he/she means. He or she doesn't know for sure whether it's going to work for you either. And then there's the side effects. Drug companies have managed to portray themselves as the great health saviours of mankind. The problem is they are not focused on the cure but on treating the symptoms. If you cure someone, you have lost a customer. If you treat the symptoms, you have a customer for life. This improves the bottom line and makes accountants and investors happy.

The bottom line for consumers is pro activity. Don't make your health, someone else's responsibility. Whether its a drug or a wellness product, do your own due diligence, as best you can, until you are satisfied. Then monitor the results you are getting. It can seem like a fulltime job at times but your health is worth it. Where would you be without it?