Is the Longevity Revolution Just Wellness 2.0 for Billionaires?

HILLARY LIN, MD

MAY 13, 2024

Before COVID hit, the wellness industry was experiencing a revival. People were tired of experiencing sickness, discussing sickness, and spending on sickness. Instead, people wanted to focus on wellness with retreats, meditation, and spas. Wellness 1.0 was focused on self-care, nutrition, and supplements. Prevention rather than reaction was the message being shouted from every yoga studio and glamping yurt.

"I'm here to relax away my burn out from my over-developed modern lifestyle!”

Now, post-pandemic, as I’ve written about here, we’re seeing a massive rise of interest in the longevity health world. This emerging vision of health focuses on prevention rather than reaction. Sound familiar?

Wellness Evolved

I’m based in NYC, the city that sells wellness and longevity to every person (but especially those with disposable income). My block alone boasts an acupuncture clinic, facial spa, and bathhouse among an array of fitness apparel retailers. Given the steep rents in the area, observing the turnover of these businesses provides a unique lens to witness the evolution of wellness over time.

One thing I’ve noticed is the apparent transition from wellness to longevity. While Wellness 1.0 embraced nature and ancient practices, Wellness 2.0 relies on health data and technology. Longevity is also all about data and technology. This led me to wonder - is Wellness 2.0 actually equivalent to Longevity Health?

The Limitations of Wellness 1.0

Wellness 1.0 was all about feeling better. Modern living was exhausting even before COVID and our current inflationary economics. People wanted to focus on self-care and mental well-being and cared a lot less about where advice to get such relief came from. This is how Cameron Diaz became a longevity expert and Gwyneth Paltrow the founder of Goop, a massively successful wellness enterprise.

It might be just me, but I prefer my longevity advice from a clinician or scientist.

Wellness 1.0 was characterized by an emphasis on self-care, nutrition, and supplements. In their quest for well-being, people sought natural remedies, herbal teas, and crystal healing. However, the focus was more on the subjective experience of feeling better rather than measurable health outcomes.

Wellness 1.0 also relied heavily on pseudo-science and celebrity endorsements. The industry was rife with unsubstantiated claims and products backed by star power rather than scientific evidence. Jade eggs, anyone?

Read the full article here

📣I'm so proud to finally announce the podcast Jordan Owashi and I have been working on the past couple months! Hack N' Snack documents our adventures learning how to code and diving into longevity-related health topics. Oh, and also snacks! 😂

If you are interested in learning about #health #longevity #coding #womenwhocode or just fun #snacks , be sure to tune in and listen to our upcoming episodes! (Our first ones are definitely fun too, but I'll be the first to admit we're just now hitting our stride 😜).