The Wellness Industry: Scamming Influencers, Goop, and Feel Free.

Hello Poison Friends! We have been covering this topic of “wellness” and the industry surrounding the term. We all want to be well, and obviously, there are some great practices out there to help us out with that, but there are also a lot of scams and misinformation out there as well. This week we are covering the story of Belle Gibson, a wellness influencer who told her followers that she had brain cancer and only had six months to live, but beat the odds using natural means and by changing her diet and lifestyle. Specifically, she promoted recipes that she would later sell in her app and cookbook (supported by Apple and Penguin Books). Belle, however, never had cancer, and while she had promised that the proceeds of her app sells would go towards various charities, she lied about that as well. She influenced many of those who did actually have cancer or chronic illness to stop conventional medicine practices such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, medications, etc. She continued her lies for years, selling her brand and giving inconsistent medical reports along the way. It all came crumbling down with a couple of investigative journalists who received a tip that Belle might not be so sick after all.

We also have to talk about Goop. Gwenyth Paltrow’s brand has always been pretty controversial for most of us, but she has made a lot of money and gained a following with it. As such, we need to discuss such products and practices promoted and provided by Goop as jade eggs, amethyst bottles, and expensive stickers or yoga mats that are supposed to help a variety of issues you may deal with. She has been in legal trouble for some of her claims, but you can still find a lot of these products on her website. Just a heads up: We may mention some products with descriptions not suitable for children to hear about while discussing Goop. Nothing descriptive, mind you, or graphic, just correct anatomical terminology.

A final topic for discussion this week is that of the concerning beverage being sold at convenience stores or markets called Feel Free. This product, created and sold by Botanic Tonics, has led to a lot of concern with parents and doctors, because of what is in it. One ingredient we will discuss is Kava root extract, which is not necessarily toxic in low amounts (though extracts may have some hepatotoxic effects). It is another ingredient that has been causing problems: Kratom. This ingredient is known to produce opioid-like effects (and has been considered an opioid by the FDA since 2018) and is both physiologically and psychologically addictive, causing a lot of destruction in the lives of consumers, especially those who have suffered addiction before. Let’s dig into the details and have some fun learning.

Thank you to all of our listeners and supporters! Please feel free to leave a comment or send us a DM for any questions, suggestions, or just to say, "hi."

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