{"id":1284,"date":"2026-09-03T11:09:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bikeradar\/?p=1284"},"modified":"2026-09-03T11:43:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:43:06","slug":"the-6-8tn-wellness-industry-exploits-us-all-this-is-how-we-wrestle-back-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bikeradar\/2026\/09\/03\/the-6-8tn-wellness-industry-exploits-us-all-this-is-how-we-wrestle-back-control\/","title":{"rendered":"The trillion-dollar wellness “con” exploits us all, says top scientist. This is how we wrestle back control"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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health<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trillion-dollar wellness “con” exploits us all, says top scientist. This is how we wrestle back control<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

We talk to exercise scientist Dr Nick Tiller about his new book The Health and Wellness Lie<\/em>, where he reveals the “hype, hacks and hidden agendas of the well-being machine”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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john whitney<\/mark><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr Nick Tiller’s book is a ferocious reply to an industry that he argues cons its consumers. Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The pharmaceutical industry \u2013 \u2018Big Pharma\u2019 \u2013 gets a bad press for some of its practices, not least for claims it prioritises profit over health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At close to $2tn globally, there is certainly plenty of money swilling around it. However, in terms of wealth, it can\u2019t touch the wellness economy, worth an estimated $6.8tn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In pharmaceuticals, there is a high threshold of evidence that a new medicine must hit. It needs to be both safe and of benefit to the recipient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much innovation and testing is done to get a new treatment to market, including multiple levels of trialling and approval from national health authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not so the wellness business, which doesn\u2019t face the same scrutiny. A manufacturer of a new wellness product \u2013 say a new supplement \u2013 has far fewer regulatory hoops to jump through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All you need is the finance to get if off the ground and some marketing chops. Using third-party manufacturers can mean a rapid rollout of your supplement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wellness industry is \u201cthe wild west\u201d, according to Dr Nick Tiller, an exercise scientist who\u2019s just published a book, The Health and Wellness Lie: Exposing the hype, hacks and hidden agendas of the well-being machine<\/em><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr Nick Tiller is an exercise physiologist, science writer and ultra runner, and has previously worked with British Olympians. He’s also on the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry<\/em>, which “promotes scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tiller\u2019s book is a searing indictment of an industry he calls, in the opening to the book, \u201ca multi-trillion-pound con\u2026 an all-you-can-eat buffet of pseudoscience, snake oil and performance [BS] dressed up as self-care\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His book shows how wellness marketing exploits our biases, how social media amplifies the loudest voices in the room at the expense of the most credible, how bad science starts the rot and how insidious tactics from influencers shape our purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We caught up with him from his home in Norway to chat about the themes of his book, the tricks of the trade that have powered this astonishing growth, and how you can take back control and make better decisions about your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People don\u2019t spend their money on wellness based on evidence, but on stories and narrative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Natural ingredients are talked up in the supplements world, says Tiller, because it appeals to our biases. Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Scientific study is complicated, messy and difficult for the lay person to interpret, says Tiller, and that\u2019s good news for wellness firms: most people aren\u2019t looking for evidence, and the firms don\u2019t need to provide it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cManufacturers understand our biases much better than we do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey know if you can make something appear to be popular, then people will jump on the bandwagon. That if you market it as natural, people will flock towards it because people have this bias that natural means better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat if you can crowbar in an appeal to tradition, that this is an ancient practice that has been used for a long time, that our paleolithic ancestors used to do it. It’s all about story. Especially on social media, this stuff is much more powerful than evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Errors are baked into every stage of scientific discovery, from the studies to social media amplification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s far from just the wellness influencers that get a mauling from Tiller. Many different players, including scientists and media, play a role in bad information reaching consumers, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He believes exercise scientists \u2013 his own field \u2013 are among the worst culprits, finding tiny effects from small studies, with conclusions not supported by the data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This then gets picked up by the media. \u201cThen you\u2019re in the attention economy, where everybody is competing for limited time and interest,” he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Studies will get sensationalised, and the ones that do get picked up [by the media] are the more novel ones that don\u2019t necessarily represent the day-to-day grind, or mundane findings, in science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overarching problem is that a small study with very little in its favour gets the same platform and billing in a media publication as a dense, compelling randomised controlled trial \u2013 the gold-standard of research \u2013 that has taken years to complete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, that small study can be even higher in the mix, because it is, reckons Tiller, more likely to have eye-catching findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere could be 10 well-controlled, randomised controlled trials showing that a particular supplement does nothing,\u201d says Tiller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut the one small, weak study that has no control group that finds something novel is the one that people will pounce on. I’ve seen it with my own work \u2013 that’s the kind of stuff that tends to trend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as there are crappy exponents of any profession, there are crappy scientists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Would you trust this scientist? Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The end result of this realisation, according to Tiller, is that the paper produced by this \u201ccrappy scientist\u201d is amplified by everyone else in the wellness trade as if it is gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A scientific paper, he argues \u2013 the sort that I, as a journalist, will use for the basis of my articles \u2013 is meant for other scientists. \u201cThey\u2019re not written for the lay person, they\u2019re written by experts for other experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen a journalist or science writer reports on a new paper, they don\u2019t have the training to be able to dig into the study and determine whether it\u2019s actually a good study.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds that the compressed timelines journalists have to work to make it difficult for him to convey the complexity of a study when he\u2019s asked to comment on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cScience is complicated, it’s muddy and it’s great. And when you oversimplify something, you lose all of the nuance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The undermining of scientific orthodoxy has turbo-charged wellness in the USA \u2013 and it\u2019s come from the very top<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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RFK Jr, the figurehead of the MAHA movement. Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are many tactics used by the wellness industry, at every level, to get you spending. Tiller argues, however, that given its power and influence, you can\u2019t ignore the MAHA movement \u2013 Make America Healthy Again \u2013 led by US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr \u2013 in boosting its fortunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says it is \u201cdeliberately undermining scientific and medical institutions, creating fear and distrust among the public so that they can put forward an alternative worldview\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why doubt over things such as vaccines, sunscreen, seed oils \u2013 the medical orthodoxy \u2013 are being sowed, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about creating fear and distrust of the establishment, because then there\u2019s a crack in the door for you to sell your own s**t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists need to tell a better story about their research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Not all scientists can communicate as well as Neil deGrasse Tyson (right), but Tiller makes a case for them to tell their own story before someone does it for them. Gett<\/em>y Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tiller quotes Shirley Malcom, a senior advisor at the American Association for the Advancement of Science: \u201cIf you don’t tell your own story, somebody else will tell it for you and you may not like how they tell it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says many scientists are doing good work in the lab, accumulating knowledge about how the body works, then publishing it. But at that point, it may go behind an expensive journal paywall and be forgotten about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey might think, ‘oh well, job done. I\u2019ve got my paper, my citation, it\u2019s on my CV’. But who\u2019s communicating those findings to the public? If we aren\u2019t doing it, there is this huge void in the communication space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s filled by, okay, journalists and science writers, but also fitness influencers, bodybuilders, wellness gurus and all these people who are going to interpret \u2013 or misinterpret \u2013 your findings for their own self-interest to sell a product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cScientists need to overcome the stigma that if you do any public facing work, you’re somehow not a very good scientist, that it dilutes your academic profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe started an initiative in the journal where I’m an associate editor [International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism]<\/em>, where every single new paper that’s published has to have a layperson’s summary attached to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat’s been great because lots of non-scientists do want to read about research and they do want to understand the latest scientific findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow they can go straight to the source and they can read a lay person’s interpretation, that\u2019s as accurate as it can be in terms of balancing the technical complexities with the practical takeaways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Become your own wellness gatekeeper \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean \u2018do your own research\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Invest time in sharpening your critical thinking, says Tiller, to make better decisions on wellness. Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tiller closes his book by looking at three paths forward for us and the wellness industry \u2013 some more hopeful than others, depending on your point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most realistic positive vision for this writer, given that the world of wellness is predicted to keep growing, was for us as individuals to become our own gatekeepers for our health and wellbeing, of having the knowledge to make better decisions. What advice does Tiller have for people in this regard?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first tip is not to react so impulsively to the stuff we\u2019re told on social media \u2013 to be more sceptical of everything that\u2019s claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Doing your own research\u2019 has become something of a euphemism when it comes to the more conspiratorial among us and Tiller doesn\u2019t advise that approach (\u201cpeople don\u2019t know how \u2013 it can often get them in more trouble\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInvest the time in becoming a good thinker,” he says. “Being a better thinker is just like learning a new language or learning a musical instrument or acquiring a new skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s the same with critical thinking and making good decisions. It takes time to understand your own biases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to become media literate, to know how it produces information, and be social media literate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnderstand how the algorithm favours simple catchy, trendy advice, and these algorithms will produce content based on your previous viewing history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd all of that needs to be learned. It’s not something that we’re typically very good at as humans. We want quick fixes to complex problems. But sometimes the only solution is to put in the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUltimately, I think that’s totally worth it if you’re going to make better decisions for yourself and the people around you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiller does take supplements, but evidence-based ones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Creatine supplements are something Tiller says he takes. Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We couldn\u2019t end our call with Tiller without asking him if there are any wellness products he uses. Few and far between, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a weight-training enthusiast, creatine is one. \u201cIt\u2019s well-established through hundreds of studies, some good, some bad, but is generally beneficial for people doing high-intensity exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut even something as well established as creatine, one of the few supplements that actually does deliver on its promises, people are still making outrageous claims about it, such as enhancing cognitive powers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also sometimes takes protein powder, because he\u2019s conscious of his intake and needs, and takes vitamin D to counter a known deficiency. “All of this stuff is evidence-based,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The simple message of better health can\u2019t be packaged and sold in the name of wellness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The message of more exercise for better health can’t be easily commodified by wellness influencers. Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Being physically active, moving a lot, eating well, not drinking or smoking. These are things that will improve your health far more than any supplement or treatment, and they can cost very little (or even save you money in the case of stopping booze and fags). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re also unsexy, familiar and difficult to maintain \u2013 but real change is hard. \u201cThese are the things that cannot be sold and packaged by wellness,\u201d says Tiller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get distracted by shiny objects, likely coming in nice packaging for a price, that the wellness industry is trying to convince you will be the thing that results in change this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stealth marketing is very hard to spot \u2013 but know that it does go on<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The people operating in the wellness space \u2013 the influencers, scientists and podcasters \u2013 partner with sponsors. There\u2019s nothing wrong with that, of course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BikeRadar <\/em>produces and hosts \u2018sponsored content\u2019, where we benefit financially from an article appearing on the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But where we stand to gain from doing so, articles must be labelled to inform the reader of this connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The murky area, says Tiller, comes in something called stealth marketing, which is something he was offered recently. How it works, he says, is a scientist or influencer gets approached by a wellness firm to work with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re told not to mention the brand or product, or that they’re an ambassador, just talk about the benefits of something. Tiller cites the example of optimising mitochondrial function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhenever you give an interview, you just talk about how important it is to look after your mitochondria and to feed them and to optimise their function,” he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSay that it’s important for health, so that when they launch their product \u2013 their range of mitochondrial optimisers \u2013 the public would be primed to think that this was an important thing to do. I think a lot of that stuff is going on now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr Nick Tiller is the author of new book ‘The Health and Wellness Lie: Exposing the hype, hacks and hidden agendas of the well-being machine<\/em>‘. It’s available to buy in hardback, audiobook and ebook now<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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