Money, money, money

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a brilliant event at the Wimbledon Bookfest. Xand van Tulleken was being interviewed by Claire Cohen about his new book Make Me Well. I was riveted the whole hour. The following day I went to the cinema to see The Social Reckoning, the story of an ex-employee turned whistleblower at what was then Facebook.  Never did I expect the overriding message of both to be so similar. It convinced me more then ever that, at the very least, we need to question the information we are being given no matter how credible the source appears to be, and understand the real motivations that may be behind it.

Over the 15 years I have been working in the health and welIbeing arena, I have noticed a huge shift in the way it operates. In the first instance, it has become a much bigger and more significant part of our lives. In itself that is a good thing. It is natural to want to be as fit and well as we can for as long as is possible. Understanding that we each have agency in that is empowering. Taking individual responsibility is hugely commendable. However, that same desire can sometimes make us open to manipulation and claims that have no grounding in science. My aim with this blog is not to increase anxiety but rather, to encourage us to question information and its source rather than taking it at face value, no matter how credible it seems.

Xand van Tulleken

In his book, Xand investigates the wellness industry with a view to separating fact from fiction. As a scientist and GP, he applies the rigorous approach that you would expect to his research. He looks at three of the biggest trends in wellness currently: supplements, wearables and diagnostics. Some of his findings are quite shocking. Here’s a summary of those he talked about that had the biggest impact on me:

• the wellness industry does a very good job of creating unnecessary concerns and opening up vulnerabilities then using them to sell a solution. In my opinion, this should be the starting point when assessing the validity of claims.
• Unless addressing a medically diagnosed deficiency or need, the majority of supplements are ineffective (and in some cases harmful). This includes multivitamins, vitamin D (if taken at all, then it should only be during winter and refer to the NHS website for dosage), collagen powder  (made from animal parts such as cow hide, chicken cartilage or fish bones and dissolved using acid!) and the plethora of menopause supplements. (NB HRT is not a supplement). I am not going to go into detail on the latter here, but he had some very interesting observations on the the circus that has developed in that area.
• The supplements industry is currently completely unregulated and adulteration is a huge issue. Xand visited a ‘reputable’ factory in China where the owner admitted what is in the bottle does not have to match what is on the label. That, it seems, is not unusual.
• Much of the research used to support claims is questionable and in some cases fraudulent. Sadly it appears to be better for people’s careers if a trial works…and safer! He spoke to one scientist who had received death threats because he published evidence that disputed the validity of certain supplements.
• An investor in the industry admitted to him that they make their money on the gap between what they themselves know to be true, and customers’ ignorance!
• On the topic of diagnostics, Xand sent three identical sets of samples (stool and blood) taken at the same time to Zoe, the ‘personalised’ nutrition company. He created three separate profiles with a mix of age, gender, weight etc, (spending over £2 500 in the process). The recommendations that came back were completely different even though the samples were exactly the same! It turns out that the algorithm had ‘adjusted’ them on the basis of the profile rather than the actual results of the samples sent. When a member of the Zoe management team was approached for comment, they were not surprised…!

Xand asked at the start how many in the audience took supplements and a very high percentage of people raised their hands. When he told the Zoe story there were audible gasps. He was at pains to make it clear that in no way was he judging anyone’s choices. He recognised that all of us are simply trying to take responsibility for our health and do the best we can.  His aim was to provide us with as much evidence as possible in order that the choices we make are informed, rather than influenced by those seeking simply to exploit anxieties for their own gain.

He also acknowledged the placebo effect. As long as what you are taking is not harmful and it makes you feel better, then that is a good enough reason to continue even if there is no direct scientific evidence to support it.

I left with much food for thought.

The Social reckoning

I was still processing what I had heard when I went the following day to the cinema. Two wildly different events but with a message that was sadly very similar: profit over people, irrespective of how much harm it may cause.

The film gives an insight into the hidden world of Facebook (now Meta) as told by an employee turned whistleblower. The key moment comes when, a few years ago as the business was experiencing a slow down, Zuckerberg realises that hateful content and extreme messaging leads to more engagement on the platform. Engagement equals money. He therefore chooses to put morality aside, and changes the algorithms to boost such posts.

The consequences have been far reaching, In the film, it is estimated that 64|% of members of extremist groups were lead there by Meta rather than seeking them out on their own. It shows how the Capitol Hill riots were enabled by Zuckerberg  – he saw what was happening and he could have taken action to stop Donald Trump’s posts but decided not to. And, perhaps most abhorrent of all, it shows that they are aware of the extreme harm they cause children with the content they put in front of them. A recent $5 billion fine later, and still little has changed.

As I watched, it occurred to me that many of the issues highlighted above in the wellness industry would not have been able to happen to the same degree were it not for Meta and platforms like it. I realised there were many similarities in the two industries that, on the face of it, are unconnected:

• Creating vulnerabilities and exploiting them.
• Using fame or position to add credibility to something which causes harm, and in the case of Meta, providing an unchecked platform to do so.
• Unscrupulously spreading misinformation for personal gain.
• Putting money ahead of everything else even if that mean harming people.

What can we do?

Question – when looking for information on anything to do with health and wellbeing, think carefully about the sources you choose especially where social media is concerned. Those who have made their fortune creating online content need to keep ‘feeding the beast’  – clearly not a recipe for reliable, trustworthy information which is unlikely to generate millions of shares. No matter how legitimate or logical something looks, it’s important to question and seek trusted medical advice.

Fame does not equal knowledge – be especially  aware of those who, on the surface, have a level of credibility or fame…and that includes some scientists. Similarly, watch out for influencers such as the Glucose Goddess and others with no real credentials other than a large social media following. Xand refers to them as the ‘modern myth factory’.

As a starting point, he advised looking for people whose content did not link directly into adverts which automatically generate them revenue.

Don’t be a spreader – it’s important not to play a role, albeit inadvertently, in the spreading of information that is unchecked. Meta and the rest don’t need any help with that!

Back to basics – much as we often don’t really want to hear it, there are no short cuts. The true foundations of good health are to be found much closer to home and not in a bottle or pill: a balanced diet with lots of vegetables and some fruit, low alcohol consumption, regular exercise and good sleep . I was also happy to hear Xand add to the list a hobby that you are passionate about, and the importance of community and social connection.

It’s time to vote with our feet! Free yourself from the latest craze and constant influx of conflicting information. We can all go a very long way towards boosting our health and wellbeing simply by focusing on those basics. It takes time and effort of course but it’s guaranteed to make you feel so much better than other interventions ever can…and all without lining the pockets of others!