I just finished watching a two-part documentary on Belle Gibson, the Australian wellness influencer who pretended to have terminal brain cancer and built a small empire off the back of that lie.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, brace yourself. This influencer made hundreds of thousands of dollars (or possibly more) through app sales, a book deal, media appearances and brand partnerships, all while claiming she had treated herself through natural and alternative therapies.
She never had cancer.
Her story is one of the most shocking and extreme examples of what happens when wellness culture goes unchecked. But the uncomfortable truth is that her case isn’t as unique as we might like to think. It’s just the tip of the influencer iceberg.
Read more below.
Every scroll through social media brings us face to face with a new wave of wellness influencers, all promising some miracle approach, detox plan, or “science-backed” shortcut to perfect health. The packaging is pretty, the messaging is seductive, and for those of us seeking answers, connection, or relief, it can feel like hope.
But here’s the problem. So much of what is sold as wellness online is nothing more than misinformation wrapped in ring lights and affiliate links. There are real consequences to these false claims, and the harm they cause isn’t always immediately visible.
This isn’t about being anti-wellness. It’s about being anti-bullshit.
So let’s talk about some of the most common claims and trends doing the rounds, especially in the vegan and plant-based space, that deserve a big fat side-eye:
- Promoting restrictive detox diets as a cure-all, despite there being no scientific need for detoxing (unless you’ve been poisoned!)
- Saying fruit-only diets are the natural human way of eating and will cure all diseases
- Selling algae supplements or “superfood blends” with magical cancer-fighting claims
- Promoting raw food as the only truly clean way to eat, and demonising anything cooked
- Pushing the idea that you can prevent or reverse serious illness solely through food
- Claiming that animal-free diets are guaranteed to prevent mental health conditions
- Insisting that if a person doesn’t feel amazing on a vegan diet, they’re just “doing it wrong”
- Using cherry-picked science or pseudo-science to shame people into buying products
- Suggesting that supplements or cleanses can replace medical treatment
- Glorifying extreme thinness as a sign of success in plant-based living
These messages aren’t just annoying. They’re harmful. They shame people. They create confusion. They isolate those who don’t get the promised results. And in the worst cases, they delay or replace proper medical care.
Wellness shouldn’t be a sales funnel.
If you’re navigating social media, I encourage you to use a critical eye. Follow people who make you feel empowered and informed, not panicked or pressured. Ask questions. Look up sources. Talk to medical professionals. And remember that living well doesn’t have to come in a plastic tub with someone’s name slapped on the front.
You are allowed to reject this nonsense.
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