Make Me Well : A Quest to Understand the Confusing World of Wellness

Doctor and broadcaster Xand van Tulleken investigates popular wellness claims, supplements, tests and health technologies, separating evidence-based advice from marketing and misinformation.

There has never been a more confusing time to try to be healthy. In the past decade, the healthcare sector has witnessed a remarkable surge in innovation: drug design, genomics and diagnostic technology have all changed almost beyond recognition.

Simultaneously, there has been a significant expansion in consumer health services, including the supplement industry, blood testing, consumer genomics and wearable technology, which claim to improve “wellness” (emphasising physical and mental performance and longevity) rather than curing or preventing specific disease states.

For a typical consumer this is both confusing, as the health and wellness industries are almost indistinguishable, and expensive, as consumer health emphasises personalised products, often sold on a subscription basis.