Ep. 257: Wellness Scams Exposed with Amy Larocca | How to Be Well
Ever wonder why toxic wellness culture has us dropping $80 on serums that don't work while wellness scams rake in billions targeting women who just want to feel better? I used to be that girl—clutching my overpriced celery juice, convinced the next biohacking trend would finally "fix" me, completely oblivious to how the wellness industry profits off our deepest insecurities. What if I told you that aging is not a disease to be cured, and that trillion-dollar industry built on essential oil wellness promises is actually designed to keep you coming back for more? Amy Larocca, award-winning journalist and author of "How to Be Well," is here to blow the lid off why wellness retreats feel like cults and how MLM schemes disguised as self-care are preying on our desire to belong.
In today's episode, Amy and I dive deep into the uncomfortable truth about how the wellness industry specifically targets women, turning our natural desire for health and connection into profit margins. We're talking about everything from the psychology behind wellness scams to why "optimizing" ourselves has become another form of perfectionism that's keeping us stuck. If you've ever side-eyed your collagen gummies or wondered why that expensive retreat left you feeling more confused than transformed, this conversation is going to hit different.
🔥 What We Talk About:
Why toxic wellness culture specifically targets women and how to spot the manipulation tactics before you fall for them
The real reason wellness scams are a $3.7 trillion industry—and it's not because the products actually work
How wellness retreats use cult-like psychology to make you feel like you belong (while emptying your wallet)
Why MLM schemes disguised as essential oil wellness are preying on women's desire for community and financial freedom
The uncomfortable truth about biohacking trends and whether any of these "optimization" methods are actually helping you
How the wellness industry profits by convincing us that aging is a disease that needs expensive, complicated solutions
What Amy Larocca discovered during her deep dive into wellness communities—and why debunking doesn't work
The difference between actual health practices and commodified self-care that keeps you buying but never "fixed"
This conversation with Amy hit me right in the gut because honestly, I've been that woman throwing money at wellness promises, hoping the next thing would finally make me feel "optimized." The truth is, we're all craving something real to believe in—but maybe what we're actually looking for isn't found in a $200 supplement or exclusive retreat. What if the real wellness revolution is learning to trust our own bodies and stop outsourcing our intuition to people who profit from our insecurities?
If this episode made you question your collagen gummies or side-eye that wellness influencer in your feed, grab Amy's book "How to Be Well," share this episode in your group chat, and let's start having these conversations that actually matter.
If you're ready to build something meaningful in your business, relationships, or leadership while working through any of this cultural chaos, book a free strategy call with me at allisonhare.com/freecall to find your voice in this shifting landscape.
Notable Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction and welcome to Amy Larocca
00:21 - Amy discusses the complicated relationship women have with wellness - neither all in nor all out
02:38 - The "intelligent person's skepticism" toward wellness culture
05:12 - The Goop conference controversy and being banned, then manipulated by publicists
09:53 - The psychic medium manipulation story and how wellness preys on vulnerability
11:32 - Whether our addiction to wellness actually keeps us sick
12:28 - How wellness makes you "buy your own body back as a luxury good"
14:18 - The intuitive eating paradox - paying for a book to tell you to eat when hungry
15:59 - The nine-step skincare routine and Sephora kids phenomenon
18:26 - Origin stories of beauty industry manipulation (halitosis, hair dye ads)
21:04 - "Aging is different from disease"
22:29 - The dangerous "get back to you" messaging in wellness
25:49 - Sex and the City aging commentary and internalized beauty standards
27:22 - The need to belong and wellness as replacement for organized religion
30:24 - Why debunking has no power against wellness scams
32:00 - Juice cleanse example - bad press actually doubled sales
32:54 - Chronic illness and MLM targeting vulnerable populations
35:05 - Biohacking silliness and male tech entrepreneurs thinking bodies are machines
39:49 - What to spend money on
41:31 - Behavior changes after writing the book - being more streamlined
43:36 - Biggest surprise: how much we accept that our bodies are mysteries to us
44:05 - Book response and upcoming events
45:25 - Where to find Amy and her book
📚 Resources Mentioned
Amy Larocca's book: "How to Be Well: Navigating the Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time"
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