Wellness for Sale: Disinformation and the Medicalization of Life as Capitalist Strategies in the Wellness Industry
Abstract
This work presents a critical analysis of the strategies used by the dietary supplements industry and the wellness movement, which take advantage of the contemporary context of life's medicalization and health disinformation to promote the consumption of their products and maximize their profits. Starting from the current scenario of "infodemic" – especially amplified by social media –, which undermines trust in science and values personal beliefs, the industry finds space to offer quick and miraculous, but poorly scientifically based, solutions for complex health and wellness issues.
Through a narrative literature review, the study identifies that the main strategies include: the medicalization of food, reducing food to nutrients and turning everyday issues into medical problems that would require supplementation; the use of sophisticated digital marketing, with influencers and appeals to social anxieties; and individual blame for illness, which shifts responsibility away from the State and public policies. These practices not only ignore the sociocultural and affective aspects of food but also deepen inequalities, as they disregard social determinants of health and exploit vulnerabilities such as functional illiteracy and the lack of regulation in digital environments.
The results demonstrate that these strategies reinforce the neoliberal logic by transferring responsibility for structural problems to the individual, while the industry reaps significant profits, often at the expense of public health. The study concludes by warning of the risks of these practices and recommending the urgent implementation of robust public policies, including stricter regulation of supplement advertising, investment in media and scientific education, and the strengthening of the Unified Health System (SUS) and counter-hegemonic narratives. Thus, it aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (health and well-being) and 12 (sustainable consumption), arguing that health cannot be treated as a commodity.
