Better, stronger, healthier, whole--the wellness industry promises us that with enough intention, investment, and positive thinking, we’ll unlock our best selves and find meaning and purpose in a chaotic and confusing world.

The problem? It’s a lie.

The industry soars upwards of $650 billion a year, but we’re still isolated, insecure, and inequitable. “Wellness” isn’t making us well; it’s making us worse.

It diverts our attention and holds us back from asking the questions that do help us heal: Who gets to be well in America? Who’s harmed--and who's left out? And what’s the real-life cost of our obsession with self-improvement?

To be truly well, we don’t need juice fasts or yoga fads. We need to detox from a culture rooted in perfectionism, white supremacy, and individualism--and move toward a model that embodies mutual responsibility and extends beyond self-help to collective care.