Before COVID hit, the wellness industry was experiencing a revival. People were tired of experiencing sickness, discussing sickness, and spending on sickness. Instead, people wanted to focus on wellness with retreats, meditation, and spas. Wellness 1.0 was focused on self-care, nutrition, and supplements. Prevention rather than reaction was the message being shouted from every yoga studio and glamping yurt.
As I’ve written about here, we’re seeing a massive rise of interest in longevity health post-pandemic. This emerging vision of health focuses on prevention rather than reaction. Sound familiar?
Wellness Evolved
I’m based in NYC, the city that sells wellness and longevity to every person (but especially those with disposable income). My block alone boasts an acupuncture clinic, facial spa, and bathhouse among an array of fitness apparel retailers. Given the steep rents in the area, observing the turnover of these businesses provides a unique lens to witness the evolution of wellness over time.
One thing I’ve noticed is the apparent transition from wellness to longevity. While Wellness 1.0 embraced nature and ancient practices, Wellness 2.0 relies on health data and technology. Longevity is also all about data and technology. This led me to wonder - is Wellness 2.0 actually equivalent to Longevity Health?
The Limitations of Wellness 1.0
Wellness 1.0 was all about feeling better. Modern living was exhausting even before COVID and our current inflationary economics. People wanted to focus on self-care and mental well-being and cared a lot less about where advice to get such relief came from. This is how Cameron Diaz became a longevity expert and Gwyneth Paltrow the founder of Goop, a massively successful wellness enterprise.
Wellness 1.0 was characterized by an emphasis on self-care, nutrition, and supplements. In their quest for well-being, people sought natural remedies, herbal teas, and crystal healing. However, the focus was more on the subjective experience of feeling better rather than measurable health outcomes.
Wellness 1.0 also relied heavily on pseudo-science and celebrity endorsements. The industry was rife with unsubstantiated claims and products backed by star power rather than scientific evidence. Jade eggs, anyone?
The Rise of Wellness 2.0 and Longevity Medicine
A new era of health optimization has emerged in the trends of Wellness 2.0 and Longevity Medicine. Wellness 2.0 is the next evolution of the wellness industry, characterized by a focus on data, science-backed approaches, and measurable outcomes. It takes the principles of self-care and prevention from Wellness 1.0 and supercharging them with cutting-edge technology and research.
Longevity Medicine, on the other hand, focuses explicitly on extending the human lifespan and healthspan. It encompasses the personalized nutrition and exercise plans covered by Wellness 2.0, but also extends to advanced therapies like stem cell treatments and gene editing.
Part of this change is due to the improvement (and affordability) of wearable technology such as the Oura ring, Apple watch, and Whoop band. This phenomenon around personalized health data has even resulted in new conditions like Orthosomnia, or the obsessive pursuit of optimal sleep that is driven by sleep tracker data. (I’m guilty of scamming my sleep tracker by lying really still, not even kidding you.)
The Price for Health has Risen
This shift in constant data measurement is reflected in the rise of longevity programs and clinics, such as Equinox's $40,000-per-year program to promote wellness and longevity that combines personalized coaching with advanced testing and technology. Or take the $10,000 per month Continuum Club in NYC, which offers a mind-boggling array of services, including IV therapies, hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and access to a team of longevity experts. (Side note: you'll never need to worry about the Continuum gym being crowded since they're limiting membership to 250; or in other words they're capping their annual revenue from memberships at a mere $30M.)
The Difference Between Wellness and Healthcare
It's important to note the definitional difference between wellness and healthcare. Wellness focuses on well-being, but healthcare covers clinical conditions that are, by nature, more "serious." As a result, healthcare interventions and businesses require oversight by licensed medical professionals, including doctors.
One question I've been hearing about the above-mentioned Equinox longevity program is, "Are there medical visits?" No, no, there aren't. However, the program straddles wellness and healthcare by including blood testing, which needs to be ordered by physicians and similarly licensed professionals. This aspect of the program is being managed by Function Health, a direct-to-consumer brand that sells such lab tests without the need for a doctor's visit. While the program navigates the regulatory requirements for healthcare services by partnering with Function Health, it raises questions about the level of medical oversight in these longevity programs.
I'm generally very pro-access to data and have tried Function Health myself. Still, I worry about the Equinox coaches being trained to incorporate algorithmic recommendations into their guidance. Clinical data, even with the help of advanced AI, is complicated to interpret correctly. Real-time discussion between an experienced clinician and patient is almost always needed to properly conclude the next steps.
More Science, but Also Pseudoscience
Now, wellness products are backed by research studies, “better” pseudoscience, and phrases like “functional” and “evidence-based.” Podcasters like Andrew Huberman, PhD, who tout science-backed protocols for healthy living, are shooting up in popularity and even infamy.
This movement toward science is for the better, in my humble opinion as a physician and scientist myself. But what is worrisome is that most people do not yet have the critical skills to interpret claims by longevity brands. Understanding whether animal studies or research on particular populations might translate to general therapies is very difficult. It is even harder when longevity brands and practitioners have something to gain by selling you as many therapies as possible.
This all leads to questions about accessibility and equity in the longevity space. I can’t deny that a part of my soul hurts at the thought of only the Forbes 400 living forever. But the fact that people are willing to shell out such large sums for the promise of a longer, healthier life speaks to the growing demand for science-backed approaches to health optimization.
The masculinization of wellness
Perhaps due to its measurability, Wellness 2.0/Longevity also places a greater emphasis on physical fitness and power. Veganism is out; carnivorism and protein powders are in. Today's supplement protocols are more akin to Bryan Johnson's 100+ pills-a-day rather than Wellness 1.0's natural teas, herbs, and crystals.
This might be obvious, given the above trends, but whereas the Wellness 1.0 of the 2010s focused on soft, feminine trends such as mental well-being and skincare (these are stereotypes, I know, but pretty commonly held ones), now we're seeing a rise of more stereotypically masculine trends like muscle hypertrophy and technology. (For what it’s worth, I am female, and I think this is generally fantastic - we should encourage everyone to get stronger and change the perspective of what it means to be a healthy man or woman.)
Even logos and visual design of websites have shifted from Wellness 1.0 to 2.0. Whereas we used to have soft pastels and shades of beige, we now have strong contrasts, typically with shades of black. I'm no design expert, but I think this shift is supposed to indicate more sciencey and powerful vibes.
While this shift towards more masculine qualities in wellness may appeal to a specific demographic, again I wonder about inclusivity and accessibility. Will the longevity space become a boys' club dominated by tech bros and biohackers? Or will there be a concerted effort to ensure that the benefits of longevity medicine are available to all, regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status?
As the industry continues to evolve, it will be crucial to keep these questions in mind and work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable future for wellness and longevity.
What’s next?
My interpretation of this and other aspects of the evolution from wellness to longevity is a move toward greater revenue generation. The scientific nature, gym and supplement culture, and data orientation of the longevity movement all lend toward greater spending. This will likely lead to healthcare becoming more expensive than ever, but the hope is we'll see healthier generations as a result of longevity medicine’s ultra-preventive bent.
But does it actually work?
Some criticize longevity practices for not improving outcomes as promised, but my take is that we haven't applied data rigorously to these protocols until now. With the advent of better wearables and more detailed testing via physician order or direct-to-consumer purchasing, we can easily see whether prescribed interventions do what they claim. The key will be conducting this rigorous data analysis to validate (or invalidate) various longevity approaches, and then improving costs by scaling solutions.
The Future is Long
The shift from Wellness 1.0 to Wellness 2.0/Longevity represents a seismic change in the health industry. It moves from a focus on feeling good to a data-driven approach to extending health and lifespan. Longevity medicine's ultra-preventive approach and cutting-edge research are the paradigm shift we need to revolutionize health outcomes.
As longevity leaders, our work must be grounded in science, data-driven, and accessible to everyone. Only then can we fully realize the potential of longevity medicine and create a future where true health and wellness is a reality for all.
So LFG!
Until next time - Cheers to your health!
Hillary Lin, MD
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