The Wellness Trap

From the paradigm-shifting author of Anti-Diet comes a deep dive into the underbelly of modern wellness culture and how it stands in the way of true well-being.

"It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle." You've probably heard this phrase from any number of people in the wellness space. But as Christy Harrison reveals in her latest book, wellness culture promotes a standard of health that is often both unattainable and deeply harmful.

Many people with chronic illness understandably feel dismissed or abandoned by the healthcare system and find solace in alternative medicine, as Harrison once did. Yet the wellness industry promotes practices that can cause even more damage than the conventional approaches they're meant to replace.

The Wellness Trap delves into the persistent, systemic problems with the industry, shedding light on how a growing distrust of conventional medicine has led ordinary people to turn their backs on science. Weaving together history, memoir, reporting, and practical advice, Harrison illuminates the harms of wellness culture while re-imagining our society's relationship with well-being.

Praise for The Wellness Trap:

'Essential for anyone navigating health concerns in the era of hyper-information.'

-Laura Thomas, author of Just Eat It

'Before you start your next diet, supplement, or wellness practice, read this book!'

-Judith Matz, LCSW, author of The Diet Survivor's Handbook

'With nuance and compassion, Christy shows us how to be well, without being manipulated.'

-Alan Levinovitz, author of Natural

'In this remarkable book, Christy Harrison blows the lid off the wellness industry and exposes its flaws, untruths, and toxicity. This book is a life-changer!'

-Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-S, Co-author of Intuitive Eating

'Harrison's work is a gift and I am so grateful to have this on my bookshelf.'

-Virginia Sole-Smith, author of Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture

'If you think that solutions offered in the name of wellness must be good for you, think again! In her compelling book, Harrison reveals the underpinnings of an industry that may not always have your best interests - or your well-being - at heart. Before you start your next diet, supplement, or wellness practice, read this book!' Judith Matz, LCSW, author of The Diet Survivor's Handbook
'Wellness seems like a great goal - who doesn't want to be well, right? But after reading The Wellness Trap, you'll see how it is used to distort science and make false promises. With nuance and compassion, Christy deconstructs the history of the idea and shows us how to be well, without being manipulated.' Alan Levinovitz, author of Natural
'In this remarkable book, Christy Harrison blows the lid off the wellness industry and exposes its flaws, untruths, and toxicity. She shows how closely wellness culture overlaps with diet culture and offers deep compassion for those who are drawn into its myths. Finally, she offers individual strategies and societal approaches for undoing the harms of wellness culture, while guiding the reader to pursue the holistic concept of "well-being". This book is a life-changer!' Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-S, Co-author of Intuitive Eating
'Christy Harrison's wise, calm, and thoughtful voice has helped to guide thousands of people out of diet culture and into a better, more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. In The Wellness Trap she continues this vital work, raising incisive questions and helping us to unlearn decades of marketing and pseudoscience and reject a definition of 'health' that is both dangerous and impossible to sustain. Harrison's work is a gift and I am so grateful to have this on my bookshelf.' Virginia Sole-Smith, author of Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture
'The Wellness Trap is a book I know I have been waiting for. Deftly weaving together scientific research, cultural analysis, and personal narrative, Christy Harrison bestows upon her readers a text that is informative and empathetic... precisely the approach needed to navigate the complex and expanding world of contemporary wellness culture. Whether you're a wellness diehard - or disdain such individuals - this book is for you.' Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, author of Fit Nation
'Filled with eye-opening facts, lots of heart, and a strong political consciousness, The Wellness Trap is revelatory and essential reading for anyone who has ever dieted, detoxed, or been drawn to the promise of 'wellness' as a way to feel better about themselves and their bodies.' Savala Nolan, author of Don't Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender and the Body
'If diets, detoxes, and wellness fads have destroyed your relationship with your body, this book is the inclusive, affirming, and evidence-packed guide to rediscovering what true well-being looks like for you. As eye-opening as it is validating, The Wellness Trap will change the way you think about your health - in all the best ways.' Casey Gueren, author of It's Probably Nothing
'Indispensable reading for anyone who has been seduced by Wellness Culture's shiny veneer, only to meet its dark and menacing side. Harrison offers a highly compassionate and non-judgemental peek behind the curtain, showing us just how easy it is to fall into the trap. She introduces us to the charlatans masquerading as experts and healers (as well as Big Wellness) who stand to make a fortune by selling you their snake oil. With fascinating historical perspectives, lived-experience, and a critical, evidence-informed analysis of Wellness Culture's dubious claims, The Wellness Trap is essential for anyone navigating health concerns in the era of hyper-information.' Laura Thomas, author of Just Eat It.

Christy Harrison is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor and journalist who writes about food and nutrition. She is the founder and host of the Food Psych podcast, which has helped tens of thousands of people around the world stop dieting, recover from disordered eating and develop happier and healthier relationships with food.

Her writing has appeared in Gourmet, Slate, Refinery29, The Food Network, Epicurious, Allrecipes, Redbook, Buzzfeed, and many other publications, and her work is regularly featured in national print and broadcast media.

"It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle."You've probably heard this phrase from any number of people and companies in the wellness space to distance themselves from what has become a four-letter word.But, as Christy Harrison, author of the revolutionary book Anti-Diet, will reveal in her latest book, the wellness industry is simply the modern guise of diet culture.In this new age of wellness, many famous figures have cashed in on the same underpinnings of diet culture that disproportionately harm women and people of colour and are often derived from the cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples, and ultimately don't actually promote health. The Wellness Trap goes beyond demystifying what's wrong with the wellness world and delves into the persistent, systemic problems of the industry and especially its effects on marginalized populations and the social determinants of health. As we experience a growing amount of physical and mental-health trauma, society has become increasingly vulnerable to bogus ideas about health for which conventional medicine lacks satisfying treatments.Weaving together history, memoir, reporting, and practical advice with a deft hand, Harrison leads the way in a radical re-thinking of wellness and provides a vision-and a roadmap-to create a truly health-promoting society.

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