Beyond Credentials: Rebuilding Belief in Medicine and Wellness

Doctors have made the term "wellness influencer” an insult.

Now the wellness industry is better for it.

People have even been conditioned (you may even say: influenced) to look and ask for credentials before believing what someone says.  It's a digital quid-pro-quo: you give me credentials, I’ll believe what you say.

The pharmaceutical industry in US is biggest in North America, reaching $1.6 Billion in 2024.

The supplement industry reached $196 Billion.

This was notably accelerated by Covid-19 pandemic.  People had new awareness on two fronts that in my opinion drive this trend:

1. Awareness of health, risk factors, government figures (people want health)

2. Awareness of top-down policy-making (people want independence)

Arguably the “trust the science” campaign pushed people to seek health outside of traditional medicine, whether it was scientific or not.

That’s not to say that supplements aren't scientific, in fact many are.

Some doctors continue to position themselves as health authorities at the expense of non medical doctors.  Even health professionals who aren't medical doctors are shunned on the basis of credentials.

Beyond credentials, disagreeing with a point of view is now labeled misinformation.  In reality, it's just information that someone doesn't like.

I would actually applaud the people who don't have doctor credentials and have made a platform for themselves, some from personal experience, research or seemingly nothing.

Good for them.

Modern Paternalistic Medicine

This positioning by the medical community is just a digital version of "I'm the doctor and I know best” without actually saying those words, though some come close.  It’s a modern, sneaky version of paternalistic medicine.

Rather than doubling down by condescension and repetition of guidelines, the medical community may benefit from actually trying to gain trust from their lost customers.

Clearly, people will spend money.

Health insurance companies have long taken the spending into their hands, presumably on our behalf.  Insurance is taken out of your paycheck before you even see it and you are told which doctor you can see, which medications you can have, and what services you can seek.

As more providers and patients choose to circumvent the health insurance industry with membership medicine and direct care practices (remember, people want independence), there will be even more money in consumer's pockets to be spent on their healthcare.

There will be false information on the internet, print, and spoken words.  There will be doctors and non doctors with ulterior motives.

This is true of health sales as it is in car sales.  We've all heard and experienced the used car salesman reputation but when it comes to health, that button immediately turns hot.

Medical Influencing

The truth is that doctors are influencing, not just on social media but within their office walls.  Though the medical community prides itself on being objective and based in data, there’s a human component when we discuss treatment options with patients.  Some patients will even ask me, "what would you do?”  or “what do you recommend?”  I hesitate to answer those questions because I’m not her.

I recently had a patient who had a hysterectomy with ovary removal years ago, when she was just 47 years old.  I say “just" because I know that ovary removal at a young age can lead to shortened lifespan, not to mention immediate surgical menopause with associated symptoms.  She had menopausal symptoms but hadn't connected it to her surgery until she had frozen shoulder.  Pain is what finally made her realize that these issues were hormonal.

When I looked back at the operative report, it says the patient elected to have ovaries removed.  What I can’t see or know is how the option of ovary removal was framed to the patient.  Was she told that it could shorten her lifespan?  Was she told that she could have immediate and lasting symptoms of menopause?

The informed consent is only as good as the information given to the patient.  The information given to the patient can influence the patient's decision.  I believe in accountability on the part of patients and all people for their decisions but those decisions can be based on incomplete or biased information.  Influencing is not new.  It's been happening in medical offices long before it appeared on the internet.

Medicine vs Wellness

The messengers are not solely responsible for the actions of consumers.  Consumers are making choices.  We all make choices.  At the end of the day, we are each responsible for our own choices and actions.  This has very much been lost in our modern, highly litigious society.  We are not free from the consequences of our own choices.

As medicine continues to stiff-arm the wellness industry and the population continues to devolve into sickness, based on the market sizes and expected growth rates, it’s clear that many people seek health and will spend their money trying to find it.

Another truth is: medicine and wellness shouldn't be opposing disciplines.

It would be easy for me to be on social media as a doctor and recite medical society guidelines.  I could do that.  Easy.

But I’m not going to.

Rather than participating as a robot of the healthcare system, which I once thought was admirable, I discuss my opinions whether they align with guidelines or not.  I discuss things outside of guidelines, things aligned with the wellness industry and my own personal experience.

I’ve been very intentional about my health for about a year: physical, emotional and spiritual.  Some “wellness” things I use are based on evidence, others because I just plain like them.  And that's just fine.  I make my choices and they will change.  No one on social media is responsible for my choices, good or bad.

Things I do based on evidence:

• Magnesium (I use this from Thorne.  I use Thorne products for their clean and transparent ingredients)

• Ashwaganda (I drink tea, but this can also come as a supplement)

• Matcha green tea (I use this from Pique, I’ve used less expensive versions and do not like them as much)

• Avoiding screen time

• Sunlight

• Gratitude (and it's free!)

• Estriol face cream (I use this Aging Repair cream from Musely; Use code NAZZARO10 for 10% off ANY product if ordered for refills every 2 or 3 months)

Things I like just because I like them:

• Collagen, I mix in my morning Matcha (I use this from Primal Kitchen; Use code PRIMALNAZZ for 10% off)

• Therabody products (this for body rolling, I use on my hips and butt; this for face massage and red light therapy.  They feel so good.)

• Hibiscus pique tea (for an afternoon tea when I’m at home)

Medicine falls short by being closed-minded and arrogant.

Wellness falls short by offering (some) empty promises and superficial hacks.

Both are profiting immensely.

Both leave out one important thing: religion.

Praying is free.

Faith is deep soul care that the latest skincare regimen can’t compete with.

Don’t fall prey to medicine or wellness without first grounding in faith.

Remember that both medicine and wellness are imperfect.  Neither has it all figured out.

Ask questions, make choices and accept the consequences of them.

Resources:

Some of the information contained in this article is the result of my training, medical knowledge, and personal experience without a specific source to be cited.

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice.  This is for educational purposes only.  Discuss with your doctor.

The author can earn commission from affiliate links.

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/pharmaceutical-market-report