Every start of the year, the wellness industry takes over as consumers everywhere seek to fulfill New Year’s resolutions and improve their health. However, there are growing concerns about toxic brands within the wellness space. This includes the promotion of eating disorder culture, health profiteering, and unsafe practices.
UPDATED: JUNE 2025
How do advertisers highlight their strengths, and differentiate themselves from the malicious players they share an industry with?
Brands must differentiate themselves from toxic companies and build a foundation of trust with their customers. If your customers are left asking: “What does a healthy approach to wellness look like?” because of ill-intent from competing companies, then you have a mandate to answer with effective marketing and products.
If wellness brands want to stand the test of time they have to avoid lumping themselves in with brands promoting misinformation or un-proven products.
What is wellness?
Before we dive into why wellness can become toxic, we first need to understand what wellness is. The Global Wellness Institute describes wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.”
In practice, this can look like many things. It can include regular exercise, eating well, or taking mental health breaks. What actions are important for improving someone’s wellness are entirely individual, since everyone’s bodies, minds, and needs differ.
The wellness bandwagon took off in the latter half of the 20th century and since then the once fad has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. By the 2000s, wellness businesses like spas and fitness centers were mainstream. Self-help books and workplace wellness programs grew to be part of everyday life.
January, in particular, is a huge time for wellness, as people look to better their lives and achieve New Year’s resolutions. The start of the year means more gym membership sign-ups, higher demand for “clean” products and supplements, and a boost in viewership for health and wellness channels across the world wide web.
This year, 70% of consumers worldwide are prioritizing physical health, with wellness a growing investment for all ages. Whether it be nutrition and supplements, physical fitness, mental health support, or public health initiatives, 45% of adults intend to spend more on health and wellness products for 2025.
How big is the wellness industry?
The wellness industry is massive and growing. Between 2020 and 2022, it increased from $4.6 trillion to $5.8 trillion (that’s right, trillion with a t). By 2023, the industry reached a record $6.3 trillion.
The global wellness market is projected to grow from over $6 trillion in 2023 to nearly $9 trillion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAPR) of 7.3%. The global Health & Fitness app market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 8.89% from 2022 to 2029, resulting in a market volume of $9.37 billion by 2029. Health and personal care will be the third-fastest growing ecommerce sales category this year, growing 22.1% YOY.
Alongside this massive growth comes massive criticism. The wellness industry faces two main critiques: brands taking advantage of health issues for profit and poor privacy protection. The answer to both of these issues is trust. Brands that build trust with customers will thrive in the wellness space well into the future.
Current trends shaping the health and wellness community
- Sustainability and Holistic Wellness: As sustainability becomes central to wellness choices, 70% of consumers prioritize eco-friendly health products, like supplements and sustainable packaging. However, “wellness washing” is real, as 58% of consumers are beginning to question sustainability claims.
- Digital Health Transformation: The digital health market is set to reach $660 billion by 2025, driven by telemedicine, wearables, and AI wellness tools. McKinsey reports that 75% of consumers now prefer virtual consultations for routine health needs, especially mental wellness support.
- Social Wellness Community Growth: Social platforms are becoming wellness hubs, with 92% of Gen Z turning to TikTok and Instagram for fitness, mental health, and nutrition content. Wellness hashtags alone saw a 65% rise in views last year.
- Longevity and Healthy Aging: There is a growing interest in longevity and healthy aging, with consumers seeking preventive solutions to enhance their lifespan and quality of life. Brands that offer products and services supporting healthy aging are poised to tap into this expanding market.
Malicious members of the wellness community
There has been mounting pressure recently to improve, call out, and even abandon the wellness industry. This criticism isn’t new. In 2019, the New York Times published an article titled Smash the Wellness Industry: Why are so many smart women falling for its harmful, pseudoscientific claims? In 2021 Refinery29 published its take on the toxicity of the industry, Wellness Culture Won’t Save Us. It’s Only Making Us More Sick.
These articles highlight critical issues within the wellness sphere. While there are some ill-intentioned players in the wellness industry, some incredible businesses also aim to make a difference in their customers’ lives.
Examples of harmful wellness promotions
Promoting weight loss too broadly: Companies must be careful when promoting weight loss or diet campaigns since these can in-advertently promote eating disorders or poor body image.
Unnecessary supplements: Supplements can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but not all supplements are backed by science, and not everyone requires them.
Misinformation: To promote their products, some brands rely on scare tactics. These often do more harm than good in the long run and can promote a culture of distrusting medical professionals.
Customers have become wary of snake oil scams and diet culture, but they haven’t turned away from wellness entirely. After all, there is a lot of good to be had and everyone wants to live well and take care of their health. Malicious players make earning and maintaining trust critical to success in the wellness space.
How to build trust as a wellness brand:
Building and maintaining trust is essential to success in the crowded wellness space. Here are three key ways to grow trust with your customers:
- Create engaging and personalized ads. Well-tailored ads make customers feel seen. Consumers are increasingly seeking personalized wellness products and services tailored to their individual health needs. This trend presents a significant opportunity for brands to develop customized offerings that cater to specific consumer preferences.
- Walk the walk. If you claim your product is proven and beneficial, it should be proven and beneficial.
- Protect your integrity. Maintaining the integrity of your product, your messaging, and your business practices in an effective way to maintain trust with your customers.
Key takeaways for wellness marketing
Alongside growing criticism exists a growing industry. Brands looking to get ahead in this industry need to distinguish themselves from malicious players. By promoting fact-based wellness products, targeting precisely, and maintaining a culture of customer trust, wellness brands can not only survive the test of time but thrive in a growing community committed to personal well-being.
Platforms like illumin’s are particularly well-suited to the needs of wellness brands and advertisers, as they can effectively target potential customers are different stages of their stages of their health journey.
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