What’s really driving the boom(bo͞om) in wellness(ˈwelnis) foods?

What’s really driving the boom(bo͞om) in wellness(ˈwelnis) foods?

By Elizabeth(iˈlizəbəTH) Hotson

Welcome to a new year - and perhaps, a ‘new you’. The latest, shiniest(ˈSHīnē), addition to the weight(wāt) loss(läs,lôs) industry(ˈindəstrē) is wellness - an Instagram search on the words reveals(riˈvēl) a staggering(ˈstagər) 15,315,754 posts.

The wellness industry is booming but is there any science(ˈsīəns) behind it? The concept(ˈkänˌsept) includes a panoply(ˈpanəplē) of different things from eating more vegetables(ˈvejtəbəl,ˈvəjətə-) to, at the extreme(ikˈstrēm) end, excluding(ikˈsklo͞odiNG) certain(ˈsərtn) food groups and adopting(əˈdäpt) a whole(hōl) new lifestyle.

Many people in the industry don’t like to describe ‘wellness’ as a diet(ˈdī-it), but Louise Foxcroft, a historian(hiˈstôrēən) and author(ˈôTHər) of A History of Dieting Over 2000 years, disagrees(ˌdisəˈgrē).

“There are so many diets for the general public and wellness is a more holistic(hōˈlistik) way of approaching(əˈprōCH) a healthy lifestyle; whether they say this is a diet or not, it is a diet. It’s a regime(riˈZHēm,rā-) to live by and the idea is that you would be slim(slim), because healthy is seen as slim, so there’s no getting away from it.”

There’s no shortage of businesses developing products to cater(ˈkātər) to the trend(trend). Rebekah Hall, founder and CEO of drinks firm, Botanic(bəˈtanikə) Lab, was an investment banker for 10 years before launching her company to capitalise(ˈkapətlˌīz) on the new market. Botanic Lab’s Refuel(rēˈfyo͞o(ə)l), for example, is a black liquid(ˈlikwid) drink which according to the label is ‘a hypertonic(ˌhīpərˈtänik) blend with medical grade(grād) charcoal(ˈCHärˌkōl), mighty(ˈmītē) raw(rô) cane(kān) grass(gras) and a citrus(ˈsitrəs) hit of raw yuzu.’

So, are people consuming drinks like these because it seems like an easier way of getting healthy than going out and doing some exercise(ˈeksərˌsīz)?

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http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180111-whats-driving-the-boom-in-wellness-food-products