Doctors urge caution over growing wellness industry in Australia

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A quest to look younger for longer is driving a growing wellness industry worth over two trillion dollars globally. Treatments like red light therapy ice baths and even stem cell injections are being offered as a way to optimise personal health. But doctors are urging Australians to be vigilant about the new practices.

Transcript

00:00Well, it's part of the two and a half trillion dollar global wellness industry, so big money

00:07in this.

00:08And the longevity or preventative health movement is all about improving health and

00:13even extending one's lifespan or turning back the clock.

00:19And what people in this movement are aiming to do is reduce what they call their biological

00:26age as opposed to their chronological age.

00:28So whether they might say they're 50 years, you know, according to their birth certificate,

00:33but they have these tests and tricks and things that they say will reduce the age they are,

00:43their chronological, biological age rather.

00:45So lots of interesting characters in this movement.

00:49I spoke to the founder of a hub, a clinic in Melbourne who does lots of these treatments

00:56himself.

00:57He would admit he's a bit on the extreme end, so his day, you know, starts with things

01:02some viewers might be familiar with, ice baths, red light therapy.

01:07And then on the more extreme end, cryotherapy tanks.

01:12He even flies to the United States to do stem cell injections, which is not available in Australia.

01:18I think perhaps very specialised reasons.

01:21But, you know, there's a whole spectrum of treatments and routines and rituals that these

01:28people do.

01:29Not surprisingly, doctors do urge a healthy dose of caution or even scepticism about some

01:34of these treatments or practices because these treatments are either emerging or unproven.

01:43The mainstream medical profession is quite cautious and urges any patients or customers of these

01:50to have a healthy dose of caution around the claims made with some of these treatments.

01:57But, you know, it's a growing industry, there's so much money in it and, you know, where there's

02:02that sort of consumer demand and people willing to pay a lot, you know, industries will follow.

02:08So, certainly a growing industry.

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