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Wellness is the new status symbol – but the quest has its downsides
In this booming industry, it can be hard to know when you are being sold snake oil.
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Yoga, fasting, strength training and blood sugar are becoming essential small talk for every ambitious middle manager.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Camilla Cavendish
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It used to be quite easy to look successful. You basically just had to brag about how hard you worked. If anyone asked how you were, you’d sigh and say, with just the right smattering of reluctance: “A bit tired, actually – I’m crazy busy.” That’s no longer enough, however. To be truly successful in today’s world, you must be properly worn out, from all the extra hours you’re putting into staving off mortality.
Forget boasting about air miles. Yoga, fasting, strength training and blood sugar are becoming essential small talk for every ambitious middle manager. The really rich can show off with ozone therapy, hyperbaric chambers and genetic testing. Much of this is positive. As a status symbol, the quest for longevity is far more beneficial than a Lamborghini. But the pressure to keep up may be having some unfortunate side effects.
