Series presents risks of the ‘Wellness’ industry and alternative treatments

The debut of the “Apple Vinegar” series last week on Netflix sheds light on a growing problem: the spread of false cures for serious illness such as cancer on social networks. Inspired by the actual story of the Australian influencer Belle Gibson, Production exposes how misleading narratives can compromise lives.

Gibsonwho was self -proclaiming a survival of terminal cancer, claimed to have reversed the disease with diet and natural treatments only. Her lies attracted millions of followers and turned her into an icon of the wellness industry. However, in 2015, the truth came to light: Gibson He had no cancer, and his whole history was a fraud. The influencer was fined more than $ 1 million for deceiving cancer patients.

The story of Belle Gibson It is an extreme example, but not isolated. The well-being industry, which moved around the world impressive $ 6.32 trillion in 2023, according to data from the global Wellness Institute, often feeds the proliferation of “miraculous medicines”.

Worrying phenomenon

For the oncologist Carlos Gil Ferreira, Medical Director of OnCoclínicas & Co. and president of the Oncoclinic Institute, this phenomenon is worrying. “Healing narratives without scientific base generate false hopes and, worse, divert patients from effective treatments. It is a serious issue of public health,” he warns.

Data from the National Cancer Institute (INCA) reinforce the urgency of the theme: In 2025, it is estimated that about 704,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Brazil. “People are extremely vulnerable when they face a serious illness like cancer. They desperately seek solutions and can become easy targets for malicious people who have fertile ground to spread false miraculous recipes,” says the expert.

And the impact of this misinformation goes beyond physical health. “Many patients, realizing that they were deceived, face severe levels of anxiety and guilt for abandoning proven treatments,” explains Gil. Social networks are the main channel of dissemination of these ideas, often promoted by influencers without any medical formation, but with high persuasion power.

Evidence Hazards

“Apple Vinegar” seeks not only to expose the dangers of these practices, but also reinforce the importance of evidence -based medicine. To Carlos Gilthe role of doctors is central to the guidance of patients on reliable sources of information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppziqrefbjy

“These types of miraculous strategies cause concern for two major reasons: the first is, in fact, that some patients tend to abandon conventional scientifically conventional treatments to the detriment of those miraculous so -called. And second, because sometimes they try to coexist, and these procedures, like some herbal medicines, can interfere with the effectiveness of conventional ones.

As doctors, we are sometimes forced to ask patients if they are taking any other natural medicine or indicated by any acquaintance or relative, because it can actually interfere and decrease the effectiveness of conventional treatment, ”he explains.

The warning of course: in a world where health has become a billionaire business, the search for reliable information, and confidence in science is more crucial than ever. “Education through medical sources is essential to disarm the power of misinformation. A honest approach based on living science,” concludes the medical director of Oncoclínicas & Co.