Oura and Whoop are exploring clinical partnerships and diagnostics. Lab testing companies market themselves as wellness platforms, sometimes making claims well beyond what the evidence supports.
Whether that’s progress or a problem almost doesn’t matter — it’s already happening. The real question is what happens once the old labels stop being useful, leaving consumers to sort out what’s science, what’s marketing, and what’s propaganda on their own.
For consumers: critical thinking isn’t optional. Ask what the evidence is, what the downsides are, what the opportunity cost is. The absence of good answers is itself an answer. For companies: if you claim to be science-backed, explain the science. Scientific advisors aren’t just marketing assets — use their expertise well.
For government: regulation was never perfect, but it was a predictable backstop. That’s less reliable now, which makes paying attention less optional too.
The line between health and wellness will keep blurring. The line between evidence and hype can’t.