Inside the Wellness Boom: Separating Scams From Science

Inside the Wellness Boom: Separating Scams From Science

From On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

April 13, 2026 · 1h 2m

About this episode

Kara Swisher and a panel of experts discuss the wellness industry, longevity, and the impact of health misinformation.

On the heels of the weekend premiere of her new CNN series, “Kara Swisher Wants To Live Forever,” Kara brings together a panel of experts to talk more about longevity, anti-aging, and the money that’s pouring into the wellness industry. Katie Couric is a journalist. She’s also been a longtime advocate for early cancer screenings since her first husband died of colon cancer and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Amy Larocca is an award-winning journalist and author of the book, “How To Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure At A Time.” And Kara’s brother, Dr. Jeffrey Swisher, is chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. He recently caught a so-called “widowmaker” heart attack before it happened, and his wife has also been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Kara, Katie, Amy and Jeff talk about the explosion of health misinformation online and why people have become so skeptical of medical experts. They also talk about the promising health care science on the horizon and the real secrets to living a long, happy life. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram…

People in this episode

Host: Kara Swisher

Guests: Katie Couric, Amy Larocca, Dr. Jeffrey Swisher

Topics covered

  • wellness
  • longevity
  • anti-aging
  • health misinformation
  • medical skepticism
  • self-care

Keywords

  • wellness boom
  • longevity
  • anti-aging
  • health misinformation
  • self-care
  • cancer screenings
  • medical experts

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CNN

Books & works: Kara Swisher Wants To Live Forever, How To Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure At A Time

Places: California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

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