Along with the commentary on resolutions and goal-setting, the new year always comes with lots of lists. The best and worst stuff from last year, what to expect this year. At SEEK Safely, we took note when health website greatist put out a list of the 100 most influential health and fitness gurus.
Why do we care about health and fitness gurus?
As we have dug further and further into the multi-billion dollar industry of self-help, we have found that the industry is complex and covers many different areas. It makes sense–self-improvement isn’t just about getting healthier physically, finding your path to wealth, or reaching emotional goals in your relationships. It’s all of these things, and more, together helping you to be happier and be your best self. Therefore, it follows that the most successful health and fitness gurus out there tend to start in one area, likely whatever their education or training is in, then branch out further and further beyond their initial expertise. For example, #1 on that list is Dr. Oz, a celebrated cardiac surgeon who has leveraged his time on Oprah into a successful self-help empire of his own (not without controversy or scrutiny for questionable promotions). Next up? A lifestyle magazine sharing “the message of health, wellness and good living,” which, from the sounds of it, could be about pretty much anything–definitely not just cardiac health. It’s natural and understandable that self-help professionals evolve this way due to the nature of the self-improvement journey. But it’s part of the reason why it’s so easy to suddenly find yourself, as a seeker, taking advice from someone who has no expertise or training in the subject they’re talking about. This is why we are urging self-help professionals to be honest and open about their credentials and expertise, and why we encourage seekers to empower themselves and look into the backgrounds of their self-help gurus. Is this person qualified to make these statements? Can you trust that their information is accurate and safe? We see some familiar faces on greatist.com’s list, and some new ones (to whom we will be sending the SEEK Safely Promise)! If you have found a new author, speaker or guru to help you with your goals for 2014, ask them to sign the Promise! And as always, seek safely!
