Summary
Wellness is easy to lampoon. A vast, trillion-dollar industry, at its worst it offers bogus cures, prescribing over-priced paraphernalia and dubious advice for ailments that might be treated elsewhere. But there is a forgotten political and philosophical history of self-care, taking in the Black Panthers and feminist activism, that is all too often erased from our understanding of wellness. Shahidha Bari looks at the radical roots of self-care and what it tells us about how we are looking after ourselves during the current crisis.
Producer: Ant Adeane Editor: Jasper Corbett
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.6 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
| 0:08.4 | As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality featuring the most knowledgeable |
| 0:14.3 | experts and genuinely engaging voices. What you may not know is that the BBC |
| 0:20.4 | makes podcasts about all kinds of things like pop stars, |
| 0:24.6 | poltergeist, cricket, and conspiracy theories and that's just a few examples. |
| 0:29.7 | If you'd like to discover something a little bit unexpected, find your next podcast over at BBC Sounds. |
| 0:36.0 | BBC Sounds. |
| 0:38.0 | BBC Sounds, Music Radio Podcasts. |
| 0:41.0 | Hello, thank you for listening to analysis. |
| 0:43.9 | In this edition, Shahida Barry looks at a different side to self-care. |
| 0:48.4 | Take care. |
| 0:53.0 | Keep well. |
| 0:55.0 | Perhaps you've grown sick of hearing those words recently. |
| 1:01.0 | It's what politicians and health professionals keep telling us, |
| 1:05.2 | and it's what we're telling each other too as we socially distance and shield the vulnerable |
| 1:10.1 | during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funny thing is, just six months ago, |
| 1:16.7 | if you had overheard people discussing how they take care of themselves and keep well, |
| 1:22.3 | you may have taken a more skeptical attitude. |
| 1:26.1 | Modern wellness is supplements and special diets and things that have been monetized. |
| 1:34.0 | The wellness industry turns over an estimated 4.2 trillion dollars a year. |
| 1:41.0 | At its worst, it offers bogus cures for real elements, prescribing |
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