“Selling the Fountain of Youth” was eye opening because of the details. Weintraub documents the history of the anti-aging movement, the associated individuals and industries very well. She starts with how Goldman and Klatz paved the way for the success of numerous other businesses that cropped up trying to cash in on the same market source, all the way till 2010 (which, even though it is a decade ago, is still relevant today). She has bushels of information relating to the activities of various companies such as BodyLogic, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, A4M, actual big pharmaceutical monoliths such as Pfizer and Wyeth, as well as key individuals ranging from doctors, to pharmacists, to media and TV personalities that have all hopped on the antiaging train. Since she has interviewed many of these people herself, the interviews come across as slightly biased (she shows plenty of disdain for TV personalities) but her writing indicates that the individuals who sell these products for exorbitant prices do believe in their “science” to a certain degree and most definitely believe in their efficacy. She notes how most of time, the first consumer is themselves. Weintraub themes across all of these chapters is how anecdotal evidence, a marketing blitz, and charismatic personalities tie into a successful business model that peddles products to cash in on people’s natural fears and physical malaise.
Weintraub does a fantastic job of focusing on key products of the anti-aging movement: the entire umbrella of hormones such as HGH, estriol/estradiol and even testosterone, bioidenticals, supplements that have been created by unregulated bodies of pharmacy compounders, all tying into a diverse industry that want to make and protect their bottom line: money. She introduces these products in a scientific fashion, informing the reader about the differences between synthetic and natural hormones (there are a few, but they are negligible), and constantly asking. She presents evidence via scientifically documented studies, by which I mean double-blind controlled studies done by large regulatory bodies (such as the NIH or FDA) enrolling more than a thousand individuals, to counteract the claims of “youth” made by these businesses.
One of the critiques that I have for this book is that although Weintraub does spend a lot of time documenting the actions of these corporations, individuals, and unregulated businesses, she does not spend too much time on informing people about the normal process of aging. To many American consumers who are caught up in the cultural phenomenon of beauty, youth, and wellness, this book many not convince them on why they should perhaps rethink their concept of aging, as it is more of an investigative piece on decades of capitalistic entrepreneurs who wanted to sell products that made money off of vulnerable people (and the many ensuing legal battles). I wish she had dedicated an entire chapter to the cultural idea of aging vs just the phenomenon of aging, how this is normal and it shouldn’t be something to be controlled by products that land you back into your “prime”. It contributes to the feeling of being washed out, duped by people, and lied to by society. The concept of healthy aging, accepting the phenomenon of old age as a new stage in life, should be celebrated instead of as a descent into death.
Weintraub does a fantastic job of focusing on key products of the anti-aging movement: the entire umbrella of hormones such as HGH, estriol/estradiol and even testosterone, bioidenticals, supplements that have been created by unregulated bodies of pharmacy compounders, all tying into a diverse industry that want to make and protect their bottom line: money. She introduces these products in a scientific fashion, informing the reader about the differences between synthetic and natural hormones (there are a few, but they are negligible), and constantly asking. She presents evidence via scientifically documented studies, by which I mean double-blind controlled studies done by large regulatory bodies (such as the NIH or FDA) enrolling more than a thousand individuals, to counteract the claims of “youth” made by these businesses.
One of the critiques that I have for this book is that although Weintraub does spend a lot of time documenting the actions of these corporations, individuals, and unregulated businesses, she does not spend too much time on informing people about the normal process of aging. To many American consumers who are caught up in the cultural phenomenon of beauty, youth, and wellness, this book many not convince them on why they should perhaps rethink their concept of aging, as it is more of an investigative piece on decades of capitalistic entrepreneurs who wanted to sell products that made money off of vulnerable people (and the many ensuing legal battles). I wish she had dedicated an entire chapter to the cultural idea of aging vs just the phenomenon of aging, how this is normal and it shouldn’t be something to be controlled by products that land you back into your “prime”. It contributes to the feeling of being washed out, duped by people, and lied to by society. The concept of healthy aging, accepting the phenomenon of old age as a new stage in life, should be celebrated instead of as a descent into death.