Part one of a two-part book review: Selling the Fountain of Youth by Arlene Weintraub

Thinking about taking the easy way out in order to feel youthful for as long as possible? It is tempting to believe that out there somewhere is the magic pill or quick fix to prevent the aging process and prolong youthful vigor. But before making any decisions, get a copy of Selling the Fountain of Youth How the Anti-Aging Industry Made a Disease Out of Getting Old – and Made Billions.

This is about becoming better informed about the perils of so-called miracle cures and the dangers of selecting savvy over science.

Journalist and scientific reporter Arlene Weintraub delves into the murky world of alternative therapies, including bioidentical hormones, in Selling the Fountain of Youth. Weintraub reveals how clever marketing is helping both the scrupulous and unscrupulous turn a tidy profit. With growing numbers of Baby Boomers facing their biggest fear – getting old – it is a perfect time to lure the desperate to a fountain of youth that is not yet truly proven to exist.

In fairness, innovation has resulted in several medical and non-medical discoveries that have enhanced and improved the lives of many. The latest proponents of the anti-aging industry, an 88 billion dollar a year industry according to Weintraub, could be on the verge of exciting frontiers. The problem is that most of these recent discoveries are as yet fully unproven because long-term studies are simply not possible at this point. Yet that has not stopped youth-worshipping patients from buying into technologies based on little more than speculation at this point.

Weintraub set out to expose the anti-aging industry not as some axe-grinding measure but as a much-needed alert to anyone considering alternative medicine. Weintraub’s argument does indicate a warning but she also avoids the temptation to bolster her point with selection bias or only looking at sources that clearly support her thesis.

Instead, Weintraub notes that traditional medicine is not without its challenges and drawbacks. Her overall warning is that regardless of any type of treatment option sought, patients should enter into their decisions after conducting some solid research and look beyond those treatments that are simply too good to be true.

Incredibly, this is where the anti-aging industry has worked into the hands of patients too busy, lazy or uninterested in taking the time to examine all aspects of various treatment options. Clever marketing and celebrity endorsement are hardly new weapons in the quest to sell products and convince consumers.

Please see part two of this review by clicking on the link below: Selling the Fountain of Youth A Weintraub.

This review copy was provided free of charge courtesy of Basic Books a Member of the Perseus Books Group
Learn more about Arlene Weintraub www.arleneweintraub.com