Wellness influencers love creating problems they can profit from

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Problems aren't a problem when you're an influencer selling a supplement. They're profit.

The wellness industry loves a good ailment it can heal. These days, public enemy No. 1 is cortisol.

From middle-of-the-night wake-ups to extra-puffy faces, cortisol is causing you plenty of issues. At least, that's according to social media, where influencers coincidentally have the perfect fix (for the right price).

BI's Emily Stewart unpacked the internet's cortisol obsession. She spoke to multiple doctors about why there's so much misunderstanding about this vital hormone.

In rare, extreme cases, too much or too little cortisol can lead to weight gain or loss, respectively, as well as other ailments. But those types of conditions aren't diagnosed via a 30-second Instagram Reel.

"When somebody says, 'I know when you order my cortisol levels, they're going to be high because I'm stressed,' they're always normal," Dr. Caroline Messer, an endocrinologist in New York City, told Emily.

America's growing wellness obsession, distrust in the traditional medical community, and love of a quick fix have created a boon for wellness influencers looking to sell you something. Now all they need is a problem.

The cortisol craze is part of a wider wellness trend where health optimization is treated like a luxury purchase.

Even the man who's arguably spent more than anyone trying to live longer recently explained why money doesn't always equate to health.

Bryan Johnson reportedly shells out $2 million a year on his longevity protocol. But when he shared a 41-item list of the best things he'd learned trying to reverse his biological age, a lot of it was free.

That's not to say every wellness hack you've considered paying for is a waste. I still take a handful of pills every morning, and I've had a cold-plunge pool in my Amazon wish list longer than I'd like to admit. Our bodies and health goals are all slightly different.

But a lot of the best things you can do for your health are more about consistency and simplicity than the size of your bank account.