189: The Relaxback UK Show with Mike Dilke - Episode 189189: The Relaxback UK Show with Mike Dilke - Episode 189
UK Health Radio Podcast
Physiologist Oliver Patrick joins Mike Dilk to question the effectiveness of the massive wellness industry and break down what wearables and heart rate variability can genuinely say about stress, recovery and everyday health. The conversation also touches on how huge health data sets might shape insurance and personal behaviour, along with the risks of relying too heavily on numbers.
38:38•3 Nov 2026
Wellness, Wearables and What Your Body Is Really Telling You
Episode Overview
- Wellness spending is huge, yet stress, obesity and psychological ill health are not clearly improving.
- Each wellness sector tends to claim it has the single answer, but Patrick warns that certainty claims are misleading.
- Wearables are widespread, but their value depends on what question you want them to answer about your health.
- Heart rate variability is a key signal for understanding the balance between stress and recovery and is central to many modern devices.
- Large wearable data sets could inform public health and insurance, but they raise complex questions about fairness and anxiety.
“Any product or service that promises certainty is probably a false flag.”
What makes a health trend genuinely useful rather than just clever marketing? This question sits at the heart of The Relaxback UK Show as physiologist Oliver Patrick joins host Mike Dilk for a wide‑ranging chat about the booming wellness industry and the rise of wearables.
Patrick starts by unpacking what a physiologist actually does, explaining that "ultimately, you and I are our physiology" and that his work bridges the gap between doctors focused on illness and wellness companies focused on already-healthy people. From there, the conversation takes on the sheer scale of the wellness market – around $5.2 trillion in 2022 – and Patrick points out the uncomfortable truth that despite this spending, stress, obesity and psychological ill health are far from improving.
He offers a wry take on sector bias: sleep companies claim better sleep will get you to 150, nutrition believes vitamins will take you to 160, and gyms think muscle will push you to 170. His view? "Any product or service that promises certainty is probably a false flag." Instead, he argues for better basic understanding of how the body works so people can spot "false gods" and make smarter choices. The episode then zeroes in on wearables.
With an estimated 26 million UK adults using some kind of device, Patrick asks a key question: what problem are you actually expecting the wearable to solve? He breaks down core measurements like steps and heart rate variability (HRV), explaining how HRV reflects the balance between stress and recovery and why it has transformed both elite sport and office life.
Patrick is honest about the limits too: more data doesn’t automatically mean better behaviour, and wearables should support your own sense of how you feel rather than replace it. You’ll also hear a thoughtful discussion on massive data sets, insurance, fairness, and the risk of increased anxiety. If you’ve ever wondered whether tracking your health is helpful or just another stressor, this chat offers plenty to mull over.
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