Lifestyle guru

Lifestyle gurus use principles vaguely related to metaphysics to advise people how they can make themselves happier through changes in their lifestyle. Lifestyle gurus were a profession popularised by several celebrities, including Cherie Blair, Madonna etc in the 1990s and 2000s. They came to be seen by the rich and famous as confidants on several lifestyle subjects, including which clothes are fashionable, which hobbies are trendy (which has led to many top celebrities taking up yoga), feng shui, drinking wheatgrass, eating tofu etc.

Prominent examples of lifestyle gurus include Carole Caplin, who worked as a lifestyle guru for the Blair family. Among the activities the Blair family has taken part in in recent years is a Mayan rebirthing ceremony when on holiday in Mexico.

Many celebrities view lifestyle gurus as very beneficial, as they put them in touch with the latest things that it is trendy to be seen doing. However, they have come under heavy criticism in recent years, with most criticisms concerning their utility [1] [2]. Other criticisms have centred around the perception that they are a symptom of the indecisiveness of today's society [3]. Frank Furedi, a professor of sociology at the University of Kent, has been a prominent critic of lifestyle gurus in recent years, which can be seen on his website [4]. Also, lifestyle gurus have received criticism for regularly telling the public how to live their lives, with one example being Andrew Lansley criticising Jamie Oliver for interfering too much in what British children eat, ultimately undermining efforts to persuade children to eat healthily[5].