We’ve all heard plenty about the Epstein files the last few weeks, and of course a corner of the wellness industry was involved. Notably, Peter Attia, a successful podcaster/author with a mostly male audience, emailed his good friend Epstein that he (Attia) went into “withdrawals” when apart from Epstein for too long.
Who Is Peter Attia?
I first heard the name about two years ago in passing. I was at the bank and mentioned that I write this newsletter in small talk with a stranger, and the man I was talking to went off on a tangent about Peter Attia. It was well-intentioned, and this particular person was saying more women should be in the wellness reporting space (more about that later). In the following weeks I listened to a podcast or two of Attia’s, and for me it was unbearable. It was obvious that he was posturing and using big words out of context to appeal to a bro-wellness vibe. With his own business and as a consultant to various supplement brands, programs, and media gigs such as CBS, Attia’s net worth is estimated to be somewhere in between $5-$10 million.
Slate Questions Attia’s Science: The Problem With Peter Attia
Peter Attia positions himself as a doctor turned wellness consultant. His branding implies “real truth” that is science-backed but without the current medical structure which most Americans are frustrated with. Attia presents himself as an Ivy League trained doctor gone rogue, but even though he graduated from Stanford Medical School, he did not finish a medical residency. After his first year, he switched careers into consulting for McKinsey. In layman’s terms, he became a Dr. Oz of the next generation that craves science-backed remedies but in reality, Dr. Oz actually completed a residency and was a practicing surgeon for a number of years before sliding into his media persona.
Oprah launched Dr. Oz’s media career, and she also put a lot of collaboration in getting Attia’s career off the ground.
I didn’t think Attia’s podcast was malicious; it was just a Joe Rogan–style knockoff with slightly more medical-sounding background. So although I did not like his general brand or trust his information, I could have never anticipated that he would be one of the most commonly named people in the recently released Epstein files. At 1,700 Epstein File mentions, he is one of the most prominent contacts. Now that I’ve looked at more photos, his pants are so tight everyone should have known better.
As with most people indicated in the files, we do not have timestamped video of Attia engaging in intercourse with an underaged, trafficked girl. At this time there is no criminal evidence. What we do have is years of tight correspondence that range between Epstein consulting Attia about a rash on his stomach, to an email from Attia to Epstein saying, “P*ssy is, indeed, low-carb. Still awaiting results on gluten content, though.”
From The Atlantic, other Attia correspondence includes:
“In July 2016, Attia asked Epstein what he was doing in Palm Beach, where Epstein allegedly abused numerous underage girls. ‘Guess,’ Epstein writes. Attia replies: ‘Besides that.’ In 2017, Attia appears to have spent time with Epstein in New York rebuffing his wife’s pleas for him to return home to California—while his infant son was having a medical emergency. In the emails, Attia is not just Epstein’s medical adviser but a friend and ardent admirer. In 2016, Attia wrote to Epstein’s assistant that he goes ‘into JE withdrawal when I don’t see him.’”
The Attia/Epstein connection hits on several points of convergence. For one, it shows the expansive reach of close Epstein associates into pop culture. While much of the focus has been on politicians and bigger celebrities, Attia is a figure many men listen to regularly as an established authority on their health. It’s not that Attia has pushed fraudulent information per se; it’s more that he’s skilled at adjusting the science to tell his bro-audience what they want to hear. Underneath the hyper-masculine “just facts” wellness coaching Attia promotes is the darker entitlement and flippant dominance mindset that is visible in the tone of his Epstein correspondence.
Attia is also a canary in the coal mine for how many people Epstein was cultivating in the health and wellness fields. Epstein donated millions to Harvard-affiliated professors and other leading scientists. Through an independent pseudo-expert like Attia, Epstein gained access to a large male media audience. Through Les Wexner, an empire of tween-girl fashion was built. The Attia case is significant because it highlights the reach and impact of Epstein’s influence across industries including wellness and shaping how men are encouraged to view their health in connection to their masculinity.
