HELLO! magazine: Putting It To The Test

Press Release

HELLO! Magazine: Putting it to the test

I’ve had anxiety for years – could resetting my gut health finally
be the answer?I’ve had anxiety for years – could resetting my gut health finally
be the answer?I’ve had anxiety for years – could resetting my gut health finally
be the answer?

All-encompassing check-ups are the latest trend in the wellness world. HELLO!'s Melanie Macleod looks at what they can do for your health. 

Last month I found myself strapped to a plethora of monitors, which were measuring my heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart sounds, and more.

This came after my blood was taken, my eye pressure had been tested and I’d stood in a blindingly bright chamber in just my knickers, with the bright lights assessing every single marking on my body in less than a minute.

“What in the Black Mirror is going on?” – I hear you ask. Let me explain.

I’d booked in for the sought-after Neko Body Scan, the £299 whole-body check with a 20,000-strong waitlist (nekohealth.com). Taking place in a futuristic space in London’s Marylebone, results are delivered in a doctor’s consultation after just 30 minutes.

Such is the demand for the assessment, Neko recently opened a second outpost in London’s Liverpool Street to meet the appetite of health-conscience residents.

A New Era in Healthcare

Fellow Marylebone clinic OneWelbeck also offers comprehensive health analysis, bespoke to each client (onewelbeck.com), while Medichecks are leaders in at-home blood tests, sending a kit in the post to test from everything from testosterone and fertility to menopause and hair loss (medichecks.com).

Health tests are also taking over the haugh street. Free health MOTs are available at Books to check blood pressure (boots.com), while Superdrug offers an advanced health test for £179, which checks you cholesterol levels, liver health and vitamin D levels and promises to give a “clear picture of what’s going on inside and how to support your body” (superdrug.com).

Explaining the concept behind Neko’s comprehensive tests, co-founder Hjalmar Nilsonne says: “In the UK, you are required to do an MOT on your car. However, when it comes to your body, you often need to break down before seeing a doctor.

“Our healthcare systems were designed decades ago; they haven’t kept pace with rising costs or demand – a trend that we collectively need to find a way to reverse. To bend the cost curve of healthcare, we need to shift towards proactive, preventative care.”

While there’s clearly an appetite for all-encompassing health tests, you have to wonder how helpful it really is knowing so much about our inner workings.

Health Anxiety

BACP-accredited psychotherapist and anxiety expert Kamalyn Kaur notes that tell-all tests could help people struggling with health anxiety, explaining: “One of the most distressing aspects of health anxiety is the uncertainty – the constant ‘what if?’ that loops in the background.

“A comprehensive health test can offer a sense of control and clarity, providing concrete evidence and reassurance that there’s nothing wrong.

“For someone with a health anxiety, seeing normal readings across a wide range of health markers can help quiet the mind, reduce the urge to constantly self-check symptoms and offer a temporary sense of relief and peace. In this way, information can feel empowering – like finally getting solid ground beneath your feet.”

On the other hand, the test could be a double-edged sword, Kamalyn points out. “Detailed health scans can uncover benign findings ot variations that are medically insignificant – but for someone with a health anxiety, they can become a fixation point and fuel for catastrophic thinking.

“A benign notes might trigger obsessive googling, fear spirals, or even panic. There’s also the risk of becoming dependent on testing for reassurance – needing repeated scans to feel safe, which can reinforce the anxiety cycle rather than break it. More data doesn’t always mean more peace of mind: sometimes, it just means more to worry about.”

Preventative Measures

In essence, these tests are designed to be preventative, safeguarding our future health – they allow us to look after our health while we’re well, which is key to long term wellness.

So, while it might seem scary to know so much about your body and its inner workings, think of it as insurance for your future self – you can’t put a price on that.

The Results Are In

Take your health into your own hands with these at-home tests, delivered to your door, with results in as little as two days

Hertility advanced at-home hormone and fertility test (£249, visit hertilityhealth.com)
Hertility’s online assessment crafts a test for up to ten hormones tailored to you to build a full picture of your fertility.

OptimallyMe food intolerance test (£299.99, visit optimallyme.com)
Focusing on food sensitivities and gut health, this test gets to the roots of bloating, low energy, and digestive problems.

Stride microbiome and gut health test (£349, visit getstride.com)
This test reveals your gut health, digestive function, gut-brain connection, and metabolic health.

Selph perimenopause and menopause blood test (£129, visit selph.co.uk)
A simple finger prick test for meno and perimeno markers, including thyroid health, vitamin D and blood sugar levels.

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Read the original article posted in HELLO! Magazine.

Press Contacts

Georgie
georgie@thebeamroom.com
The Beam Room