The Wellness Guru Who Fell From Grace

1,700 times. That's how often one man's name appears in the Justice Department's latest batch of Epstein documents. Until last week, Peter Attia was known as the measured, science-driven author of the bestselling book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. Now he'll be remembered for something else entirely: his chummy emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

From 2015 to 2018, Attia and Epstein exchanged hundreds of messages that reveal not just a doctor-patient relationship, but something far more troubling—a friendship built on mutual admiration and shared crude humor. When Attia joked that "pussy is, indeed, low carb" while "still awaiting results on gluten content," he wasn't just being tasteless. He was revealing the moral blindness that would define his relationship with one of America's most notorious criminals.

The Seduction of Influence

Attia didn't stumble into Epstein's orbit by accident. In 2014, when they first met, Epstein's crimes weren't hidden. He'd pleaded guilty to child sex offenses in 2008 and settled multiple sexual misconduct lawsuits by 2010. Yet Attia saw opportunity where others might have seen red flags.

The emails paint a picture of a man intoxicated by proximity to power. In August 2015, Epstein casually mentioned having dinner "with musk thiel zuckerburg [sic]." Attia was building his longevity consulting practice, and Epstein's Rolodex was irresistible. "You interested in living longer (solely for the ladies, of course)?" Attia asked while pitching Epstein a longevity program.

When Epstein mused in June 2015 that he didn't understand why "women live past reproductive age at all," Attia didn't push back. When Epstein hinted at his activities in Palm Beach—where he allegedly abused numerous underage girls—with a coy "Guess," Attia simply replied: "Besides that."

The Price of Moral Compromise

Perhaps most damning was 2017, when Attia chose to spend time with Epstein in New York while his infant son faced a medical emergency back home in California. His wife pleaded for him to return, but Attia stayed. By 2016, he was telling Epstein's assistant that he went "into JE withdrawal when I don't see him."

An exercise physiologist who worked with Attia remembers being sent to evaluate Epstein at his Manhattan residence in July 2017. "Something felt a little off," he told reporters, recalling young, attractive women flowing in and out during the session. The proposed follow-up never happened.

CBS, which had recently hired Attia as a contributor, is reportedly expected to drop him following these revelations. The network that once saw value in his scientific credibility now faces the uncomfortable reality of his moral compromises.

The Wellness Industry's Reckoning

Attia represents a particular category of Epstein associate: researchers who believed the financier could fund their work or elevate their careers. Harvard's Martin Nowak received millions for his research center. Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss got $250,000 for his science communication group. They were all, in Attia's words, "fascinated by Epstein's wealth and access to influential people."

But wellness influencers occupy a unique position in our culture. They don't just sell diet tips or exercise routines—they sell wisdom. They promise that following their advice will lead to a "longer, healthier, more fulfilled life." The implicit contract is that they possess not just knowledge, but judgment.

High-profile cardiologist Eric Topol called Attia a "huckster" after the emails surfaced. The criticism cuts deeper than professional rivalry—it questions whether someone who maintained a four-year friendship with a convicted child predator can credibly advise others on living well.

The Longevity of Bad Decisions

Attia posted a lengthy semi-apology on X, calling his emails "embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible." He claims he confronted Epstein after learning the full extent of his crimes from a November 2018Miami Herald investigation. But the timeline raises uncomfortable questions: How much willful blindness was involved? And what does it say about our wellness culture that such moral failures can coexist with scientific credibility?

The Epstein files reveal a man who used his wealth and connections to seduce not just young women, but accomplished professionals who should have known better. Scientists, doctors, and academics all found reasons to rationalize their association with him. In Attia's case, the rationalization lasted four years.