IS THIS CRAZE A FULL-BODY SCAM?

The latest big-ticket celebrity wellness trend-an ultra-high-tech body scan-is tempting. We found some surprises inside the promise.

- HILARY ACHAUER

IN AUGUST, Kim Kardashian and designer Zac Posen each posted photos on Instagram wearing dark-gray scrubs while sitting on the light-blue bed of an MRI machine. These weren't doctor-ordered visits to investigate a worrisome lump or a persistent headache. Both Kardashian and Posen were getting full-body MRI scans at Prenuvo, a Redwood City, California-based company with locations around North America-scans that cost $2,499 for your full body ($1,799 for head and torso, $999 for just the torso).

The procedure is marketed as a noninvasive, total-body service that can check for hidden cancers, aneurysms, and cysts, among other hidden menaces that might keep you up at night. Alongside Prenuvo, companies like Ezra and Simon Med have moved into the "wellness MRI" market.

As Instagram commenters quickly pointed out, though, this type of out-of-pocket scan is out of reach for most Americans, many of whom struggle to pay for basic health care. (Just one remark: "wow thanks so much for sharing something 90 percent of the population can't afford.") While Kardashian claimed her post was #NotAnAd, Posen's had a discount code, so it's not totally clear if the celebrities are being driven by endorsements or an interest in wellness.

Doctors worry that these scans might lead to unnecessary tests and even surgeries, when most of the public would be better off focusing on lifestyle changes to prevent diseases and using targeted MRI scans only to address specific concerns. Still, the promise of detecting deadly disease early is intriguing.

So is it worth the price?

WHAT A WELLNESS MRI ACTUALLY IS