Jessica Ainscough DYING TO BE WELL

AS NETFLIX'S APPLE CIDER VINEGAR PUTS HEALTH INFLUENCERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SINCE THE 2010S?

- Kylie Walters

With her luminous skin and growing follower count that helped build a profitable wellness empire, Jessica Ainscough appeared to have it all. But her bright eyes, wide smile and claims she'd "cured" her cancer naturally hid a sinister secret. In reality, her slow-spreading form of the disease was gradually killing her.

As one of Australia's original wellness influencers of the 2010s, Ainscough's story is back in the spotlight thanks to her similarities with Apple Cider Vinegar's Milla. But unlike fraudster Belle Gibson, who lied for popularity and profit, Ainscough really was ill and betting her life on food being medicine.

The Dolly online editor was diagnosed with rare soft tissue cancer epithelioid sarcoma in 2008, aged 22. After a short round of chemotherapy, her only medical option left was a forequarter amputation, which involved cutting her left arm off at the shoulder.

"I didn't chop off my arm. I didn't go into aggressive, full-body chemotherapy.