Every week, there’s a new health fad that comes out, reshaping how we approach health and fitness as a culture. New rules or unspoken guidelines that we must adhere to if we are truly dedicated to improving our health and bodies. A diet that is imperative to muscle building, a combination of vitamins we have to take, or we’ll never feel relaxed. Specific supplements that must be ordered and ingested, or our gut health will run amok. 

It seems there is always something. A new product to buy, a new course to be subscribed to. The newest trend hitting the streets now is our health. It is being capitalized upon and targeted. It’s hard to decipher if companies truly are interested in our well-being or if their new product is just another money grab. Influencers whose niche is fitness and the gym launch new vitamin sponsorships so often that one cannot definitively be sure if they are promoting it because it works or for the paychecks. 

Our health is one of the most sacred and important things about us; it’s not something we can play around with or follow trends in the way we do clothes. The health industry is one of the most lucrative ones, and the easiest to capitalize on. The multi-billion-dollar industry, said to be expanding at approximately five percent annually, touches on everything they know consumers struggle with and will purchase or subscribe to. Nutrition and gut health; Sleep health; Mental health and self-care; beauty and anti-aging; fitness. 

Not a single one has gone untouched. And it’s not fair. Companies and celebrities are taking advantage of the fact that the public simply wants to better themselves. Our genuine interest in improving our health and our bodies is being exploited. 

Is health just a trend now, something coming that will soon pass like the others?

Social Media

Social Media is the pillar of our world. Everything exists on many platforms. 

One of the most popular ‘corners’ of the digital world is the fitness and health sector. It is there that new health trends are born and come into fruition. It is there that promotional videos are posted and shared, listened to blindly. 

And it is there that we are mocked for being interested in our physical well-being. 

TikToks showing new challenges and ‘cheat-codes’ to obtain the physique you desire, or to lead a healthier diet, are scarcely coming from a medical professional. Stricter diets, cutting out specific food groups altogether, and fasting: individuals see this online from a self-appointed ‘wellness instructor’ and follow their teachings. 

Detoxing, when done incorrectly, is very dangerous, along with intermittent fasting, and can cause up to permanent damage to one’s body and digestive system. Any choices or decisions made should be made with a doctor’s permission or advice. 

Overconsumption in the Name of Health

The overwhelming influx of ‘advice,’ or information, can be very confusing and misleading. 

Social media personalities will often make ‘get ready with me’ videos, detailing their morning routines from waking up to getting out the door. 

In those videos, there is a substantial use of beauty products. Mouth tape. Chin strap. Eye patches. Face masks. Multiple serums and creams. Red light therapy mask. Facial sculpting devices. Vibrating plate. 

All in one morning. All while you’re sleeping. Not to mention the considerable amount of vitamins and cultures, supplements, and powders that are taken before the day has even begun. 

Health has become a competition: “Who owns the most of what?” It’s no longer about the best habits. It’s about who can wake up the earliest. Whose routine takes the longest and uses the most product? How bland can you make your dinner in the name of macros and protein intake? How many calories did you track today? If you hit legs, you can’t eat this, but if you hit abs and you don’t eat that, you’ll never get strong.

Nothing is authentic. Everything has a stipulation

To Trust, or Not to Trust

Another massive issue is with the regularity with which companies release new vitamins or minerals; it has become increasingly difficult to be able to tell what is real. New colorful gummies that taste like oranges or cotton candy, marketed to reduce bloating and increase digestion, will definitely have an audience. They do not need to work; they just need to taste yummy. 

These companies are marketing their products as something beneficial. Something we need. We put our trust in them. We give them our bodies. Our minds. They take advantage of our pursuit of better health and strength and capitalize on our commitment to grow. Is health just a trend? 

Yes. 

We must do our own research. Not to trust the newest product or whatever tastes the best. We do not have to purchase every beauty product, or sleep with our face taped closed and bound. We have to trust in ourselves. Our health is important. It is up to us to take care of it. To look after our own well-being. We do not deserve to be capitalized upon as we are now, but we still have a choice. 

Have you noticed any of these trends? Let us know in the comments bellow!