The Internet Is Fueling Our Obsession With Wellness

Hard To Swallow digs into the popular new food trends overrunning the timelines, particularly during an economic downturn.

---

Nooooooo, don’t make your fun little food column turn into a spiel about insidious hyper-individualism, you’re so sexy....

Well, here we are guys! I just wanted to write about some cute wellness influencers I’ve come to love only to realize that none of us are on health journeys, we’re on health hamster wheels.

How many times have you or someone you knew experienced excess weight that seemed impossible to shed, had fatigue to a debilitating degree, suffered skin issues, stomach problems, or headaches? Likely, the usual suspects of diets were attempted—fasting, elimination, keto, anti-inflammatory, vegan. Likely, they had little, temporary, or no results. It’s a common experience. It can be frustrating or borderline defeating. Have you ever thought, like, wtf even is my body?

The phenomena of Wellness Syndrome explains how the pervasive obsession with health becomes pathological, eventually leading to depression, anxiety, and ironically, sickness.

Even for those who honor self acceptance, societal pressure and body image standards make it difficult to feel at ease. In our culture, wellbeing is an ideology that associates health with morality. A healthy and happy person is a good person is the commonly held attitude. Just as being lazy is shameful, not exercising makes you feel guilty, and indulgence shows a lack of discipline.

Who can new generations turn to for guidance? Professional help via nutritionists and personal trainers are out of budget. The products and practices pedaled by the Goopy luxury side of the wellness industry seem like an even higher privilege. Those biohacking optimization guys with the podcasts that declare extreme dieting will turn you into an ubermensch. Celebrities? The illusions of their natural beauty and effortlessly perfect physiques was punctured long ago. Even doctors seem inaccessible as skepticism towards the medical and pharmaceutical system grows. Why bother with it if you're just getting sent home with a misdiagnosis, three prescriptions for symptoms, and a large bill?

For many seeking help, they find reassurance comes from the algorithm Perhaps, through a TikTok video by someone like @Mila.

Mila is gorgeous and soft spoken, but more importantly she seems so at peace! She knows what you’re going through. She’s been there too. She deliberately tells a relatable story while imposing her before picture on the video. She too, put on sudden, stubborn weight, was inflamed, lethargic, and sick. She followed advice and diets praised by influencers. They didn’t work for her either. She doesn’t talk about that though. Instead, she shares the emotions surrounding it.

“All that did was lead me to a negative space. Like many others, I was just trying to heal and ended up in a worse place than before.”

Her voice has an empathic tone that makes you feel as if she’d just patiently listened while you explained your experience. She looks into the camera with intention and it seems you’re holding eye contact. And she’s put together an extensive nutrition guide that helped her, free to you at the link in her bio.

Sam Cutler, aka @thefitfatale, a leggy tanned blonde and the epitome of the California dream girl offers solace in a similar way. Despite the fact that her body puts the cast of The Hills to shame, her pinned video “How I changed my life,” flips through photos of her 25 year old self where she was noticeably unhealthy. Thin and pretty, still, but with dull skin, brittle hair, and a puffy face.

Her approach and tone is motivational in a “Get your ass up and work!” way. You can do it too. She’s gonna tell you the diet, fitness plan, and lifestyle changes that helped her get there. Again, available in the bio!

The main focus of the new era of health advice circles around hormone balancing and gut issues. However, getting into the details of those would take its own column. It’s worth noting that there is tons of misinformation and self-diagnosing going on because of these non-expert creators. We’re not going to get into the weeds of that though.

Their evergreen content is “transformation inspiration. It’s simply the “Before and After” photo + testimonial that has been a cornerstone of weight loss marketing since the early days of advertising. So what sets them apart as trustworthy? A Forbes report delving into the psychology of influencer marketing highlights, "Human beings are inherently social creatures, wired to form deep connections within our community." They have.. A word you’re not unfamiliar with: Authenticity!

Mila and Sam are among hundreds of lifestyle influencers who foster connection with their audience. In fact, they don’t even use the word influencer. “Creator” is the new title. They emerged during a time when consumers have become disillusioned with “authenticity.” It’s now more often associated with digital marketing tactics, its meaning paradoxically flipped as a sign of facade or phoniness. These creators have, in essence, restored authenticity the buzzword, back to authenticity the value, a sign of genuine character.

They resemble mentors rather than distant idols, striking the ideal balance of aspirational and approachable. Intimacy is the driving force. With the exception of their courses or guides, they're not peddling products—at least not in the conventional sense. They profit from affiliate marketing and referral links, but that’s just par for the course.

Many of them devote hours to engaging with audiences, offering an interactive experience. Send a comment and they’ll reply to express gratitude. Dying to know the skincare routine? Do you need clarification on which supplements you should be taking for stress management? Just ask! They’lll respond with a video addressing it. They don’t gate keep! Seeing a nutritionist doesn’t give you a dopamine hit. This is a fun way to wellness.

This is where I wanted to wrap it up. I’d found my conclusion: A new wellness trend is wholesome and equalizing. Done! We’re all friends here, right? Wellbeing is democratic. And this new era doesn’t start and stop with influencers as the authority. With their content they build a sense of camaraderie, inspiring others to share their stories too. For those online seeking health advice the algorithm simulates a community, serving hundreds of videos by other regular degulars who also “get it.”

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Unfortunately, I couldn’t suppress my original inkling that there is something very sus at play. On the nose as it is, Christopher Lasch’s Culture of Narcissism comes to mind.

“The eclipse of achievement in a society in which the dream of success has been drained of any meaning beyond itself, men have nothing against which to measure their achievements except the achievements of others. Self-approval depends on public recognition and acclaim.”

As the health journey transformation videos proliferate, the movement begins to seem impure. Do users/creators simply want to “share their stories” or are they just vying to be seen and admired for the honorable, dignified qualities of taking care of their bodies? Both, I suppose. Insidious.

FWIW, I’m not going to sit here and pretend this is an issue that gets me particularly heated. I’m not mad at it. Being healthy makes people feel good. Why yuck their yum?

Maybe this new wellness trend is, if anything, the lesser of several evils. Diets are most successful with holistic lifestyle approaches. These influencers, creators, online communities make it a lot easier to build habits. Even if it is a simulated friendship, they’re still your accountability buddies. They share a video of their morning routine. You see them journal first thing in the morning. So you journal first thing in the morning. You see them go for their daily walk. You head for yours as well.

If you don’t feel like cooking, you may come across a video of their new favorite recipe they’re “OBSESSED with right now.” The motivation hits. You guys are in this together. You cook too. Now your dinner is 14 dollars cheaper and low glycemic. They’re making a fun vitamin jellies. They’re drinking Olipops instead of cocktails. The wellness benefits in appearance, physical health, mindset can be hard to deny.

This is all to say: If a parasocial relationship is what helps someone be healthy and happy, go off. Maybe just be weary of the slippery slope.