Eat only whole foods. Exercise every day. Fill your bathroom with luxurious skincare products. Focus on becoming your best self. Sound familiar? These are the narratives being shoved in our faces day in and day out. Diet culture, gym life, and beauty gurus are not new, but their presence in our current culture is nothing short of overwhelming.
While these lifestyle goals are not inherently evil, social media influencers have a tendency to praise them as if they are the solution to all of your troubles. The consequences of desperately chasing the “perfect body,” always eating a “balanced diet,” and “practicing daily mindfulness” are plentiful. Striving to the point of obsession ironically leads to a decline in mental health and lower levels of self-esteem, not to mention the toll it takes on the wallets of Americans.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, “The now $2 trillion US market represents one-third (32%) of the entire global wellness economy, with American consumers now spending over $6,000 annually on wellness for the first time.” As the saying goes, “money won’t solve all your problems.” This couldn’t be more true as seen in the amount of cash Americans are willing to throw at products, programs, and empty promises in search of the “healthiest” version of themselves.
Not only is the constant bombardment of images depicting toned, sun-tanned women in bikinis eating $15 smoothie bowls an unrealistic standard, it’s also harmful to a person’s mental health and self-esteem. As stated in an article published by the scholarly journal Springer Nature, “Social comparison orientation, which describes an individual’s reported perception of their own tendency to compare themselves with others, has often been identified as a cross-sectional correlate of such outcomes and as a risk factor for the development of clinically significant depressive symptoms and symptoms of disordered eating among women ages 12–24.” Youth and adolescents are more susceptible to this type of cultural messaging as they are in crucial formative years of life.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, “Global eating disorder prevalence increased from 3.5% to 7.8% between 2000 and 2018.” This silent but deadly mental illness has risen to power largely due to the introduction of social media in the early 2000s. The constant comparison of bodies, dinner plates and lifestyles is crippling. The current overemphasis on food and health in general in our culture is not in fact “wellness,” but an expensive and unsustainable lifestyle that only leads to further discontentment.
The resulting lack of fulfillment from these practices, programs and regimens often leaves people feeling worse about themselves than when they began this journey of self-improvement. However, these feelings could be mitigated and perhaps avoided entirely if people stopped turning to costly products and quick-fix solutions promising them health and instead implemented small changes in their daily routines.
Pausing to notice the way the clouds move across the sky, how a flower is growing in cracks of the sidewalk, or the tomato at the supermarket that is a brilliant shade of red can fill you with more peace and gratitude than any meditation app subscription. Likewise, eating foods that you truly enjoy and that nourish your body, mind, and soul will ultimately leave you feeling more fueled and content than a skimpy salad. I encourage you to evaluate how much time, energy, and money you spend on these fruitless pursuits of wellness, and instead embrace the simplicity of living in moderation.