The wellness industry reinforces diet culture

How often have you heard an acquaintance mention a new weight loss plan or workout routine? Perhaps it was a sibling, a friend, or even your own parent? Maybe you’ve been the one to talk about your body goals and personal insecurities; I know I have.

Dieting is a staple of American culture. In 1863, William Banting, the father of dieting, published “Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public.” It described obesity as a distressing parasite. Language like this paved the way for the demonization of larger bodies. 

It’s no surprise that companies swiftly capitalized on this hatred of fat. In the early 20th century, cigarettes, soaps, and even sugar were advertised as ways to efficiently lose weight. These methods were then replaced with more standardized diets, like Atkins and Weight Watchers in the 1960s. Presently, Americans spend 33 billion dollars annually on weight loss products. 

While diet programs make all sorts of promises, they rarely deliver. Scientific evidence proves that diets are ineffective towards supporting long term weight loss. Chronic dieting has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, and altered immune function.

Socially-conscious consumers have begged the question of why weight loss is essential. With the rise of body positivity, many would-be dieters are challenging the diet status-quo. This rapidly changing public perception of dieting has forced these companies to shift gears to maintain high levels of profit. Many businesses find this rebrand in wellness.

Traditionally, wellness is a holistic approach to health that involves both the body and the mind. In the United States, the National Wellness Institute was established in 1977 to promote multi-dimensional lifestyle changes. Present wellness culture rose to fame during the 2010s. 

Wellness culture is largely promoted on social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Its content is publicized by thin, white, and able-bodied people. Insidiously, it is product-focused. 

Notably, actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow’s company Goop specializes in holistic health. According to Paltrow, wellness means selling just about anything, from microbiome superpowers to aromatherapy to vibrators. 

Wellness culture is more palatable and less blatantly fatphobic than traditional diet culture, but it is still built on the same principles. It is exclusionary, prioritizes attention to physical appearance, and lacks a scientific foundation. 

So-called “lifestyle changes” promoted in wellness spaces can be detrimental to one’s health. Juice cleanses, a practice in which participants consume only liquids as a form of purification, can cause headaches, fatigue, difficulty thinking, moodiness, stomach pain, and hunger pangs. Similarly, the Paleo diet, consisting of raw, unprocessed foods, has been associated with vitamin deficiencies, heart disease, and even cancer.

Wellness influencers often manipulate audiences into purchasing products that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Popular fitness trackers like Fitbit and Apple Watches can sell for upwards of 200 dollars. Additionally, “health-enhancing” drinks like chlorophyll and lemon water have no proven health benefits besides hydration.

Wellness culture claims to individually support all people. But, many sought-after health items — like organic foods — are cost-prohibitive to most Americans. Organic foods have no documented health benefits, but they are on average 70% more expensive than non-organic foods. Wellness, at its core, is not made for everyone. It is elitist. 

Despite its politically-correct marketing, wellness brands continue to perpetuate a problematic standard of beauty. Companies like Noom may take a more holistic approach to health, but they're still selling the idea of losing weight.

Like diet culture, wellness culture encourages people to dedicate their time, money, and energy to shrinking the size of their body. With a barrage of advertisements and sponsored posts, it can be difficult for consumers to differentiate between life-enhancing behaviors and diet culture repackaged. But, there are ways to fight back against our weight-obsessed culture.

The three most popular practices to combat problematic health culture include intuitive eating, Health At Every Size, and body neutrality. While these approaches vary in their exact methodology, they all promote the idea that you can trust your body. We must be the generation to end dieting.