In this op-ed, psychologist Giulia Suro explains how to responsibly navigate wellness trends, and how to know if you’re consumption of wellness messaging is going too far.
A client of mine first heard about a green powder promising better digestion, clearer skin, and more energy on a podcast. Just another ad, she thought. But then it appeared in an influencer’s smoothie, on her Instagram feed, and in YouTube ads. Within a week, she bought it. Maybe this sounds familiar. Wellness messaging doesn’t always just try to persuade us directly. Instead, it often surrounds us until opting in feels like common sense. These offerings are typically presented as helpful, even essential, especially for those already trying to do everything “right.” But when the pressure to optimize begins to shape how we think, spend, and eat, it can quietly erode our well-being instead of supporting it.
The pursuit of wellness, which increasingly looks like the pressure to perfect our lives and maximize our health, can quickly become overwhelming. We are told that if we make the right choices and spend the right amount of money, we can heal ourselves with food, supplements, and rituals. As a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, I have seen how easily this kind of messaging can encourage behavior that spirals from self-care into self-surveillance, especially for those already vulnerable to perfectionism or anxiety around food.
Wellness media can play into our fears, whether it is fear of illness, missing out, or falling behind. And, the advice is always shifting. One day it’s seed oils, the next it’s oat milk. One week it is creatine, the next it is snail-mucin masks. In a culture where wellness trends change by the week and health is frequently treated like a personal project, it can be hard to tell what’s worth your time — and when someone’s behavior has gone too far. The line between commitment and obsession is often blurry, especially when restriction is praised and the chasing of perfection is sold as self-care. One of the consequences of this kind of obsessive adherence to wellness is Orthorexia — a condition that is all too easy to miss.
Orthorexia is a mental health condition that can hide in plain sight. Unlike more widely recognized diagnoses like anorexia, orthorexia is not driven by a pursuit of weight loss, but rather by an obsession with eating in a way that is “pure,” “clean,” or perfectly healthy. On the surface, it can look like discipline or dedication to wellness. But for some, the pursuit of health can become rigid, all-consuming, or socially isolating.
These experiences exist on a spectrum. Caring about nutrition or enjoying vegetables does not mean you have orthorexia. The difference lies in the intensity, the inflexibility, and the impact on your mental and emotional life. For many of my clients with Orthorexia, what begins as an interest in health or a desire for control can turn into anxiety that shrinks their lives and cuts them off from others.
About The Author
