Healthcare providers are warning about the risks of 'health-maxxing' and similar wellness trends that encourage extreme practices, according to a Jul. 28 article from Ohio State Health and Discovery. These trends, often spread by influencers and brands through social media algorithms, promote practices such as looks-maxxing, strength-maxxing, protein-maxxing, and fiber-maxxing.
Alison MacKinlay, MD, a family and lifestyle medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said: “Often, there’s not enough evidence to know whether these health practices are actually beneficial. Depending on the trend, you may not realize you could be causing harm down the road.” MacKinlay explained that restrictive diets without medical supervision can increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies or cause anxiety around food. She added: “Extreme elimination diets can increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies or cause anxiety around food.”
Razan Hallak, MS, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, said that while elimination diets may help identify problematic foods when managed properly with reintroduction phases under professional guidance: “Variety in the diet is actually beneficial.” Stacy Cleveland, RD, LD, stated that obsessing over healthy eating can become unhealthy if it interferes with other aspects of life. She noted that while not an official diagnosis, “Orthorexia is recognized by many specialists as an eating disorder that requires treatment.”
MacKinlay also cautioned about excessive supplement use: “Taking excessive amounts of certain supplements can reach toxic levels, so it’s important to have lab work done to monitor levels.” Jacqueline Hoying, PhD, RN, recommended seeking research-based strategies for improving health and using reputable databases like MedlinePlus or resources from academic medical centers for information. Hoying said research shows accessing less-reliable online health information can delay necessary medical care and increase tensions among family members.
MacKinlay encouraged patients to discuss new wellness approaches with their healthcare providers: “It’s good to bring these up during medical visits... My role as a healthcare provider is to listen for red flags, educate and share decision-making to help you choose the best path.” Her practice focuses on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress reduction, substance avoidance and social connection—all areas shown to influence long-term health outcomes.
Ohio State Health and Discovery addresses societal issues such as health equity and substance use; includes hospitals and outpatient facilities; seeks advances in research, education, patient care and community involvement; extends efforts globally; offers resources on wellness topics; and focuses on healthcare research education, according to the official website.
