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When considering a major change to your health routine or diet, it’s worth pausing to ask:
Who actually benefits from this shift- you, or the systems that profit from your participation?
The world of health and wellness is one of the most profitable industries on the planet. Grocery store shelves are lined with products promising transformation: skinny, keto, sugar-free, low-fat, high-protein, clean, organic, reduced-guilt, “made with simple ingredients”, and now… “raw.” Every label implies that the version you were eating before wasn’t quite good enough.
But hand to God, do we really believe that fat-free cheese is going to make for a satisfying meal? One that doesn’t leave us prowling the kitchen later, craving what we actually wanted in the first place? Or that the high-protein cereal that tastes like tree bark is the lasting solution to health? Every now and then we may find a diamond in the rough- a product that’s nutrition label aligns with what society has taught us to be “good” and tastes as close-enough (or better) than the real thing, but how many disappointing purchases does it take to find one? How much food ends up wasted? And what about the money we’ve poured into the next “better-for-you” option that never quite delivers?
This is not a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.
The same pattern extends beyond the grocery store. Billboards for medical weight loss clinics crowd the highways. Pharmaceutical ads fill every commercial break. A new book or influencer diet goes viral every few weeks, claiming to have finally cracked the code to aging, metabolism, or weight.
The marketing is bulletproof- it preys on our hopes, fears, and insecurities, all while positioning itself as empowerment.
But beneath it all, this is business, and your confusion and doubt keeps the industry thriving.
Most people don’t have the time, resources, or education to parse what’s genuinely evidence-based from what’s a cleverly packaged reach (or flat out pseudoscience). And even for those who do, the system is designed to blur the lines- because if you’re uncertain, you’ll keep buying.
This isn’t to say that all nutritional innovation is bad or that science shouldn’t evolve. Of course it should. Scientific progress has been critical for improving public health on a population level.
One powerful example of this is the fortification of some pantry foods with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects in newborns. In the United States and many other countries, enriched grain products such as flour, bread, pasta, rice, and cereals have been supplemented with folic acid since the late 1990s. This public health measure has led to a dramatic reduction in birth defects, especially among communities with limited access to prenatal care or supplements. It’s a reminder that when research, regulation, and equity align, when innovation is driven by collective wellbeing (not profit), science can truly transform (and save!) lives.
But when marketing outpaces evidence, when claims get louder than context, it’s worth asking:
Who’s the real winner here?
Before adopting a new diet or “health hack,” consider a few things.
The placebo effect
Belief and expectation matter. Many people notice changes simply because they’re paying more attention. Sometimes, the product itself holds little power, it’s the intention and behavior that surround and support it.
The resources
Not just financial, but emotional, social, and environmental. How much time and mental space will this take? How will it affect your ability to share a meal with friends or enjoy food without calculation or distress? Is the thrill of hastened “progress” reflective of long-term change; is it worth the potential whiplash and feelings of failure when it doesn’t last? And what’s the ecological cost of the endless packaging, supplements, and imported “superfoods” we cycle through in the name of optimization?
The system
Whose pockets are you padding? What are their qualifications? Who’s funding the “research” they cite? What biases are baked in?
Every time we’re told that health is hidden in the next diet or product, we lose a little more confidence in our own body’s ability to communicate. We forget how to eat intuitively. We outsource our wisdom to algorithms, marketing departments, and shareholders driven by profit.
And that has a cost, too.
The mental load of constant health decisions.
The guilt when “healthy” eating feels joyless.
The quiet fatigue of trying to keep up with what’s “right.”
Health should be about empowerment, not exploitation.
True wellbeing isn’t built on restriction or rebranding. It’s built on awareness, curiosity, and trust in your lived experience.
So before you overhaul your habits or fill your cart with the latest “better-for-you” products, pause and ask:
Who told me this was necessary? Who profits if I choose to believe them?
Because at the end of the day, no label, supplement, or influencer knows your body better than you do. The real work of health isn’t about finding the next perfect solution- it’s about rebuilding trust with yourself and listening to your body.
It’s also worth mentioning that I am not condemning all “health-conscious” modified foods. Certain disease states and health conditions may require the modification of certain nutrients in order to prevent decline or crisis, such as some sugar-free products for individuals with diabetes, or opting for low-sodium products for those with hypertension or kidney disease. Medical Nutrition Therapy is a necessary component of disease management for many people; an area of science to be celebrated. However, for the general population, overproduction and availability of “diet foods” and restrictive or extreme diets as a whole often do more harm than good in the long term. It’s always worth speaking with a trusted physician or qualified healthcare professional before making any major changes.
I also must add, that especially as someone who spent a great sum of time and energy (and therapy) unpacking my affinity for extremes and all-or-nothing thinking, this is not to crucify anyone marketing a diet or product that has served them well. I believe that most everyone is doing their best, and most people aren’t intentionally operating in deep-dishonesty.
It’s not a sin to monetize. Like most things, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for optimal health or nutrition; having options is a good thing. But when we lose the ability to discern what (or who) has our best interest in mind, we give away our agency to the world.
And that, regardless of class or income, is something that none of us can afford.