Experts Warn $10 Trillion Wellness Boom Fuels Maxxing Anxiety and Body Dysmorphia
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 11
Experts Warn $10 Trillion Wellness Boom Fuels Maxxing Anxiety and Body Dysmorphia
1 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 11
Summary
Mental health experts say social media “maxxing” trends are pushing self-improvement into harmful extremes, with looksmaxxing posing particular risks for body dysmorphia, anxiety and depression.
Looksmaxxing often targets teenage boys with tactics such as steroids, jawline-focused routines and chewing hard gum, which experts say can cause both physical harm and distorted body image.
Rigid optimization can also turn healthy goals into shame triggers: missing a target — like watching 4 of 7 planned movies — may feed perfectionism, anxiety and neglect of relationships.
The trend is spreading alongside a wellness market projected to approach $10 trillion by 2030, as brands market products for everything from fiber intake to sleep enhancement.
Psychologists say the appeal reflects wider economic, political and environmental uncertainty, urging people to set realistic goals, question whether the drive is about optics, and seek help if habits become obsessive.