Healthis

Healthism is a term used in sociology and public health to describe a cultural and political tendency to treat health as a personal moral obligation and to judge people’s worth by their health and fitness. In this view, individuals are expected to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors, while social and economic conditions that shape health are often downplayed or attributed to personal failings. Health status is presented as a key personal credential and a primary basis for evaluating risk, responsibility, and self-control.

Originating in the work of late-20th century sociologist Robert Crawford, healthism argues that health has become a central element of identity, policy, and everyday life. Scholars have linked the concept to broader neoliberal ideas about individual responsibility and to forms of governance that seek to shape conduct through advice, incentives, surveillance, and normalization. The wellness industry, public health campaigns, and workplace programs are frequently cited as manifestations of healthism in contemporary society.

Implications and critiques focus on the balance between personal agency and social determinants. Critics contend that healthism can obscure structural factors such as income, housing, environment, and access to care, and may stigmatize those who are ill or unable to meet prevailing health standards. It is also argued that the emphasis on individual responsibility can shift attention away from collective solutions and can legitimize punitive or market-based approaches to health care and social welfare. The concept remains a topic of discussion in debates about health policy, ethics, and social equity.