healthism

Healthism is a term used in sociology and public health to describe a cultural logic in which health becomes the foremost value in life and a primary measure of personal virtue. It treats health as a personal moral obligation and assumes that individuals are largely responsible for their own health outcomes through diet, exercise, and risk avoidance. In this view, adherence to health-promoting behaviors is a form of moral self-control, and deviations are seen as personal failings.

Origin and usage: The concept was popularized in the late 20th century by sociologist Robert Crawford, who argued that health and wellness foster a “healthism” that shapes social policy and everyday life. Since then, scholars have described how health advice intrudes into schools, workplaces, and media, turning health maintenance into a project of the self and legitimizing selective judgments about others’ behavior.

Mechanisms and effects: Healthism accompanies medicalization—treating normal life risks as medical problems—and the commodification of wellness through fitness regimes, diets, apps, and the wellness industry. It can intensify surveillance of bodies, encourage lifestyle dieting, and shift blame onto individuals for illnesses linked to poverty, environment, and inequality.

Criticism: Critics argue that healthism overemphasizes personal responsibility at the expense of social determinants, stigmatizes overweight individuals, and sustains market-based exploitation of health information and services. It is linked to broader neoliberal sensibilities about self-government and biopower.