My generation is obsessed with wellness – it can be dangerous | Ione Gamble

I spent much of my 20s learning to accept that I would never be healthy, after being diagnosed with an incurable disease - Crohn's disease - two weeks after my 19th birthday. And although being "healthy" has never been a priority for me (I've never set foot in a gym and find it impossible to eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day), my ambivalence toward "wellness" grew as I dealt with being permanently unwell. It also made me an anomaly among my peers.

From my bed, unable to move, I watched my generation become obsessed with being the best of herself. We have become completely fascinated by the idea that well-being is the key to a successful life; that our relationships, careers, friendships and sanity will all suffer unless we seek to be "good" above all else.

We seem to have arrived at the collective assumption that if you don't actively prevent ill health, then you're an irresponsible nihilist. It is no longer enough to simply treat disease as it arises - we must actively fight it at all times. While wellness was once a niche lifestyle peddled by Hollywood stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Kourtney Kardashian, it has become commonplace to partake in practices that many would once have ridiculed: juice cleanses, drops of vitamins and sunrise yoga sessions have replaced visits to the hairdresser and a simple coat of lips.

Plus, it's just as common to find health advice on social networks than fashion articles from influencers or opinions from political experts. We are asked to consider our health and well-being as a determining factor in every decision we make and we are constantly looking for ways to improve our existence by optimizing our interior. Wellness, in the 21st century, has replaced religion as the moral signaling by which we live our lives. We no longer avoid sinning for fear of being cast out of heaven; instead, we avoid unhealthy behaviors lest they make us sick.

Millennials drink alcohol less often than the previous generation, while that Gen Z drinks 20% less than Millennials, and 87% of them exercise more than three times a week. Smoking isn't cool anymore, recreational drug use is for losers, and being "good" is the most awesome thing you can do for yourself. It is implied that the key to a happy life is to be well - and that contentment is impossible without good health.

On the surface it is difficult to find fault in the way that health has moved from a purely medical concern to an all-encompassing way of life. Understanding how your body works and what it needs is definitely not a bad thing. But placing health concerns and responsibilities on individuals, rather than pushing for better government legislation, creates more problems than it solves. Especially when, for many of us, absolute health is an unattainable goal. Until there is a cure for Crohn's disease, I will always be considered inferior to those who can dedicate their lives to the wellness trend that is trending that week.

< p class="dcr-1of5t9g">In the 1980s, political economist Robert Crawford speculated that a then-recent shift toward prioritizing individual health had become popular in response to disappointment with the lack of positive change during the politically charged 1960s and 1970s. While mainstream activism seems to have stagnated and our governments have let us down then and now, it seems many have turned inward again, thinking the world around them is unchangeable. /p>

Chronic illness Moreover, only a tiny fraction of society can afford to spend their income on wellness treatments, the effectiveness of which often remains unproven. Pseudoscientific treatments, diet plans and supplements can also contribute to the infiltration of false information into social media feeds under the guise of...