We hear the buzzwords constantly: microbiome, mind-body connection, red light therapy, superfood, biohacking. While many wellness trends are effective and beneficial, a preoccupation with our health can actually cause more harm than good, especially if it becomes compulsive.
When you scroll TikTok, you likely hear dozens of (conflicting) messages telling you how to improve your health, many of which are infeasible for most of us. This knowledge alone can trigger health anxiety in anyone. In fact, some are even experiencing what many call “longevity fixation syndrome.”
What Is Longevity Fixation Syndrome?
The Guardian recently published an incredible article about longevity fixation syndrome, which remains an unofficial diagnosis. In the piece, writer Emily Retter interviewed a 40-year-old man named Jason Wood, who was once obsessed with extending his lifespan—so much so that he overwhelmed himself into a breakdown.
As someone who lost both his parents to cancer at a young age, Wood justified his compulsive behavior and believed it would keep him healthy and safe. However, after receiving mental health support, he quickly realized he was battling longevity fixation syndrome.
“There was just this fixation with living for as long as I possibly could,” he told The Guardian. “This talk around longevity plays right into insecurities and fears, and makes us want to hand over our money.”
Wood is one of many individuals negatively impacted by society’s hyperfixation on health. Of course, consumerism is at the root of many of these wellness trends.
Shocking.
A Feverish Pursuit of Health
Experts often label the phenomenon as a “feverish pursuit of health,” noting that—while it tends to be more accessible to the privileged and wealthy, because who the hell can afford an all-organic diet and holistic health treatments today?—the fear itself doesn’t discriminate.
As Frank J. Ninivaggi, M.D., DLF-A.P.A., wrote in a Psychology Today article, “We can trace the feverish pursuit of health to societal expectations, cultural influences, advancements in, and widespread access to, medical knowledge. However, its deepest roots lie in the personal quests for longevity and avoiding illness and death.”
He noted that these impulses aren’t isolated to the wealthy or highly-educated population. Rather, they’re commonly driven by anxiety and the innate rejection of the inevitability of death.
“Theoretically, the manic pursuit of health may cover tensions underlying death and dying,” Ninivaggi explained. “Regarding these millennial preoccupations as baser instincts or hedonistic pursuits diminishes their complexity. For example, major medical centers, such as Albert Einstein Montefiore, have dedicated departments rationally studying aging and longevity.”
What’s contributing to today’s preoccupation with health, wellness, and longevity? You guessed it: the internet.
“In an era where information is readily accessible, individuals are bombarded with messages promoting the importance of health, disease, and an optimal lifestyle,” Ninivaggi wrote. “Social media, advertising, and peer pressure contribute to a collective consciousness that places a premium on physical fitness, dietary choices, and mental well-being.”
Healing From Longevity Fixation Syndrome
Of course, the solution—as with many of life’s issues—is balance. While awareness is crucial in any form of healing, from emotional to physical, too much of it can be detrimental. An obsession with health can actually backfire, leading to distorted thinking and heightened stress.
It’s great that we now have more information at our fingertips, but too much can overload our systems. Rather than paying thousands of dollars on unnecessary treatments, seeking constant reassurance from bloodwork and other pricy medical tests, and meticulously counting calories like Wood once did, try to stick with what’s necessary.
Attend your annual check-ups, eat clean when you can, move your body, and get more realistic with your health goals. Remember that true health involves your entire system, including your mental and emotional well-being. Odds are, if you’re compulsively obsessing over your longevity, your mental health is suffering.
The post Obsessed With Your Health? You Might Have Longevity Fixation Syndrome. appeared first on VICE.
