If you’ve ever heard someone say, “I just need to eat better and exercise more to be healthy,” or “Health is a choice,” then you’ve encountered healthism in action.
This mindset is deeply ingrained in our society and unfortunately, it’s rarely questioned.
While taking care of our health is important, healthism takes it a step further—turning health into a moral obligation and placing blame on individuals for their health outcomes, often without considering the bigger picture.
Written By: Heather Bray, RD
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are based on the best available evidence and my professional opinion as a Registered Dietitian. This article is not a substitute for medical or medical nutrition advice. For personalized advice, please consult your doctor or Registered Dietitian.
Healthism is something we've all experienced and may even exhibit ourselves without even knowing there was a name for this phenomenon.
So, what exactly is healthism, and why is it harmful? Let’s dive in.
What Is Healthism?
The term healthism was first coined by sociologist Robert Crawford in 1980. He defined it as a system where health is viewed as an individual responsibility, often disconnected from broader social, political, and environmental factors.
In other words, healthism promotes the idea that if someone is unhealthy, it’s because they didn’t try hard enough—ignoring factors like income, access to healthcare, systemic discrimination, genetics, disability, and mental health.
How Healthism Shows Up in Everyday Life
You don’t have to look far to see healthism at play. It shows up in:
Judging food choices.
Comments like “Are you really eating that?” assume that making the “right” food choices is easy for everyone.
Glorifying certain bodies as ‘healthy’ while stigmatizing others.
This often means praising thin people as “disciplined” while assuming people in larger bodies are unhealthy, lazy, or irresponsible.
Shaming people for not exercising.
Statements like “If they really cared, they’d make time for the gym” ignore the reality that not everyone has time, energy, money, or safe spaces for movement.
Framing weight loss as the ultimate measure of health.
Weight is not the sole indicator of health, yet society often equates losing weight with “getting healthy.”
Blaming individuals for chronic illness.
Many conditions, like diabetes or heart disease, are influenced by genetics, access to healthcare, and socioeconomic factors—not just personal choices.
Why Is Healthism Harmful?
At first glance, healthism might seem like a harmless push toward better health. But in reality, it:
Reinforces privilege.
People with higher incomes, stable housing, and good healthcare access will always have an easier time pursuing “healthy” habits. Healthism ignores these advantages.
Fuels weight stigma.
Health cannot be determined by body size, but healthism encourages weight-based judgments that lead to discrimination and harmful dieting behaviours.
Ignores systemic barriers.
Poverty, food insecurity, racism, and ableism all influence health far more than individual choices—but healthism places the burden solely on individuals.
Leads to shame-based health messaging.
Instead of making health resources more accessible, healthism shames people into behaviour change, which research shows is ineffective and often harmful.
Shifting Away From Healthism
So, how can we move away from this harmful mindset? Instead of blaming individuals, we can:
✔ Recognize the social determinants of health.
Health isn’t just about personal choices—it’s shaped by policies, environment, and systemic factors. Health is multifactorial (as shown above) and involves more than just our physical health, it also includes mental health.
✔ Advocate for accessible healthcare, nutrition, and movement.
Health should not be a privilege reserved for those with time and money.
✔ Respect body autonomy.
No one owes the world a certain level of health, and everyone deserves dignity and respect regardless of their health status.
✔ Challenge diet culture and weight stigma.
Health comes in all shapes and sizes, and weight loss is not a universal solution for well-being.
Final Thoughts
Health is not a moral obligation. It’s a personal and often complex journey influenced by far more than diet and exercise. By challenging healthism, we can shift the conversation away from individual blame and toward systemic solutions that support health equity for all.
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