Ozempic, cortisol face, intermittent fasting, 75-hard and so many more: our society is riddled with fitness trends that go beyond just what Gen-Z finds on social media. They are ingrained into the lives of our parents and even our grandparents. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for bettering oneself and putting your health first. However, when trends like these arise, people hop on them without researching what any of it means.

Fitness trends first affected me during the pandemic. We were cooped up in our houses, infected with cabin fever and suddenly everyone made the decision that they wanted to get fit. The most prominent fitness influencer of this time was Chloe Ting. In the beginning months of the pandemic, she gained millions of followers from her “2020 2-Week Shred” YouTube video playlist, and she now stands as one of the biggest fitness influencers with 25.5 million subscribers to her YouTube channel. During this “Chloe Ting Era,” I would sign off from my Zoom classes every day, sit in front of my family’s TV and pull up her channel. In her defense, this was a great way to stay active during the pandemic, but in reality, these 20-minute ab workouts did not really do much. Many girls my age report that participating in these “challenges” left them with a disordered mindset towards their bodies and fitness in general. They would commit to working out every day for two weeks, but when those two weeks were up, there was no motivation to keep staying active. 

Flash forward four years: the new big craze is Ozempic. This is clearly a huge shift from a simple YouTube workout tutorial to a prescription medicine. According to the official Ozempic website, “Ozempic® (semaglutide)…is an injectable prescription medicine used: along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes [and] to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events…in adults with type 2 diabetes with known heart disease.” This seems like an expert solution for people struggling with Type II Diabetes to help them improve their quality of life, but in reality, almost anybody can be prescribed Ozempic. Called a “miracle drug” for weight loss, it is simply an appetite suppressant meant to be used long-term to mimic the natural hormone that slows down digestion. Because of the Ozempic-craze this past summer, there is a shortage of the drug. Supplies will continue to be limited through the end of 2024. This may not seem like a big deal, because people can wait a few months to lose some weight, right? But it is much more serious than that. The people who actually need it are losing access to the drug that helps lower their risk of heart attack, stroke and much more.

I am not an expert on health, weight loss or fitness, but I think it is fair to say that when trends like these arise, everyone is affected, not just the people that indulge in them. Obviously it is good for people to work out and stay active, but doing that means nothing if you are not doing it correctly. The fitness industry is infested with both demeaning and capitalist tendencies that bring its victims down. Despite what it may feel like, fitness is no longer about simply bettering oneself. The joy of becoming stronger or faster or healthier is not the leading motivator in why we workout. Committing to these short-term trends forces us to stop appreciating the joy of movement. They are overdone and ultimately lead to one losing the motivation to work out and commit to their health.