The Worst 2025 Health Trends

Whether you’re brainstorming New Year’s resolutions or generally hoping to make healthy changes, you might find yourself online, searching for healthy habits.

For better or for worse, there’s no doubt you’ll find some. Among dietitians on Instagram, doctors on TikTok and “real people” sharing their experiences, it’s not hard to discover someone who’s trying to push a habit, pill, catchy motto or health suggestion into the world.

Since “health” advice is commonplace, often comes with an ulterior motive and is found on the Internet (where, let’s be real, you can’t always trust it), it’s important to be able to decipher what habits are actually healthy versus myths shared in an attempt for views. Further, and unfortunately, many of the health habits you’ve heard recently are on the “naughty” side, according to the experts interviewed by HuffPost.

Ahead, various types of doctors, dietitians, therapists and other experts dive into common, recent advice that sounds healthy but actually isn’t.

This one is especially relevant now in the age of GLP-1s.

“Many factors influence hunger and fullness cues: mood, anxiety, medications and more,” said Nikki Fata, a registered dietitian. “Waiting to eat only when you feel hungry can often lead to inadequate food intake throughout the day, which may result in irregular or chaotic evening eating, or even unmet nutritional needs and malnutrition.”

This is also important to keep in mind when you know you won’t be able to eat during your regular lunch period, for example. You might want to eat more before, even if you’re not hungry, so your body has the nutrients to get through that period. Otherwise, Fata said, you’re risking low energy levels, fatigue, moodiness, difficulty concentrating and even gastrointestinal distress.

She recommended eating every two to three hours with consistent meals and snacks. “Your body has nutritional needs, whether or not you feel a hunger cue.”

While this fitness phrase may sound motivational, it has real harms. For one, it makes rest — something your body needs — seem like a bad, shameful thing.

“Pushing yourself beyond your limits will also lead to injuries that will require more rest than if you had initially taken the needed rest,” said Melodie Simmons, a licensed professional counsellor and clinical instructor at Equip Health, a virtual platform for eating disorder treatment.

There’s also the fact that muscles need rest to repair and grow. Rest days help build muscle.

“A supportive routine involves rest, community and self-compassion,” Simmons continued. “Choose movement because it feels good instead of guilt.”

While scrolling on TikTok, you may have come across someone claiming that eating raw honey can protect against a pollen allergy since it exposes you to pollen. But not so fast, allergists say. Effective allergy treatment looks (and tastes) much different.

“Unfortunately, hay fever is triggered by lighter pollen from grass and trees that can get into the eyes and nose, causing reactions,” said Dr. Stephanie Kayode, an allergy physician and consultant allergist with Allergy Care London. “Honey, on the other hand, contains heavy flower pollen that does not cause hay fever.”

Kayode encouraged ditching this honey trend and addressing your allergies with antihistamine tablets and allergy nasal sprays.

Has self-improvement culture gone too far? Some therapists think so.

“It’s great that people are becoming more aware of mental health, but sometimes we take that awareness too far, constantly overanalysing every thought or feeling until we start believing something must be ‘wrong’ with us,” said Amelia Kelley, a trauma-informed therapist, author, podcaster and researcher. “When we spend too much time looking inward with a critical eye, we lose perspective and compassion for who we really are.”

Further, she said, trying to “fix” ourselves is like endlessly running on a “self-improvement treadmill” or trying to grab every piece of “mental health laundry.” It’s exhausting.

“Sometimes it’s OK to just stop running and realise we’re already doing enough,” Kelley continued. “It’s about finding what actually supports our healing and letting the rest go.”

She recommended focusing on self-compassion, curiosity, mindfulness, slowing down and noticing what helps you reconnect. “Sometimes, the healthiest thing we can do is simply let ourselves be,” she said.

Protein is a vital macronutrient that turns food into energy and even helps clear bacteria. But again, more is not always better — even when it comes to “good” things.

“While protein is important, obsession isn’t health,” Simmons said. “A better way: Nourish with balance to include carbs, fats, starch, fibre and protein.”

Too much protein can also take years off your life, according to research and other experts.

When we hear phrases like “toxins” and “metabolism,” it’s all too easy to feel an urge to do whatever the advertisement or Instagram reel is telling us. Unfortunately, that’s the point. It’s how capitalism and marketing beat out true health.

“Juice or colon cleanses spike blood sugar and deplete nutrients and electrolytes,” said Dr. Carl Paige, a physician and the CMO and co-founder of Medical Transformation Center. “Harsh herbal or laxative-based cleanses stress the liver and gut lining.”

Plus, they just aren’t necessary. “The body’s detox systems — liver, kidneys, gut, lymphatics and skin — work continuously when supported by healthy daily habits,” Paige continued.

Some *actually* healthy habits he suggested include:

• Staying hydrated.
• Getting enough fiber, magnesium and probiotics.
• Moving your body.
• Going to a sauna.
• Avoiding microplastics however you can.
• Eating cruciferous vegetables.
• Getting restorative sleep.

There are seemingly endless ways nowadays to “look youthful,” “avoid wrinkles” or change your face and body. While wanting to do that is certainly understandable, it’s not something you have to do, nor something that’s necessarily without harm.

“It’s marketed as self-care, but often it’s just a more subtle form of body control and perfectionism,” Kelley said. “The idea that we can completely ‘biohack’ aging or somehow stay eternally youthful can create unrealistic expectations and even lead to body dysmorphia. … Aging isn’t a failure or a sign of poor health; it’s a natural part of being alive.”

Further, she’s concerned that people will spend excessive time, money and emotional energy trying to change themselves with unrealistic expectations, feeling inadequate and disguising self-rejection as self-care.

A healthier alternative, Kelley continued, is focusing on joy and self-compassion, not control. Choose self-care practices that genuinely feel nourishing and affordable. Surround yourself with people who share similar values and goals, and who help you feel good about yourself.

In many ways, adding fibre when you can is beneficial, leading to feelings of fullness and, uh, regulation in the bathroom. But with “fibremaxxing,” you can take it too far.

“Like anything in life, too much of a good thing can have negative effects,” Fata said. “Excessive fibre intake can lead to gastrointestinal distress, including cramping, bloating, gas and irregular bowel movements (both constipation and diarrhea).”

So, instead of eating to eat “the most” fibre, Fata encouraged people to focus on getting the amount that’s enough for their body, and not turning it into a rigid rule or competition.

Apple watches, Garmin watches, Fitbit watches, the Strava app … there are endless ways to track miles walked, calories burned and steps taken. Not only that, but there’s been a big push to track those measures every time — and it may be hurting your health.

“The obsession with self-tracking of health metrics with wearables can increase anxiety and cause you to ignore what your body is telling you,” said Dr. Michael Swartzon, a sports medicine physician at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. “The raw data can lead to emotional stress when your body is just going through normal biological variations, probably the opposite of your goal.”

For Robert Cuyler, a behavioral health expert, whether health tracking is “healthy” is about when and how much you do it.

“The availability of tech-mediated health data is interesting and useful for those who use these tools (smartwatches, rings, etc.) in moderation and for specific purposes, with some guidance by evidence,” he said. “However, health tracking … can become excessive, fueling bodily hypervigilance and anxiety.”

Instead, Swartzon encouraged people to focus on the basics: fitting some physical exercise into their day, eating a wide variety of foods, maintaining a regular sleep schedule and listening to their body. All that other data isn’t necessary.

Artificial intelligence platforms are a go-to for many, whether for a workout routine or even a homework assignment. There’s no doubt it can be helpful. When it comes to your mental health, however, it’s important to be extra cautious.

“Although AI can help streamline the care journey and improve both sides of the care experience, it is still not a replacement for a therapist,” said Matthew Solit, a licensed clinical social worker and the executive clinical director at LifeStance Health. “We have seen several cases in which chatbots provided misinformation and even contributed to deaths by suicide instead of taking basic steps to help those individuals get real help.”

The nuance here, as he noted, is that AI and mental health don’t have to be mutually exclusive — it’s just about how you combine the two.

“I believe a far better alternative is using AI as a tool that complements therapy with a licensed mental health professional, rather than removing the human therapist entirely,” Solit said. “While this seems less convenient, the value is worth it.”

Pre- and probiotic sodas — such as Poppi and Olipop — have grown in popularity, and for good reason: Pre- and probiotics promote gut health. With that said, Ambrazia Sublett, a culinary medicine dietitian at Veri Community Partnership, wants you to get those nutrients through food, too.

First up, probiotics. What foods have them? “Probiotics are naturally found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut,” she said. “You’ll want to look for ‘live cultures’ on the food label you’re looking at.”

Second, prebiotics. “Prebiotics come from fibre-rich foods like oats, beans, legumes and nuts, and you’ll get the most benefit from these foods in your regular diet,” Sublett said.

You may have seen an influencer or two warn about using sunscreen, saying it’s best avoided (or at least the ones with certain chemicals are). But according to Dr. Robert Den, a radiation oncologist and chief medical officer at Alpha Tau Medical, this “hot” tip is a no-no. Skipping sunscreen increases your risk of skin cancer, premature aging and cumulative UV damage.

“Use broad-spectrum sunscreen daily, apply it evenly and correctly [and] combine with sensible sun exposure, protective clothing and regular physician checkups for skin health and early detection of any issues,” he said.

When you’re at the grocery store or on TikTok, you probably see a bunch of supplements that you “should” take. Swartzon wanted to warn people about this, saying it can do more harm than good.

“Taking something because an anti-aging social media influencer says it’s good for you can be problematic,” he said. “Not just for your wallet, but the supplements can interact with regular medication and cause toxicity.”

Instead, he recommended sticking with proven medical treatments, getting nutrients from food, talking to your physician before taking medication and only taking tested supplements when diet-based options become impractical

Den mentioned this harmful trend, similar to the “cleanse” trend above. While influencers say it can help with skin, energy and immunity, don’t be quick to trust them.

“No evidence supports detoxing a healthy liver or colon, and risks include malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, disrupted gut flora and delayed care,” Den said.

Rather, he encouraged balanced, evidence-based nutrition and personalized guidance from dietitians and/or gastroenterology specialists.

That’s pretty solid advice across the board, and it largely sums up all the habits mentioned.

“I think that the key is to look at each trend from a doubtful, rigorous perspective, just like you would in any other area of life,” Den said. “While trends could result in real benefit for some, it may not be beneficial to all, and health decisions should be personalized to you.”