Consumerism and Wellness Culture: Commodifying Women’s Health in the Contemporary Health Industry

Syaza Yasmin; Annisa Anindya; Novi Elian; Yayuk Lestari

Consumerism and Wellness Culture: Commodifying Women’s Health in the Contemporary Health Industry

Authors

Syaza Yasmin Universitas Andalas
Annisa Anindya Universitas Andalas
Novi Elian Universitas Andalas
Yayuk Lestari Universitas Andalas

Keywords:

wellness culture, consumerism, health communication, health industry, women

Abstract

The study of health communication is currently undergoing rapid development, particularly with the advancement of digitalization. This is changing the way health is understood, communicated, and practiced. This research examines how consumerism in the healthcare industry is created, interpreted, and reproduced. This research is situated within the field of contemporary health communication studies that focuses on women's experiences. This study employed a qualitative design and conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with women aged 18-30 who actively use social media. The findings illustrate that health is no longer understood universally and uniformly. Health is no longer simply defined as a body free from disease. It is now also defined and associated with appearance, lifestyle, aesthetics, productivity, and participation in health trends. Social media plays a crucial role in this process, blurring the lines between health education and information and commercial promotion. Health messages are now presented in the form of personal experiences, tutorials, and content that lead to sustainable consumption, ranging from supplements and skincare products to joining sports clubs and more. This research also explains that consumerism in wellness culture is influenced by gender. Women often experience more pressure than men to adhere to health-related standards and values. Women are expected to maintain ideal bodies, maintain their physical appearance, and remain productive through continuous consumption. This research demonstrates how wellness culture works to commodify health in everyday life.

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References

The final finding of this study is the pressure exerted by wellness culture on women. This pressure is not applied equally to women and men. Women experience more pressure, particularly from social expectations regarding their bodies and appearance. Certain standards, such as the ideal body, clear skin, an acne-free face, or productivity, are indicators of health and aesthetics that are heavily weighted toward women.

Based on feminist health communication theory, this situation illustrates how health messages reproduce gender-based power relations (Kuhlmann & Babitsch, 2002; Welsh, 2020). These standards and pressures place demands on women without considering the structural and social factors they face (Eger et al., 2024). These standards are perpetuated by health messages on social media, so that health messages serve not only as sources of information or commercial health messages but also as mechanisms for establishing values and norms regarding women. These values and norms relate to how women should appear, behave, and care for themselves.

These demands drive women to consume health products to meet social expectations and keep up with social media trends (Lim et al., 2022; Wood & Watson, 2023). Women not only face the burden of work and domestic work, but also face greater emotional, social, and financial pressures, especially when complying with social expectations regarding self-care practices. This demonstrates how wellness culture fosters unequal pressures for women and men.

Feminist health communication theory also explains that, in current practice, health communication has become a social, political, and economic arena that determines who holds the authority to define health, how the meaning of health is constructed, and how health should be practiced (Basnyat et al., 2025; Martínez-Jiménez, 2023). Furthermore, health messages are often packaged using empowering, empathetic language that represents experiences, often obscuring the power relationships behind the messages. Health messages in the wellness industry exploit this to normalize certain health norms and standards for women. Based on this, it can be concluded that health communication in wellness culture forms a new understanding and meaning for health and also contributes to reproducing gender inequality.

CONCLUSION

This research explains a significant transformation in the meaning of health within wellness culture. This shift in meaning is also related to how commodification occurs within the health industry and the power relations behind health messages. Health is no longer defined solely as freedom from disease and illness. Health is now interpreted in diverse ways, linked to a lifestyle that emphasizes aesthetic appearance, ideal body image, productivity, and individual efforts to maintain a healthy appearance based on certain social standards. This shift directs individuals' consumption practices to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The following findings explain that social media plays a role in the commodification of health within wellness culture. The commodification of health creates consumption routines for individuals, particularly women, to meet new needs. Social media serves as a source of health information and an instrument for promoting health products and services, as well as healthy lifestyles. Social media also plays a role in spreading healthy living trends and standards.

Health narratives, now widely circulated on social media, are packaged attractively by showcasing personal experiences, tutorials, and testimonials, all of which lead to the promotion of commodities. Thus, health messages are no longer solely intended to provide educational information, but have also become commercial health messages.

Promotion in health messages also reproduces and constructs gender-based power relations. Women are often the primary targets of health discourse, demanding a healthy appearance, especially in physical aspects. Women are placed greater pressure to appear healthy and fit, have ideal bodies, clear skin, and remain productive. However, this pressure often overlooks the burdens women themselves face.

This research is expected to increase knowledge and introduce contemporary health communication that is more critical of health phenomena. Furthermore, further research is needed with a more critical approach to health messages in today's digital media.

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Consumerism and Wellness Culture: Commodifying Women’s Health in the Contemporary Health Industry