Understanding Why Intelligent Individuals Are Drawn to Wellness Trends Through Personality Traits

In recent times, social media has been flooded with wellness claims that often lack scientific backing. From suggestions to immerse in icy water to sunbathing in unusual ways, many wellness practices circulate widely. While some trends like drinking infused or electrolyte-rich water or taking cold baths may be harmless for many, others pose significant health risks, such as consuming raw milk, eating raw organ meats, or taping the mouth during sleep.

The online community also serves as a breeding ground for misinformation, conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination sentiments, and misuse of performance-enhancing drugs. Although it might be tempting to dismiss followers of extreme wellness movements as naive, research indicates that certain personality traits influence their susceptibility to adopting these practices.

The Role of Personality Traits
Psychologists classify human personalities along five core dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Among these, openness and agreeableness are particularly linked to interest in alternative health practices.

Individuals high in openness tend to be curious, imaginative, and receptive to new ideas. They often question traditional concepts and seek out novel, unconventional treatments and diets. Conversely, highly agreeable individuals are trusting, empathetic, and receptive to emotionally appealing messages, especially those emphasizing community and care.

These traits also shape how people search for and evaluate health information online. Openness correlates with exploring learning sources beyond mainstream channels, while agreeableness leads individuals to trust familiar or socially endorsed information, even without critical evaluation.

Influence of Personality in Persuasion
In the digital wellness ecosystem, openness and agreeableness can make individuals more vulnerable to persuasive content. Influencers skillfully craft messages that appear trustworthy or novel, creating parasocial relationships—close bonds with followers they have never met—that reinforce engagement.

Open and agreeable individuals may be particularly susceptible to adopting risky or untested health practices promoted through these channels. While these personality traits are typically strengths, in the emotionally charged environment of online wellness communities, they can become liabilities.

From Simple Trends to Extreme Beliefs
Not all wellness trends are detrimental. However, some can serve as gateways to more radical practices, including anti-vaccination movements or extreme diets. For example, starting with ice baths or raw food diets can escalate to mistrust of health authorities and embracing fringe theories.

Prolonged exposure to extreme content can decrease trust in mainstream medicine and health systems, fostering cynicism and spreading misinformation.

Adapting Public Health Strategies
Traditional health messages often assume that lack of knowledge is the primary barrier to adopting healthy behaviors. However, considering personality traits can make health campaigns more effective. For example, presenting health science as dynamic and innovative can appeal to open individuals, while emphasizing empathy and community can resonate better with agreeable people.

Effective public health communication should be engaging, visually compelling, and emotionally resonant, just like influencer content, but rooted in truth. Recognizing that interest in extreme wellness often stems from universal desires—to explore, connect, and live well—can help guide messaging to promote safe and beneficial health practices.

By understanding these psychological influences, health authorities can better steer the wellness narrative toward positivity and safety, mitigating the risks associated with unverified or extreme practices.

source:https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-smart-people-wellness-trends-personality.html