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“Intense Stress And Burnout”: 55 Health Trends Doctors Wish They Saw Less Often
With so much easily accessible information online, you would think everyone would be an expert in physical and mental health, diet, and fitness. However, medical professionals are seeing a huge number of worrying trends these days, and they are genuinely getting scared for the future of humanity.
Doctors took to a very candid online thread to list all the health trends they’re watching become increasingly common, and they’re getting worried. Take a look at what keeps these professionals up at night. It’s a good reminder to always prioritize your health and look after your present and future self.
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#1
I’ll preface this by saying that I’m Gen X so my view of this is through that lens.
I work in psychiatry. I have a lot of concerns about teens and young adults. Specifically:
-The impacts of social media/Tik Tok, AI, etc on attention span, overall cognition, independent problem solving, patience.
-Helicopter parents. This one is huge. This type of parenting really handicaps the kid long term. It creates a weird dependency on the parent and prevents individuation, self sufficiency and the development of the skills to live a full life.
I worry about what the future will look like.
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#2
Med student here, the amount of people that take some sort of supplement, and don't even think to mention it to their doctor when asked about any medication they use regularly, is insane.
It may not be medication per se (it's often the exact opposite), but it can definitely have a big impact on your health, and your doctor should know about it!
#3
Honestly, the hours people have to work just to survive. You become fatigued , financially stressed which leads to mental health issues.
One major concern is the mass use and misuse of energy drinks among kids, not just young adults. In the United States alone, there are over 500 energy drink products on the market. Sales are expected to exceed $50 billion by 2033.
Johns Hopkins Medicine stresses that a whopping third of teenagers aged 12 to 17 consume energy drinks regularly. The worry here is that this will lead to a proliferation of health issues due to excess caffeine, sugar, and “energy booster” herbs and other substances.
Dehydration is just the tip of the iceberg. Energy drinks can also lead to elevated blood pressure, abnormal electrical activity in the heart, and general heart problems.
#4
The number one for me is the increasing influence of all the woo-woo alternative health stuff, but especially Anti-Vaxxers. Had to treat a case of freaking Diptheria not long ago. Diptheria has been gone for so long they didn't even really teach it to us at med school beyond "this used to be a big deal but you'll probably never see it".
F anti-vaxxers. I don't care so much if their choices only harm them, but when their kids are dying it pisses me off so much.
Upstaged75 39 minutes ago
Diphtheria is horrible for the patient! I can't believe people are willing to subject their poor children to that. 😕
#5
Energy drinks as a daily survival tool and people treating 3 to 4 hours of sleep like a personality trait is getting kinda scary. Bodies are not meant to run on that combo forever.
#6
Work in health tech and some of the notable themes coming through from our analysis work:
Referral to mental healthcare providers for work related stress
Output of templated letters for insurers and occupational health providers for stress leave attributed to the workplace
Referral to cardiologist/neuro specialists for high blood pressure, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and risk of stroke also attributed to workplace stress or sedentary lifestyle
Turns out that employers telling workers to “do more with less”, coupled with hybrid or fully remote work, as well as the general fear around the current job market has led to intense stress and burnout and the physiological and psychological impacts are brewing right now.
Most healthy adults can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. Meanwhile, teenagers should not consume over 100 mg per day.
Research shows that from 2022 to 203 there was a 24.2% increase in cases of kids and teens being exposed to energy drinks. In the vast majority of cases (78%), children did not even realize they were consuming energy drinks. In other words, their exposure was unintentional.
In the meantime, between 2017 and 2023, doctors saw a doubling of emergency room visits related to consuming too much caffeine or adverse effects.
#7
The number of younger people showing up with preventable health issues from being sedentary is way higher than most people realize. Sitting all day is becoming the new smoking in terms of long term damage.
#8
I’m a family doc and frankly the thing that scares me the most that’s cropped up quite significantly (in my patient population, at least) is people using online services to get prescription meds then not telling me or any of their other doctors. I’ve had patients tell me they only take the blood pressure med I give them, then later find out they’re also on testosterone, viagra, Ozempic, and all kinds of other stuff. Makes giving any medical advice really tough when I’m not certain what someone is on.
#9
Pediatrics resident here. I see a concerning amount of vaccine preventable illnesses. Rotavirus (this is an oral vaccine. Not even a poke) and pertussis are becoming increasingly common.
I’ve had the same conversation about vaccinations with so many of these parents and I’m met with the same pretentious smile and stare. They just wait for me to finish and then spew some nonsense about what they know of vaccines. Often times they are incredibly rude about it too. Some parents have responded very positively though. Sometimes it’s genuine fear and lack of information that led to that decision and at the end of the day, they are trying to look out for the health of their child (as am I).
When I sense one of the types that I know won’t listen to a word I say, I’ve begun to just start with a “this is a vaccine preventable illness. Is there anything I can say that might change your mind about getting your child vaccinated?” Most of the time they just say “No.”
We are at a point that people are unwilling to listen to evidence. They’ve made their “informed” decision based on “research” they’ve done online, and are unwilling to hear anything that contradicts it. Not even the fact that their kid could be admitted for days to weeks on end is going to sway their opinion.
It’s absolutely mind-boggling to me the way some of their minds work. Feels like they’re putting their pride over their own children’s health.
veirdbuttrue 7 minutes ago
"Feels like they’re putting their pride over their own children’s health" They are doing exactly that.
The Harvard Medical School warns that it is safest to avoid energy drinks if you are underage, have heart problems, or suffer from blood pressure issues.
It’s much safer to opt for a cup of tea or coffee if you need energy. But the healthiest alternative is to live an active, healthy lifestyle where you get plenty of movement and proper sleep, and eat a varied, balanced diet.
Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins Medicine adds that you should choose water over other drinks to stay hydrated. If you’re not a big fan of water, you can also opt for diluted fruit juice, low-fat milk, or unsweetened coconut water.
#10
Freebirthing is on the rise because the body knows what to do (really is that why maternal/infant passings were so high in the good old days?), most get away with it, every now and then you get a passed or seriously ill baby and mother.
Oh we're worried about the cascade of medical interventions that might happen if we get monitored in labour. Well congrats, your obstructed labour and sepsis means we're going to suggest them all so you don't pass away.
#11
I was at a kids' birthday party the other day, and this "dad" brought his 7 year old kid. The hostess (mom of the birthday boy) said "You look tired little Billy, everything okay?" He just had this kind of dazed stupefied look and said "yeah, I'm okay, just tired." His dad says "don't worry, I brought some Red Bull for him."
I looked at the dad to see if he was joking, nope. Kid chugged a Red Bull and was off the rails for the next 3 hours.
#12
Family doc here.
General distrust of medicine.
I recommend starting a statin to reduce cholesterol and lower heart attack/stroke risk? “Oh, I read online statins cause cancer, I’ll just try to eat better, doc” (spoiler: they never do)
I recommend getting pneumonia/shingles vaccines now that you’re over 50? “I don’t trust that stuff, do you know what they put in them?”
Then in the same breath they’ll ask for a GLP-1 but not want to actually make any lifestyle changes.
What do you do to stay healthy, fit, and educated? What unhealthy habits do you struggle with the most?
What are some creepy and scary health and lifestyle trends, pushed by influencers, celebrities, or companies, that you personally think are the most dangerous, and why? How do you protect yourself from hyped up new health trends these days?
Share your experiences, insights, and wisdom with all of us in the comments at the bottom of this post.
#13
Influencer medicine …
What I cannot fathom is how readily people trust, “I’m oBsEsSeD with this XYZ,” “my hair/skin/sleep has never been betterrrrr,” delivered in a haze of vocal fry by someone with a financial incentive, whose last obsession was 15 minutes ago and whose next one is already on deck being negotiated.
We routinely struggle to convince people with large, independently funded, multicentre, double-blind trials involving thousands of participants. As if all they hear is one person’s recommendation. Yet an N=1 anecdote from a stranger with a discount code and the speech affectation of an adolescent seeking belonging cuts straight through. Psychologists have known for decades that vivid stories are more persuasive than statistics, and that confidence often masquerades as competence. We are wired for anecdotes, not evidence. And for those who forego their logical brains and give in to that “wiring” as feels and vibes in some preferential fashion of a truth test, it can be absolutely exhausting to attempt to challenge their literally baseless pointless belief system.
I will admit, I understand how difficult it is. We spend countless hours teaching even medical residents how to critically appraise research. And to those without knowledge, complex machines and thoughts can appear as magic. But the growing rejection of the scientific method is deeply troubling. Science is not a belief system. It is a process designed to find the truth, test it, challenge it, replicate it, and keep testing it again.
A civilisation that loses faith in that process is not progressing. It is drifting back toward the dark ages, one influencer recommendation at a time with their cancel culture and attacks on science being no different that past inquisitions. A fitting punishment would be to have every tool and comfort provided to them by science removed ….
Upstaged75 33 minutes ago
If you've ever seen Doctor Mike on YouTube (@DoctorMike) you know how much he hates influencer medicine. He has a ton of episodes where he explains why all those things are total BS. He's funny too - I highly recommend his channel.
#14
Parents who don't give their kids the proper vaccinations. I mean the standard ones, MMR, polio ect.
I can understand not wanting a flu shot or covid shot, but these full anti vaxxers are putting so many young lives at risk its crazy.
#15
I swear if i see one more patient coming in with liver failure from "parasite cleanses" they bought on tiktok im gonna lose my mind.
Upstaged75 41 minutes ago
What??? That's a thing?? 😮😫🤮 I lose more hope for humanity every day.
#16
Dentist here, the ammount of people refusing to use fluoride toothpaste because it’s “the reason it causes cavities “ is a real big health thing promoted by influencers.
Also oil pulling, yeah, right. That will heal your ended pulp and treat the enormous cyst you have on the root.
Also also, blaming your poor hygiene on genetics. No miss, just buy a freaking toothbrush.
Upstaged75 31 minutes ago
This list is making me angry! I hope all those people have their teeth fall out.
#18
Primary care drifting from real primary care and more into aesthetics. So many PCP's have signs on their offices offer botox injections, vitamin infusions, etc.
Some folks here mentioning GLP-1s, but I personally think they're game changing meds for the better. I have had so many patients come of insulin and lose 100s of lbs thanks to these once a week injections. The halo of benefits is incredible. A colleague in nephrology recently told me the hemodialysis industry is terrified of GLP1s because it will likely reduce the amount individuals needing dialysis.
Upstaged75 18 minutes ago
Last week I saw a new "IV Bar" business in a local shopping center. They offer all sorts of IV infusions and other BS. And it's NOT a medical clinic. I really don't see how that's legal! Or why anyone would subject themselves to something like it. 🤷♀️ Also I have a friend who's a PCP doc (not in the US, but that's where we're from) advertising she's now doing Botox injections. But I suppose it's better that people get Botox from a real doctor than some random lady in the back of a van? That's how you end up on that show Botched!
#19
I had a discussion on a related topic with my GP. He had added a PSA check to my labs and didn't want to "scare me" into thinking he suspected prostate cancer.
Then out of nowhere, he mentioned that he had a lot of older patients who were refusing to get routine cancer checks like colonoscopies or endoscopies (or PSA level checks). But the justification wasn't that they didn't want the procedures. It was that
"didn't want to spend money on treatment because they needed to leave it to their kids and grandkids."
In essence, Boomers are refusing to even *check* for cancer because they don't want to spend money on treatment because their kids and grandkids are struggling financially.
Someone in the hospice industry is going to figure out how to capitalize on this trend. I guarantee it.
#20
People working long hours and/or several jobs to afford bare bones living, and then having no energy to exercise, cook healthy meals or socialize afterwards. Society may praise "hustle culture" but that is going to catch up to everyone eventually.
(I'm a therapist, not a doctor).
Upstaged75 14 minutes ago
I only have one job and I don't have the energy for all of that either. 😊
#21
The whole "only need 4 hours of sleep and a monster to function" thing is wild, like congrats on the badge of honor but your heart's about to unionize and walk out. anti-vax stuff terrifies me too, especially the parents who skip the basics and just gamble with their kid's life for clout. and honestly the burnout pipeline from work straight to a cardiologist is way too real, we're all just ignoring the warning signs until something pops.
#22
Parents refusing vitamin K shots for newborns, putting babies at risk for dangerous bleeding. It seems to gets lumped in with vaccine refusal. .
Upstaged75 7 minutes ago
This makes me incredibly angry! It's not even a vaccine. But it will keep your newborn from bleeding in to their brain. There's seriously NO reason to refuse it.
#24
Patients using ChatGPT to pre-diagnose themselves before the appointment. Bringing in pages of printed conversations discussing their medical info with AI and then asking for the specific meds 'recommended' to them, and then not believing actual medical professionals and their opinions.
#25
Not a doctor (yes yes), but people saying sun doesn’t cause cancer and the whole anti sunscreen movement.
The beachiest, warm and sunniest climate in australia, Queensland, also happens to be the melanoma capital of the world.
The amount of cancers I’ve seen cut out of peers and parents from there is insane!
#26
Vaping. Really starting to get common in teens and young adults. We just don’t know what effects they will have. Its possible we are going to see a lot of ILD in 20-30 years but who knows honestly .
Upstaged75 15 minutes ago
I'm curious about what the long term effects of all these new GLP1 meds are going to be.
#27
1. Testosterone. I’m starting to think every guy will end up on roids now.
2. People blaming everything on ADHD because they watched some tiktok videos and think they have it too and that it explains everything wrong in their life.
3. People taking ozempic and then eating like trash and get surprise when they regain all their weight after stopping it.
Upstaged75 9 minutes ago
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. It's doesn't explain everything wrong, but it sure makes sense about a lot of things! I'm a woman of course, so no one noticed - while my brother was diagnosed at age 8. 🙄 Apparently perimenopause can make it worse, which is why it took so long to find out. I guess I was masking it well. 🤷♀️
#28
I am a Ph.D. psychologist who works in primary care. Off of the top of my head:
-People relying on caffeine way too much, and not sleeping.
-Everyone thinks they have ADHD while simultaneously they don't sleep enough, have untreated trauma, use substances etc., these things need to be dealt with first.
-Anti-vax attitudes are through the roof. People are skipping things that frighten me.
#29
Married to a family nurse practitioner. Her main gripes seem to be how easily people are swayed by misinformation and how stubbornly they cling to their beliefs.
#30
Not quite a new trend but my dad who’s a doctor is not a fan of e-scooters 😅he’s seen too many injuries from them . Therefore I never ride them.
Upstaged75 6 minutes ago
I've seen several ER doctors talk about how dangerous these are and the terrible injuries kids are sustaining.
#32
Theres an article about young girls starting a skin care regimen at like 9/10 years old. Using chemicals and cleaners that are damaging their skin. Sad.
#33
People treating sleep like it’s optional. So many try to out-supplement, out-caffeinate, and out-hustle chronic sleep deprivation instead of fixing it, and it quietly affects almost everything.
#34
Metastatic Colon Cancers.... or just the guts in general. As well as a lot of people lately having reoccurring cancers from years and years ago... It's been insane in my opinion.
#35
Anti-Vax is now becoming Anti-medication. There are people in the heart attack groups I'm part of that are actively trying to get people to stop taking their meds. Its absolutely insane.
#37
My sister is a dr in the Netherlands specialised in stomach and intestinal problems. Here there is a trend for young women who claim to have stomach issues to go to Spain for super experimental operations where they get their organs reorganized. It is not proven to work and it causes other more complicated problems. She has had several young women who had done surgeries abroad come back with really bad problems because of it.
Another problem is extreme diets doing damage to the intestinal system. Diets where people only eat one type of food for so called health reasons.
Lastly the unchecked usage of these peptides for almost everything. Boys as young as 12 using hormones for muscle growth and testosterone because some American guy told them on YouTube to do it.
#38
The supplement thing gets me too. i see people at my gym downing 8 different powders and pills and they couldn't tell you what half of them actually do. a friend was spending $200 a month on gut health stuff that turned out to be mostly magnesium and sugar.
#41
Orthorexia.
Normal food is fine. Eat plants, mostly. Fresh things if you can. Your body will even things out over time. It evolved to do that, and has been quite successful at it for a few 100.000 years at least. It is NOT necessary to bombard it with daily supplements, high-dose micro-super-whatevers and huge amounts of protein.
Seriously, people eat as if they were in some extreme sports competition when they're just getting ready for a day at the office.
Wasting so much mental effort on eating *perfectly* every day is an eating disorder.
#42
Fear of vaccination. Please please do not pass of completely preventable causes. We spent years trying to perfect technology to ensure our children are healthy. Please don't put them at risk by not vaccinating them.
#43
Absolute lack of knowledge on how to cook or do any type of basic food preparation… now seeing an adult generation whose parents and grandparents didn’t cook anything ever. I’m NOT talking about underprivileged people, I’m talking educated middle class people who genuinely have never bought salad ingredients and assembled them into a salad.
#44
Nicotine patches on children!!!! I’ve been sounding the alarm on this in the UK for months but a growing number of parents of ADHD and Autistic children are using nicotine patches as a ‘cure.’
There is hundred of Facebook groups led by a chiropractor who popularised this insidious treatment.
#45
Internal medicine physician here, the trend of people self diagnosing or questioning physicians. I hate to say it, but no matter how much research you do or even how much I explain it to you, you will never understand to the same level unless you go to medical school and residency like we do.
#46
Erosion of public trust in medical professionals- it’s coming from a lot of sources, but Sick-Tok, other social media, pretty much every news source and of course, our fearless government leaders are spreading misinformation way too fast to overcome by educating our patients, and vilifying doctors along the way. It makes it impossible to build a therapeutic relationship and counsel patients about their health effectively because they either don’t trust us, think they know better than us because they asked Chat GPT, or both.
And also, colon cancer in very young patients.
#47
Dudes need to address their health if they want kids. Unhealthy bodies equals unhealthy fertility.
#48
Probably not the kind of doctor that you meant, but in the college students that I teach, I see an inability to problem solve due primarily to instant gratification via the internet. You want an answer? You click a button. If that doesn't work, a decent percentage of my students will simply surrender. Had an intern simply not do a project because the printer needed a paper refill and she didn't know where to go to get more paper. (It was in the cabinet behind her). Didn't mention it to anyone, ask anyone, or even tell me she wasn't going to do it so I knew. Just didn't do it and I found out the day I needed it. I get emails all the time from students asking questions that could easily be solved by reading the directions, syllabus, or even thinking "oh I don't remember this concept... I'm going to go back and check the reading again." Most of them don't do that. They email me and expect me to be their personal Google search or they don't do it at all. Which brings me to #2: because everything comes to them in bite-sized chunks, they struggle with things like reading (even directions) and lectures. The focus and concentration just isn't there. The internet did not do kind things to our current generation of kids and those of us who are seeing them for the first time as adults are seeing the results of it in real time.
#49
Diseases from tick bites. Use to get a tick bite, pulled it off and didn't give them another thought, now find a tick, freak out and go to doc for lab work. These things can mess you up for LIFE.
#50
Not a Dr., but I have noticed that Orthoexia Nervosa is growing really quickly in both male and female and the concerning part, a lot of the "healthy" and "clean" food is based on fudgey science. Carnivore Diet is definitely in this mix.
Plus, you gotta eat some junk food once in a while. Candy in moderation is all good.
#51
I’m a dentist and have worked in both rural areas and urban areas.
When I see kids whose parents refuse fluoride because of some woo-woo science (and there’s more and more of them) and X-rays, and the kids end up needing treatment under general anaesthetic to pull multiple teeth out, I feel like screaming.
It’s not like they are improving their diet, or even making the kids brush better.
This is happening more in urban areas.
Most of my patients in smaller towns/rural areas are so much more aware of the benefits of both fluoride and regular checkups and X-rays, because they have experienced first hand how both have improved dental health in just once generation.
#52
This isn’t a trend I’m just venting:
I just called to make my husband a doctor’s appt for a specialist. His appt is August 2027.
So yea…. This not being able to see a doctor for 14 months. And the lady on the phone said he will just have to figure out ways to deal with pain til then.
#53
GLP 1s being administered by beauty clinics or to non diabetics who don't need to lose weight.
#54
As a 50-year-old mom of two grown kids (and now a grandmother), one health trend that’s really starting to scare me is how young people are developing serious metabolic problems that used to only affect older adults.
I’m talking about obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease showing up in teenagers and people in their early 20s. My daughter’s friends are already dealing with things I didn’t see until people were in their 40s or 50s. The amount of ultra-processed food, sugary drinks, constant snacking, and sitting in front of screens all day is destroying their health.
It breaks my heart watching the younger generation struggle with this. I feel like we’re setting them up for a lifetime of health issues, medications, and lower quality of life.
I’m genuinely worried about my grandchildren’s future. It feels like it’s getting worse every year.
What trends are other parents noticing?
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