Wellness trends are evolving, and they're going viral. Tebra surveyed 302 patients and 448 healthcare providers to better understand the growing influence of TikTok-fueled self-optimization practices known as healthmaxxing. Many of these trends promise quick health benefits but often lack clinical support.

Tebra also analyzed 12 months of Google Trends search data across all 50 states and the 50 most populous US cities to uncover where healthmaxxing trends are catching on. The findings show a clear divide between how patients and providers perceive wellness content online, and where private practices can step in to bridge the gap — using digital tools, trusted relationships, and personalized care — to guide patients toward healthy living habits that actually support long-term health.

Wellness trends on TikTok continue to spread rapidly, promoting things like detox routines, nutrient-dense recipes, and carbohydrate swaps aimed at everything from improving gut health to promising clear skin. While these videos often highlight the supposed health benefits of viral habits, their real impact depends on how patients interpret and apply the advice they see online.

Here are the healthmaxxing trends patients have heard of and how they feel about them.

More than one-third of patients said they were familiar with supplement stacking (36%) and looksmaxxing (35%), the most recognizable healthmaxxing trends. Despite this familiarity, only 19% of patients said they had tried any of these trends themselves.

Even with skepticism, TikTok still makes an impression. Over 2 in 5 patients (44%) said wellness content on TikTok made them feel more informed about their health. At the same time, 36% of patients admitted that TikTok is rarely a reliable source of medical advice. What starts as a quick scroll through wellness videos often ends up influencing real medical visits, and healthcare providers are noticing.

Patients aren't the only ones paying attention to viral wellness trends. Providers are seeing them show up in appointments, too.

About 3 in 4 providers (74%) said they've had a patient reference a TikTok health trend during a visit, and 56% had to correct or debunk a TikTok claim during an appointment. Many providers expressed concerns about these trends, with 46% citing misinformation and a lack of scientific basis as the biggest issues. Another 16% flagged supplement overuse or drug interactions as a growing risk.

Over half of providers (58%) viewed TikTok as harmful to patient education in the long term. These findings suggest that digital wellness content is reshaping patient expectations — and that providers, especially in community-based or independent practices, need new strategies to counter misinformation with compassion, clarity, and ongoing communication.

From looksmax tips to sleepmaxxing playlists,  search volume counts reveal which wellness fads are trending and where.

Looksmaxxing came out on top as the most popular healthmaxxing trend in 44 states, showing widespread national interest in appearance-based self-optimization. The trend also dominated in major cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and Seattle.

Sleepmaxxing appeared as the top trend in Utah and Maryland, while Kansas stood out as the only state where heightmaxxing ranked highest in search volume. Both Louisiana and Michigan had equal interest in sleepmaxxing and fibermaxxing. No data was available for Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming, suggesting limited search activity for healthmaxxing trends in those states.

The rise of healthmaxxing highlights the power — and pitfalls — of wellness content online. While most patients aren't diving headfirst into TikTok trends, many are influenced by what they see. Providers, meanwhile, are left to untangle misinformation and guide patients toward safer, evidence-based care. By creating space for open dialogue and proactively addressing health trends, private practices can help patients make more informed, balanced decisions about their well-being — both online and off.

Tebra surveyed 302 patients and 448 healthcare providers in the United States to compare attitudes around TikTok health trends and wellness behaviors. Among patients, 57% identified as women, 40% as men, and 2% as non-binary. Over 60% of patients reported using TikTok multiple times a day.

Among providers, 73% identified as women, 25% as men, and 1% as non-binary. They represented a mix of settings, including hospitals (37%), private practices (25%), and public clinics (15%) — providing insights from both large institutions and smaller, independent care environments.. Their roles included nurses, mental health professionals, physicians, and nutritionists. We also analyzed Google Trends search volume for healthmaxxing-related terms from the past 12 months, covering all 50 states and the top 50 most populous US cities.

Tebra, headquartered in Southern California, empowers independent healthcare practices with cutting-edge AI and automation to drive growth, streamline care, and boost efficiency. Our all-in-one EHR and billing platform delivers everything you need to attract and engage your patients, including online scheduling, reputation management, and digital communications.

Inspired by "vertebrae," our name embodies our mission to be the backbone of healthcare success. With over 165,000 providers and 190 million patient records, Tebra is redefining healthcare through innovation and a commitment to customer success. We're not just optimizing operations — we're ensuring private practices thrive.

This content may be shared for noncommercial purposes only. If you use these insights, please link back to this page and credit Tebra appropriately.