MUMBAI: Social media influencers are no longer just selling protein shakes and yoga mats. They are increasingly setting the tone for how Indians think about diet, fitness and mental health. A new Ipsos Market Essentials study shows that across generations, people are tuning into influencers for health advice, from smoothie recipes to sleep hacks.
Millennials top the charts, with 81 per cent saying they pick up health and dietary trends from influencers, closely followed by Gen X (76 per cent) and Gen Z (74 per cent). Even among boomers—traditionally thought sceptical of online chatter—a striking 57 per cent admitted to drawing wellness cues from influencer feeds.
“Influencers with credible qualifications and relevant expertise have cemented their position as trusted voices in health and wellness,” said MSU Global Ipsos senior vice president Allyson Leavy.
Yet the same platforms that dispense health wisdom are also fuelling unease. More than half of Gen Z (54 per cent) confessed to feeling anxious about the negative effects of social media on wellbeing. The worry is less pronounced among millennials (47 per cent), Gen X (37 per cent) and boomers (28 per cent). The tension underlines the double-edged nature of social media: a source of connection and information, but also of misinformation, comparison and stress.
India paints a paradoxical picture. A robust 71 per cent of Indians say they feel good about themselves mentally and physically—far higher than the global average, where only one in two citizens express such satisfaction. But optimism coexists with strain. Nearly half (47 per cent) of Indians report that stress is embedded in their daily lives, mirroring global patterns where 50 per cent of respondents feel the same.
Helplessness in the face of global crises is another unifying theme. 61 per cent of Indians, identical to the global average, admitted to anguish over challenges that feel too large to solve—whether climate change, geopolitical turmoil or economic uncertainty.
Asked about their biggest health concerns, Indians singled out “mental vitality”—a catch-all for sharper focus, resilience and energy. Some 59 per cent cited it as their top priority. The specific complaints: low energy (32 per cent), mental health struggles (29 per cent), fatigue (16 per cent) and insomnia (13 per cent).
Global citizens echoed these worries, with 57 per cent prioritising mental vitality. But fatigue (26 per cent) and insomnia (29 per cent) registered at higher levels globally than in India, suggesting that Indians, while stressed, may be faring marginally better on rest and recovery.
“The July edition of our tracker offers a deep dive into health and wellness by age group and consumer cohort—a goldmine for marketers tailoring their communication,” said Ipsos India group service line leader market strategy and understanding Archana Gupta. She added that previous editions explored leisure travel, examining motivations, preferred destinations and the very definition of leisure—whether adventure, luxury or immersive experiences.
Ipsos conducts the Market Essentials survey across 15 countries including India, the US, the UK, Germany, China, Japan and Brazil. Around 1,000 respondents are sampled in large markets, 500 in smaller ones. In India, the sample skews more urban, affluent and connected than the general population.
Results are presented as a “global country average” rather than a world total, since large parts of the global population remain outside the survey. Ipsos notes that its online polls carry a credibility interval of +/-3.5 percentage points.
