Health tracking linked to optimization anxiety in U.S. survey

A survey of 2,009 adults in the United States conducted by Naturepedic and North Star Inbound reveals that frequent health tracking is contributing to a phenomenon termed ‘optimization anxiety.’ This condition involves stress, overwhelm, or self-doubt caused by the pressure to constantly monitor and improve health metrics.

Key findings indicate that 64% of Americans track at least one health metric daily, with weight (81.5%) and steps (71.9%) being the most common. More than half of U.S. adults track their sleep, which can lead to orthosomnia—disrupted sleep caused specifically by the act of tracking sleep. The study notes that more than one in three Americans have ceased tracking certain metrics because the process negatively impacted their mental well-being. Dallas and Austin, Texas, were identified as the cities with the highest levels of optimization anxiety.