Your New Year Health Goals May Not Be Healthy, Warns Expert

According to new data from YouGov, around fifth (19%) of the nation intend on making resolutions for 2026 with 37% of 18-24 year olds saying they will be making some pledges for the coming year.

They are a good idea, really. If you believe that a new year brings a fresh start, why not make some promises to yourself about the person you will try to be in the next 12 months?

However, before you start giving yourself tough challenges, Superdrug’s Pharmacy Superintendent Nimah McMillan warns that your health and fitness resolutions may not be so healthy.

Some resolutions can be dangerous for your health

Crash dieting

McMillan says: “Severely restricting calories or swapping meals for ‘detox drinks’ may lead to rapid initial weight loss, but it puts the body under incredible stress. It can disrupt blood sugar levels, weaken immunity, and increase fatigue and irritability.

“We see many customers in February feeling worse than before they started and often putting the weight back on after pursuing unsustainable diets.”

A terrible start to the year, really.

Cutting out entire food groups

Whether it’s sugar, dairy or fat, McMillan warns that eliminating entire food groups without medical advice could be harmful to your body.

“When people cut out whole food groups overnight, they risk missing key nutrients like iron, calcium, B vitamins and essential fats. This can lead to low mood, hair thinning, poor concentration and weakened immunity, especially in the winter months.” 

Extreme exercise regimes

While you may be tempted to take a go-hard-or-go-home approach to exercise, McMillan warns that this can disrupt your body quite significantly: “We see customers who feel pressured to ‘push through the pain,’ but overtraining can weaken the immune system, not strengthen it.

“Movement should be energising, not punishing. A 20-minute walk every day is far better than unsustainable extremes.”

Take it easy!