The New Language of Health

When I was growing up in rural Southern Illinois, an older man who lost his way home was "senile," or confused. A kid who twisted an ankle was told to "walk it off," while a woman of a certain age was in "the change." Nobody needed a doctor to tell them they were hurting, yet they continued to suffer.

Today we’ve traded clinical trials for the Old Farmer's Almanac as our health guide.

The old man receives treatment for Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment. The ankle gets an MRI and a recovery protocol, and the woman learns she is in perimenopause and tracks her vasomotor symptoms on an app.

We’re becoming healthier and building a new language for well-being. Most of it is tied to better science, and some marketing, but almost all of it takes some work.

The old terminology was vague and left legitimate health conditions unaddressed. "Senile" was a shrug, whereas "dementia" is a diagnosis that can be studied, treated, and sometimes delayed.

We used to say → Now we say

In the old days, we looked away from deeper health concerns, which was to our detriment. "Shell shock" sent men home to suffer in silence. "The change" subjected women to keep quiet and tough out the confusing and often debilitating symptoms of menopause for a decade. "Too much sugar" made light of a disease that could take a person’s eyesight.

New names for real conditions may feel colder, but they also come with treatment. What’s tricky is discerning new names for conditions that aren’t as well understood.

There’s a branch of health terminology that sounds just as promising as the real conditions, but the science isn’t there. I think somebody figured out that a medical-sounding name sells products.

We used to say → Now we're sold

Some borrow from legitimate research like mitochondria and inflammation. But "adrenal fatigue" is not a diagnosis any endocrinologist recognizes. While "worn out" simply calls for a nap, "adrenal fatigue" often leads to taking meds that may adversely affect long-term health goals.

This is the part that wears me out. The plainest advice we ever got has been turned into a regimen.

We used to say → Now we say

Nobody asked how you felt after you walked it off. Now a smartwatch tells you each morning how you slept—something you already knew. Old advice was casual but sympathetic. You followed it or you didn't, and then moved on.

Yet, for all the fatigue of tracking every metric, dismissing the transformation would be a mistake.

Language changes our perception, which changes our behavior.

Replacing informal expressions with clinical terms changes how we approach health. Specific terms give physicians clear diagnostic tools. At the same time, wellness marketing often frames routine fatigue or discomfort as a condition requiring intervention.

The new language reflects scientific understanding, which can be critical to building healthier habits over time.

People are alive today because doctors stopped saying "bad ticker" and started diagnosing atrial fibrillation.

Precise medical terminology supports treatment, but constant jargon can turn daily wellness into an ongoing chore, framing health as a score to optimize rather than a state of well-being.

The best prescription might still be the oldest advice: go for a walk, and leave the step counter behind.

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