What's Behind the Peptide Craze

"The recent surge in peptide injections is a textbook example of a modern health craze. Crazes differ from fads in that the latter involve an intense but short-term interest in a trivial object or idea. Famous examples include the brief obsession with swallowing live goldfish, which swept college campuses in 1939, the hula-hoop in the late 1950s, and "pet rocks" in the mid-70s. Crazes are more serious and tend to persist longer - often for months and even years."

"While some peptides have been approved for specific conditions, others have not; regardless, all should be taken only under a physician's supervision. Unfortunately, many people are ordering them online and administering them without medical oversight on the advice of fitness influencers and celebrity endorsements, few of whom have any medical training. Most are promoted to either accelerate weight loss, build muscle, or slow aging. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that can alter body chemistry and affect hormonal balance."

Peptide injections have surged as part of a modern health craze that differs from short-lived fads by lasting months or years. Crazes often build on small grains of truth that become exaggerated and seductive. Some peptides are medically approved for specific conditions, but many marketed products are unregulated and lack robust long-term safety data. Large numbers of people are buying peptides online and self-administering them based on influencer and celebrity endorsements rather than physician guidance. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that can alter body chemistry and hormonal balance, so physician supervision and further research are essential.

Read at Psychology Today