We have been taught to believe that health comes neatly packed. One pill for energy. One capsule for digestion. One supplement for immunity. Feeling tired? Take this. Hair falling out? Add that. Something feels off? There must be a tablet for it. Swallow something. Move on. Problem solved.But the body doesn’t really work like that.Health isn’t a switch you flip with a supplement. It’s built slowly, quietly, through the boring, everyday stuff no one likes to talk about. Sleep. Food. Stress. Movement. Rest. The things we keep postponing because they don’t come with shiny labels or instant results.And yes, supplements have their place. Deficiencies are real. Medicine saves lives. But when capsules become a shortcut for everything, that’s when trouble starts. You can’t out-supplement poor sleep. You can’t fix chronic stress with magnesium alone. You can’t undo years of erratic eating with a multivitamin and hope for the best.
The quick-fix culture we live in
We live in a world that rewards speed. Faster results. Faster healing. Faster glow-ups. So it makes sense that we want health to work the same way. Pop a pill, feel better by Monday. But bodies don’t run on deadlines. They respond to patterns. 
As per a study published in the European Journal of Public Health, “Young adults, in particular, dedicate a large portion of their day to various social media platforms, where an idealized body image is often showcased, highlighting physical fitness, visible muscle tone, and a protein-rich diet. Within this environment, the usage of dietary supplements becomes a common topic, as many individuals look to these products as a means to achieve their desired physical appearance.”Not just this, researches have also found deeply the shortcut mindset has set in, especially among younger people and how easily they are incorporated into wellness without adequate knowledge. A study, published in the Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, found that the widespread use of supplements among teenagers in Chennai in India, especially for aesthetic reasons, underscores the need for health education that informs adolescents about safe and effective use. It found that the most commonly used supplements were multivitamins, protein powders, and omega-3 fatty acids for general health improvement, increased energy, and enhanced physical appearance. The researchers found that close to 40% of the participants could not correctly identify myths about supplements. “Our results indicate a notable gap in specific knowledge about dietary supplements, particularly among younger individuals and non-medical students. This mirrors findings in other countries where younger age groups also show a tendency toward misinformation about supplements, which calls for focused educational interventions to address these misconceptions,” the researchers have said. Health is layered. It’s built from habits that don’t go viral and routines no one claps for.To understand why so many people still chase shortcuts, and what doctors see every day, we at TOI Health spoke to Dr. Niranjan Singh, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospitals Jaipur to shed light on what is the public behaviour towards wellness shortcuts these days and what are the common lifestyle gaps that people tend to fill with pills and capsules.
1. When patients ask for a quick fix, what do you usually wish they understood first?
Dr. Niranjan Singh: I wish patients understood that there is no shortcut to long-term health. Medicines can control symptoms, but habits decide outcomes. What you do daily matters far more than what you take occasionally. Many conditions develop slowly over years, and they also improve slowly. Expecting rapid results often leads to disappointment or frequent switching of treatments. When patients commit to small, consistent changes, better sleep, regular meals, movement, stress control, the response to treatment improves dramatically and stays stable over time.
2. What’s one habit that consistently makes a bigger difference to health than any pill?
Dr. Niranjan Singh: Consistent sleep, both duration and timing. Good sleep quietly improves immunity, metabolism, heart health, and mental wellbeing in ways no single pill ever can. During sleep, the body repairs tissues, balances hormones, and resets the nervous system. Improving sleep often reduces the need for higher medication doses and makes lifestyle efforts more effective. Poor sleep, even for a few nights, can worsen blood pressure, blood sugar control, appetite regulation, and mood.
3. What are the most common lifestyle gaps you see in otherwise ‘healthy’ patients?
Dr. Niranjan Singh: Many people look healthy on reports but their daily routines tell a different story. Long sitting hours, late-night phone use, skipped breakfasts, and constant mental stress slowly strain the heart, gut, and hormones.
4. What health advice sounds boring but works almost every time?
Dr. Niranjan Singh: Move your body daily, eat simple home-cooked food, sleep on time, manage stress, and follow routine check-ups. It’s not glamorous, but it works almost every single time. These habits regulate weight, improve energy, and reduce disease risk far more reliably than shortcuts or trends. In clinical practice, patients who follow these basics consistently tend to stay healthier for longer, even with genetic risk factors.
