In most middle-class Indian households, health isn’t really a priority – it’s an afterthought. You grow up being told to study hard, behave well, and land a stable job. But what about eating well, sleeping on time, or simply moving your body? That’s seen as “extra”. Things like therapy, fitness training, or investing in nutrition? Unheard of.
Marketer Shashank Sharma recently posted a raw, honest reflection on LinkedIn that struck a deep chord. In a thought-provoking post, he shared how his struggles with fitness aren’t due to laziness or lack of willpower, but because of how he was raised. He wrote about growing up in a typical Indian middle-class home where health was never prioritised, and being disciplined meant focusing on studies and securing a job, not taking care of one’s body or mind.
“Middle-class homes don’t raise you to be healthy. They raise you to be safe. To be obedient. To be employable. Not to be strong, ambitious, or mindful,” he shared.
Sharma points out how growing up, we were often handed quick fixes instead of real care.
“Got a headache? Balm laga le, thoda so ja.”
“Got a backache? Moov laga le, thoda let ja.”
“Bad throat? Haldi doodh pee le, subah tak theek ho jaayega.”
And if you felt weak for a week? The answer was always “Exertion hai. Kal ki chutti karle.”
The bigger issue, he says, is that middle-class families often fear a diagnosis more than a disease. Preventive health check-ups are rare. Therapy is dismissed as “luxury”. And even though families will pay for health insurance, they’ll think twice before paying for a fitness coach or mental health help.
“We’ll pay for term insurance, life insurance, two health policies but won’t spend on mental therapy. Or a fitness coach. Or a nutritionist.”
Sharma also pointed out the hypocrisy of spending Rs 600 on cold drinks and namkeen for guests, but arguing with the chemist over MRP. Or travelling 20 km to eat chole bhature but refusing to walk 5 km to stay fit.
“We wear fatigue like a medal. We talk about acidity like it’s a family member. We think waking up tired is just part of adult life.”
And it’s true. We’ve all seen how exhaustion is glamourised, and any time spent on rest or fitness is considered indulgent. Until, of course, the body gives up, when it’s already too late.
Sharma ends with a powerful reminder:
“Maybe it’s not willpower we lack. Maybe it’s vocabulary.
Instead of ‘Thoda thak gaya hoon,’ say ‘Mujhe break chahiye.’
Instead of ‘Baad mein dekh lenge,’ say ‘Abhi dekhna zaroori hai.'”
Have a look at his full post here:
Maybe it’s time we stop brushing off health as “not that serious” and start making space for it in our lives before our bodies start sending warnings we can no longer ignore.