The Optimisation Era Has A Hidden Cost. New KIC Data Reveals It.

A survey of hundreds of women conducted in July 2026 found that the optimisation era, characterised by wearable tech, biohacking, sleep scoring and relentless self-monitoring, is quietly making women feel worse, not better:

• 97% have felt pressure to optimise their health in the last 12 months
• 4 in 5 say checking a health metric has ruined their mood for the day
• 4 in 5 have spoken negatively to themselves after checking a health metric
• 51% say tracking makes them feel anxious or overwhelmed, with only 27% saying it motivates them
• 51% say tracking their health makes them feel more isolated, with only 26% feeling more connected
• 42% are tracking simply because they feel like they should
• 1 in 3 have avoided a social situation or cancelled plans in favour of a health metric

KIC’s CEO, Janey Martino, explains: “The backlash against optimisation culture has been building. The viral response to Steven Bartlett’s wine confession made it visible. And now this data makes it undeniable — as a society, we are exhausted by the pressure to chase an unrealistic standard of health. One that is costing us our social lives, our mental wellbeing and our relationship with ourselves.”

The responses to one open question — “What would you stop doing tomorrow if you gave yourself permission to?” — tell the most revealing story of all.

“Overwhelming myself with so much social media content related to the “optimal habit change we need to make.”

“Being so caught up in the opinions of others and trust my body. I have stopped wearing my smartwatch because it was messing with my mental health. I was hyper-focused on what the metrics were telling me instead of trusting my body.”

“Weighing myself daily and then basing food choices on what I THINK will give me a better result.”

“Thinking I’m a bad person for liking a glass of wine!”

“I would stop focusing on getting in 10K steps, just because I have to, and be more present with what’s in front of me, not mentally cataloguing the apps and data and metrics.”

“Comparing myself to all of these rules. All the protein I’m not eating, not getting enough sleep, not being a good enough mum! We are bombarded with these messages of optimisation that just make me feel like im not getting any right!

The findings form the backbone of KIC’s mid-year ‘Progress. Not Perfection.’ campaign — the brand’s most culturally significant campaign to date.

Martino continues: “KIC is uniquely positioned to lead this conversation. As a brand that has called out toxic diet culture since its founding in 2015, Progress. Not Perfection. is not a new direction — it has always been part of our brand DNA. And now, with our own research painting a confronting picture of what optimisation culture is actually doing to women, it has never been more important to say it loudly.”