Persona-driven wellness: How influencers shape modern health narratives

New Delhi: There has been a surge in health influencers in the last few years. Popular labels that they use range from “Nutritionist” and “Integrative lifestyle coach” to “Sports Nutritionist” and “Weight loss coach.” Some focus on recovery from illness, others on maintaining normal levels of health, and others on achieving peak wellness. While their labels and concerns might vary, there are many similarities in how they conceptualise health.

Catering to modern audiences, these influencers invariably draw from modern science, some even quoting from scientific studies. But they also heavily incorporate the Ayurvedic approach to treatment, which is holistic, as opposed to allopathy which follows a pinpointed approach. For instance, in this video on hormonal imbalance, Luke Coutinho speaks about solving disorders such as PCOS. The diagnosis is allopathic, but his healing approach is based on an Ayurvedic understanding, which is more holistic and treats every individual differently. He recommends making lifestyle changes rather than taking allopathic medicines with serious side effects.

These influencers also highlight the Ayurvedic principle of living in harmony with nature. They talk about eating seasonal foods and sleeping according to the circadian rhythm, among other examples.  All influencers combine and use different aspects of Allopathy and Ayurveda differently, in their own ways, to create a distinctive online persona. In this article, we look at the Instagram handles of top influencers and understand their styles of disseminating health information. Our list of influencers ranges from Luke Coutinho who focuses on serious lifestyle diseases, to nutritionists like Mohita Mascarenhas who specialise in weight loss. Through Semiotic decoding of their content, we can easily find patterns in their approach to health (and content). 

Persona 1: Evidence-driven health enabler

Out of all the influencers, Luke Coutinho is the only one who resolves critical health conditions such as cancer. His page has several inspiring stories, featuring detailed medical reports to support them. Building onto this, his content heavily uses technical jargon from modern science, to aid his expertise. Several of his posts feature text-heavy content. Luke’s video content is serious, no-nonsense, and direct. He often dresses in athleisure, and has a straight body posture, bringing a careful and austere approach to health. Coutinho’s ideas of holistic health deliberately move beyond allopathy (several of his clients come to him after allopathy doesn’t give them the desired results), and underline the power of diet, exercise, sleep, mindfulness, and spirituality. There is a sense of advocacy too, wherein Luke directly confronts political leaders and large corporations over larger health issues, positioning himself as a leader and a guardian of public health. 

Persona 2: Elder sister from the village 

Rujuta’s content mainly focuses on maintaining optimum levels of health. This enables her to use simple, everyday language, rather than the technical jargon that Luke often uses because of his association with resolving serious diseases. Rujuta, mostly dressed in simple athleisure and a no-makeup face, starts her video with her trademark Namaste. She heavily advocates for traditional and regional food habits and encourages viewers to eat like their grandparents used to eat. Many posts feature her teaching the audiences aided by her whiteboard, enabling her to simplify difficult concepts. Like Coutinho, she also has a to-the-point and direct tone. Some of her posts specifically talk to female audiences, and encourage them to be kinder to their bodies and adopt an empowered mindset, cementing her positioning as an elder sister. Rujuta’s concept of holistic health includes diet, exercise, and mindset shifts. 

Followers trust Rujuta because of her emphasis on time-tested traditional eating habits, which have been followed for generations. 

Persona 3: Glam girls living their best life 

Mohita Mascarenhas, a Nutritionist and Weight loss coach, and Pooja Makhija, a celebrity nutritionist fall into this category. Both of them dress more glamorously than Rujuta and Luke. This is reflected in their food presentation as well, which looks aesthetically pleasing.Underlying these aspects is their message that fitness is easy and enjoyable and need not be a serious, austere, or self-punishing affair. Their content is also lighthearted, even though they occasionally use technical jargon. It’s also important to note that their content strategy is heavily positioned on aspiration for a global Indian lifestyle. Their recipe ideas, personal style, and pictures from international vacations prove this point. 

Both creators gain trust and legitimacy heavily from their personal fitness and health levels. In other words, people trust and follow them because they are fit and healthy. 

Persona 4: Professional podcaster 

Ryan Fernando, an Olympic Sports nutritionist, presents himself professionally, always dressed in a shirt, waistcoat, and tie. Most of his content is filmed inside a studio, with a mic, further underlining this. This professionalism is closely tied to numerous famous clients he works with.  As a health podcaster, he creates content on popular topics like anti-aging, stress, and yoga. His tone is generally serious, often quoting studies to warn people against harming their health. To lighten the seriousness, the content is interspersed with high-quality visuals and subtitles, to support the topic in question. Fernando’s concept of holistic health includes diet, exercise, and mental health. 

Fernando gains trust and legitimacy from his famous clients in the sports and film world and by collaborating with other renowned health coaches on his podcasts. 

Persona 5: Changemaker 

Revant Himatsingka, or the Food Pharmer, is fairly well-known. Given the expose-based nature of his content, which demands transparency from big brands, Revant too mirrors that in his dressing and filming. He often dresses very casually, and films at home. Instead of being high-end or constructed, the backdrop looks very real and grounded. There is also a strong sense of national pride and collective agency in all his content. His concept of holistic health primarily focuses on diet and mindset shifts. 

Food Pharmer builds his trust and legitimacy through the demonstrated impact of his campaigns. His meetings with celebrities and reputed media houses also build trust among his followers. 

Conclusion: 

The diverse personas of health influencers reflect the multifaceted ways in which health and wellness is being reimagined for modern audiences. Luke Coutinho’s evidence-driven, no-nonsense approach appeals to those seeking solutions to serious health conditions, while Rujuta Diwekar’s elder-sister persona simplifies health with traditional wisdom and relatable guidance. Mohita Mascarenhas and Pooja Makhija embody a glamorous, aspirational lifestyle, making wellness appear enjoyable and effortless. Ryan Fernando’s professional demeanor, backed by his work with elite clients, lends credibility to his expertise, while Revant Himatsingka’s grassroots approach and advocacy for transparency position him as a changemaker. Together, these personas cater to a broad spectrum of health aspirations, underscoring how influencers connect with their audiences by tailoring their content and style to specific needs and lifestyles.  On the internet and the ideas market fed by health discourse, there is someone for everyone.