Survey finds younger adults turn to search and social before seeking medical advice
Canadians are far more willing to trust AI for weight-loss tactics than to see a doctor about their health and wellness goals for 2026, according to new polling from Phoenix.
Weight loss tops the list of priorities: 68 percent of adults say they want to lose weight in 2026, while 39 percent aim to reverse signs of aging and 26 percent want to reduce or reverse hair thinning or balding.
Women are more likely than men to focus on losing weight (70 percent vs 65 percent), reversing signs of aging (47 percent vs 31 percent), and addressing hair thinning or balding (32 percent vs 20 percent).
Many Canadians bypass an in-person appointment altogether.
The main reason they do not choose a doctor as the first step is that they do not view their health and wellness goals as enough of a reason to book a visit (38 percent), followed by significant wait times (27 percent).
Older generations are more likely to downplay their goals as a reason to see a doctor, while younger Canadians are more put off by long waits.
Concern over wait times is highest among Gen Z (34 percent), followed by Millennials (28 percent), Gen X (27 percent), and Baby Boomers (22 percent).
In place of a doctor, Canadians turn to online information.
About one in four say they will use a search engine first for information on reversing hair loss or balding (25 percent), reversing signs of aging (27 percent), and weight-loss advice (24 percent).
A similar proportion (25 percent) would see a doctor for weight-loss advice, but fewer would do so for hair loss or balding (18 percent) or aging concerns (14 percent).
Social media has the greatest pull among younger and female respondents.
Gen Z is the most likely to use social media as a first source of information, with 12 percent turning to it for weight-loss advice and reversing signs of aging, and 11 percent for hair loss or balding.
Overall, 16 percent of women would go to social media first for support with personal care goals, compared with 9 percent of men.
AI still ranks low as a first stop: only 9 percent of Canadians say they would use it first for information on personal care goals. But trust rises once AI shifts from information to recommendations.
Twenty-four per cent trust AI to recommend anti-aging treatments, 19 percent trust it for hair loss treatments, and 37 percent trust it for weight-loss strategies.
When it comes to specific weight-loss tactics, 44 percent trust AI to calculate daily calorie intake, 41 percent trust it to create a meal plan, and 39 percent trust it to design a fitness plan.
Phoenix’s medical director, Mark Broussenko, points to safety and rigour as ongoing issues with online tools. “While online sources like search engines, social media, and AI provide quick and easy access to information, they can also put patients’ safety at risk,” he says.
Unlike a doctor, he adds, these sources “lack accountability, credibility, and transparency.”
Google and ChatGPT provide answers based on the questions patients ask, but a doctor knows the right questions to ask to ensure the guidance is accurate, relevant, and truly tailored to them.
