The books which may influence health trends in 2026

As we head towards New Year, being kind to ourselves and finding a balance in all aspects of life are likely to take centre stage in the massive self-help book market.

Face yoga, high-fibre eating, a continuing kickback against processed foods and a number of books focusing on weight-loss jabs are among the offerings of new health and wellbeing titles in 2026, while older women can absorb more menopause information and learn how to stay fit in their later years.

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“Following on from this year, there are a lot of books on slowing down and basically the benefits of doing nothing,” says Bea Carvalho, Waterstones head of books.

Weight-loss injections have changed the face of the traditional diet book, says Caroline Sanderson, associate editor of trade magazine The Bookseller.

“Long gone are the days of the hip and thigh diet and all those in-your-face ‘lose weight’ books. We’ve moved on to being preoccupied with other things.”

Diet changes

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“You’ve got people like Joe Wicks saying that whatever you’re doing it’s got to be sustainable and you’ve got to combine exercise and diet,” Sanderson points out.

“Protein is a big thing as trends go, with his new Protein In 15 book (Leap, £22), leading the way.”

“The big trend for diet is fibre – there’s an awful lot on fibre next year,” adds Carvalho, including High Fibre Heroes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, May 7, £26).

Exercise

There may be renewed interest in running if BBC journalist Sophie Raworth’s book Running On Air (Bloomsbury Sport, Apr 23, £20) takes off, Sanderson predicts.

The TV presenter, who has completed 15 marathons, three ultra-marathons and other huge running challenges, is likely to inspire readers to give running a chance, Sanderson reckons.

There’s also a buzz around personal trainer Elizabeth Davies’ new book Training For Your Old Lady Body (Leap, Mar 19, £16.99), who pulls no punches as she shares her knowledge in helping women keep their muscle mass strong and safeguarding their quality of life by forming new exercise habits – and insists it’s never too late to start.

Weight loss

A flurry of books early in the New Year offers more information about the pros and cons of weight-loss injections.

“We don’t quite know what’s going to happen long-term,” Sanderson predicts, “but it is still dominating the agenda.”

However, there is some focus from doctors tackling the dilemma of how patients can come off the jabs without putting all the weight back on.

The Weight Loss Prescription by Dr Max Pemberton and Dr Courtney Raspin (Thorsons, Feb 26, £16.99), claims to provide all the psychological tools and guidance needed to teach users of the estimated 2.5 million GLP-1 medications – that help people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating – how to use the drugs properly, change their relationship with food for good and come off the medication once and for all.

Other titles which are bound to keep the weight loss jab conversation going include A Guide To Weight Loss Injections by David Cavan (Headline Home, Jan 29, £10.99), and The Diet Whisperer: Beyond Weight-Loss Jabs by Dr Paul Barrington Chell and Dr Monique Hope Ross (Yellow Kite, Jan 1, £16.99), which tackles how to manage weight loss without lifelong medication.

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The trend towards losing weight sustainably continues with Shahroo Izadi’s How Diets Make Us Fat (Leap, Dec 18, £20), which delves into food addiction perpetuated by diets. The psychologist and addiction specialist draws on professional and lived experience to help people ‘unlearn’ damaging diet habits.

Slowing down

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The Brain At Rest by Dr Joseph Jebelli (Penguin, Jan 1, £11.99), is set to be one of Waterstones’ books of the month in January, having done very well when first published earlier this year.

“That’s the standout in that area but there’s a lot on the benefits of slowing down and being more mindful,” says Carvalho.

Finding happiness

There’s a raft of new titles coming up which explore how we can shift our values to find true happiness from within, not through society’s expectations of us.

Make Life Happier by Dr Mark Williamson (Leap, Apr 23, £16.99), covers self-care themes including self-acceptance, mindfulness and optimism and generally showing people how to feel better about themselves even if they cannot always change their circumstances.

Self-help guru Deepak Chopra will be helping people discover their potential and go beyond fear to embrace a new way of being, marked by inner peace, purpose and boundless possibility via 40 sutras – statements that capture the essence of a profound truth – in his new book, Awakening (Rider, Jan 8, £22).

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The idea of glimmers – tiny moments that bring a sense of peace, calm and safety – has been trending on Instagram and TikTok. Now, they are highlighted in Glimmers: Tiny Moments To Transform Your Life by sisters Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips (Penguin Life, Jan 15, £16.99).

Art for health

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“Self-help books with an arty twist are doing really well at the moment,” says Carvalho.

Art Cure: The Science Of How The Arts Transform Our Health by award-winning scientist Daisy Fancourt (Cornerstone, Jan 8, £22) will be one to watch, she says.

“It’s a book about how art and creativity can enrich your life, which is a nice spin on that kind of self-help.”

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Colouring for mindfulness may also be back in the frame, with a new book, Inklings (Ebury Press, Mar 5, £14.99), from bestselling illustrator and colouring book creator Johanna Basford, in which users can lose themselves in this pocket-sized book which invites them to colour everything from floral motifs to dainty butterflies.

Menopause and longevity

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Authors seem to be veering more towards living your optimum life in later years through diet, exercise, sleep and techniques for healthy mental wellbeing, but in a more sustainable way.

There is still a focus on everything we need to know about the menopause – but much of it with natural solutions – with offerings including Hormone Havoc from doctor, author and influencer Amy Shah (Piatkus, Feb 24, £16.99), which uses a science-backed protocol to tackle hot flushes, mood swings and night sweats, pairing optimal nutrition with circadian fasting and lifestyle strategies; and The Longevity Solution: 21 Days To Health, Strength And Vitality by fitness expert Kate Rowe-Ham (Yellow Kite, Feb 12, £16.99), which addresses movement, mindset, nutrition and community.

And if men feel left out there’s an interesting guide, Burning Up Frozen Out, by Joe Warner and Rob Kemp (Sheldon Press, Mar 26, £16.99), which every man should read who wants to support the woman in his life through the menopause, but also to understand the changes that men go through hormonally, physically and emotionally in midlife.