Today’s post is a bit of a brain dump on how I have been feeling about the wellness world on social media. I was motivated to write today’s post after an interaction I had on social media with an account we have been following for a while. They regularly promoted a fasting program (which they were clearly getting for free and getting a kick back for everyone that signed up, but they were not disclosing this information) and then saying how they were going to start some new crazy calorie counting/restricting program next while also posting. For some reason they have a lot of followers, so I finally hit my breaking point and had to message them.
I NEVER message people with critical feedback, but the way they were going around promoting these dangerous trends was reckless, and as a Registered Dietitian that spent most of my career specializing in acute adolescent eating disorders I felt the need to speak up. To their credit they took the feedback well and did start disclosing they were not health professionals, but rather sharing what they were doing. I think that’s a problem with wellness via social media…people are seeing what others are doing and feeling that they should be doing the same thing without taking a lot of variables into account.
It’s no secret social media is flooded with nutrition, health, and wellness information more than ever and it’s overwhelming. Even as a dietitian I find myself spinning trying to stay on top of all the new trends, products, tips, and tricks being touted left and right. I love social media, but I think it can be dangerous as it is some people’s number one resource for health and nutrition knowledge. Bloggers and influencers push their favorite products (#ad) and share their diets and exercise regimens with their followers who might believe if they do all the same things they will look like their favorite influencer.
Sharing recipes, new grocery store finds, etc. I think is harmless and a fun part of social media, but it can get dangerous when some are sharing diets, fasting programs, excessive exercise schedules, etc that can be dangerous to impressionable followers. Influencers that do not disclose that they are not medical or nutrition experts and encourage followers to check with their doctors before trying a new health product, diet, or trend is reckless and leading to a lot of disordered beliefs and behaviors related to health.
I’m by no means perfect on social media, but I do feel qualified to talk about food and nutrition being a Registered Dietitian. On social media, I try my best to offer balanced and realistic nutrition information. If I share something nutrition related on IG I try and explain the benefits and science behind it. By giving you that information I hope you can make the decision for yourself if that is (or is not) something for you.
I also feel like there is so much conflicting information it can be confusing and overwhelming…. leaving you thinking: I should be intermittent fasting, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I should be doing IV nutrition, saunas, ice baths, meditating, HIIT, wait no low impact because cardio raises cortisol, sun light first thing in the morning, barefoot grounding outdoors in the morning, no screens before bed, no dairy, no gluten, I could go on forever 😉
It feels impossible to do all the things we MUST do to be healthy while also accomplishing all of our other daily responsibilities. So here is my advice, filter out all the BS accounts and focus on the ones that are reliable and credible. If someone is trying to sell you a product be weary and do your own research. Before jumping off a cliff with your new IG bestie, do you own research and see if it will work for YOU. Take your medical history, dietary needs, lifestyle, etc into account make sure it’s a healthy and realistic decision for you. Also start small. Health is not an all or nothing thing. You do not have to do all.the.things. to be well. (#balance) Don’t try and add 10 new habits at once to your daily routine. Pick 1 thing to try and see how it goes before adding on something else.
I also wrote this post on reg flags of a fad diet to be aware of, so check that out too!
xx, A
SO helpful and important to hear! Thank you!