Fitness Fanatics: The “Wild-West” Fitness Social Media Influencers

Terrance Mensah, MPhil

“Use this electrical core stimulator to achieve a 6 pack in only 2 weeks.” “Doctors hate this detox tea which allows you to lose weight without exercising.”
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These are just a few examples of the claims advertised on social media regarding fitness and nutrition. Social media has become a huge part of our lives with at least 80% of U.S. adults using some form of social media throughout their day, with increases during the  COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic at-home fitness equipment became even more popular with companies like Peloton experience a massive increase in sales and stock prices. Similarly, social media fitness content creators, colloquially known as “influencers” saw a huge rise in user engagement. With people stuck at home on their devices, the landscape was perfect for influencers to engage with a captive audience. 

The increased availability of fitness content on social media has increased access to health and fitness information. However, the veracity and quality of this information are highly variable with a scourge of “junk” information. Nutrition and fitness information on social media has become the new “wild west.” Is there a way out of this?  Can we navigate the complex misinformation to still get useful fitness information on social media? A study in the Journal of Memory and Cognition asked just that. The researchers found that including an explicit warning about unverified claims in an article reduced the use of misinformation in a subsequent questionnaire.
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While these strategies will help stem the tide of misinformation, they will not be enough. Companies will still break through the social media morass with bad information that helps them sell their products. Therefore, individual strategies are also important to avoid falling prey to fitness-based misinformation. One strategy that has been shown to help reduce the spread of information is taking a step back to critically evaluate health content on social media. A handy acronym that can be used is “P.A.U.S.E”: Paid advertisement? Ask Google; Use common sense; Source reliable? Evaluate risks and benefits. By taking time to critically evaluate an advertisement on social media, you can reduce your risk of falling into common influencer traps!

About The Author:

Terrance is a current 4th-year medical student at Harvard. He is currently applying to Anesthesiology for his future residency training. At HMS Terrance has worked on projects examining the intersection between health and policy, and how legislation can be used to address racial health disparities. When he’s not studying or doing research, Terrance enjoys personal fitness and playing sports with friends. ​