An alarming new study reveals a large majority of health and weight loss influencers on Instagram don't know what they are talking about and provide incorrect information.
For the study the team included influencers as part of their investigation based on the following criteria:
- Had to have more than 80,000 followers on social media.
- Have a “blue tick” verification on at least two social media platforms.
- Must have a weight management blog that is active.
Next, the team analysed the influencers’ content. This included the kind of diet advice and meal plans they were providing. They compared this data to scientific facts and whether or not they followed the nutritional criteria. Researchers found only one out of the nine popular health and weight loss bloggers in the United Kingdom was sharing sage advice. Another fact the team found the one influencer who was giving good advice happened to be a registered nutritionist. The team also studied the meal plans and whether or not basic nutritional information was being provided. Only three influencers were found to be providing current U.K. health calorie goals.
"We found that the majority of the blogs could not be considered credible sources of weight management information, as they often presented opinion as fact and failed to meet U.K. nutritional criteria,” study author, Christina Sabbagh, MSc, a policy and research assistant at Obesity Action Scotland, told a news portal. Adding, "This is potentially harmful, as these blogs reach such a wide audience."
Researchers also noted many of the influencers presented nutrition claims as if they were fact and no as an opinion. "I’m not surprised by the results, as there is no degree or approval process for putting up a blog or social media page," Kristin Kirkpatrick, a licensed, registered dietitian who’s the manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Ohio, told a news portal.Kirkpatrick said the findings highlight why this is frustrating. "Dietitians go through rigorous schooling and training and understand the complex mechanisms behind digestion and metabolism. We are also often the experts that have to spend precious time during employment debunking myths that patients may have heard on social media," Kirkpatrick told a news portal.
Sabbagh hopes the findings can make a difference in how health and weight loss-related information is being spread online. "The online world is very difficult to regulate, so perhaps introducing a verification scheme where a blogger can be awarded a badge of credibility to display on their blog so that the public can see it has at least been vetted," told a news portal.
Here are a few tips to take precaution before following an influencer's advise:
- Does the influencer have the right qualifications?
- Check their credentials from accredited institutions.
- Are they backing their information with the right sources?
- Are they giving advise based on fact or just their opinion?
- Are they asking you to stay clear of a certain food group and why?
The study's findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow.
