That may seem like a given, but there’s no denying the powerful allure of models and other social media influencers giving advice or peddling the next wonder weight loss supplement through online platforms.
“This is potentially harmful, as these blogs reach such a wide audience,” she said.
Researchers included influencers based on a series of criteria, such as having more than 80,000 followers on social media, “blue tick” verification on two or more social media platforms, and an active weight management blog.
The influencers’ content — things like diet advice and meal plans — was analyzed against credibility factors that included bias, adherence to nutritional criteria, transparency, and use of other resources.
Basically, did the influencer use established knowledge about nutrition and weight loss, and were they forthcoming about where this information came from?
Of the nine influencers included in the study, only one passed the test and was deemed to be giving credible advice.
As for the meal plans from these blogs, researchers looked at 10 recipes and analyzed them for basic nutritional information, including calorie content, sugar, salt, and macro nutrients. Only three of them were within the range of current U.K. health calorie goals.
Additionally, more than half of the influencers presented nutrition claims and opinions as fact without providing evidence-based references.
“I’m not surprised by the results, as there is no degree or approval process for putting up a blog or social media page,” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, a licensed, registered dietitian who’s manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Ohio.
“It’s frustrating on two levels,” said Kirkpatrick, who wasn’t involved in the study. “Dieticians 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.”