Research suggests that fans of fitness influencers are more likely to suffer from depression, despite being more active.
According to a new study published in the journal Journal of CyberpsychologyYoung people who follow fitness influencers on social media are physically healthier — participants disproportionately report more “intense physical activity” and eat more fruits and vegetables, according to the study — but they also report poorer mental health.
The survey was conducted between May and November 2021 among 1,022 young people aged 18 to 35 in three English-speaking countries using a variety of methods: New Zealand surveyed students at the University of Orago, the US used Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, and the UK obtained results through research firm Prolific. The researchers chose these countries for their study. High social media usage,They focused on Instagram usage due to its large user demographic of primarily young adults.
Ultimately, the study found that young people who actively follow fitness influencers on Instagram are more likely to engage in intense exercise, eat more fruits and vegetables, and lead healthier lifestyles than those who don’t. But they also reported higher levels of psychological distress and greater well-being than those who don’t follow influencers. The researchers believe this indicates that young people in this age group may be more susceptible to fitness- and food-related compulsive behaviors, including eating disorders.
The researchers noted a striking difference between followers and non-followers: non-followers engaged in vigorous exercise and had healthier mind-body relationships than those who followed influencers and engaged in vigorous exercise. The researchers said these results were consistent with previous findings from other studies on the negative effects of following Instagram influencers.
the study Quote A systematic review of 12 intervention studies conducted in January 2024 looked at how social media influencers’ sharing of health information and ideal-fitting Instagram images impacts the minds of their followers. Researchers found that the majority of participants were negatively affected, with many reporting unhealthy food intake, mood, and poor body image.
Research suggests that by enforcing a so-called “health ideal,” fitness influencers may encourage “compulsive levels of exercise and an obsession with healthy or pure eating,” also known as orthorexia. Internalizing what you see on your social media feeds or from your favorite influencers can lead to poor body image, especially for those who want to get healthy or are dieting solely for appearance reasons.
The researchers suspect that worrying about appearance and exercising may increase the likelihood of poor mental health in people who follow health influencers: Social comparison and negative self-image can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and negative body image.
