Millions of people turn to social media every day for advice about exercise, diet, weight loss and health – but while some information can be helpful, much of it is inaccurate, misleading or promotes unrealistic appearance ideals.  

Flinders University body image expert Professor Ivanka Prichard is investigating how society and social media content affects what people think about their bodies, what they eat and how they exercise – with an aim of promoting healthy behaviours and body image.  

“We have to help people distinguish trustworthy advice from potentially harmful content on their social media feeds,” says Professor Prichard. 

In the wake of Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness Week (7-13 September), Professor Prichard is pointing to the need for closer examination of social media influence on body image – a topical issue that looms as an important social discussion, with the Australian government recently launching discussion about introducing legislation around social media algorithms. 

Recent Flinders University research has found that popular wellness posts often reflect attitudes and behaviours linked to orthorexia nervosa, an unhealthy obsession with eating foods that are considered healthy or pure. 

By analysing 300 popular TikTok and Instagram posts tagged #healthylifestyle, #nutrition and #cleaneating, the researchers found widespread messaging centred on restrictive food rules, moralised views of food, appearance-based definitions of health and unrealistic dietary ideals. “It shows that health-focused content can easily shift from encouraging healthy habits to promoting unhealthy perfectionism.” 

The study found 67% of posts emphasised clean or healthy eating, but almost one-third promoted food restrictions or rules, and one in five framed foods as “good” or “bad”. Nearly two-thirds featured body objectification, while many linked health directly to achieving a lean, toned appearance. 

Even more concerning is that online posts repeatedly promoted messages that suggested ‘if you eat like me, you can look like me’ – which is not supported by evidence. 

The study found unqualified influencers dominated the health content landscape, accounting for 78% of creators analysed. More than two-thirds of health information messages packaged as self-improvement advice was classified as misleading or deceptive, while qualified health professionals were significantly more likely to provide accurate, evidence-based advice. 

Three-quarters of online posts also promoted supplements or superfoods, often presenting them as essential to health, despite limited scientific context. 

“Australians are increasingly exposed to health and fitness advice through social media rather than traditional health professionals,” says Professor Prichard. “At the same time, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and concerns about online misinformation are rising.” 

Professor Prichard is concerned that while many online posts appear to promote health messages, many of the presenters – who are not qualified health professionals – are encouraging an increasingly rigid and perfectionistic set of standards around eating. 

“Healthy eating should be flexible, enjoyable and sustainable. Wellbeing should not be defined by perfection, restriction or appearance. And what society sells us as ‘healthy’ should reflect the balanced nature of health.” 

Professor Prichard notes there is currently limited evidence to guide individuals, health professionals, educators, policymakers and social media platforms on how to reduce the harms of inaccurate information about healthy behaviour and body image.  

The aim of Flinders University research is to provide evidence that will help social media users seeking reliable health and fitness information, and will protect people who are vulnerable to body image concerns. 

“Ultimately, the goal of our research is to help people engage with social media in ways that support, rather than undermine, their physical and mental health,” she says. “We want to overcome social media posts that ignore the reality that health is influenced by many factors, including genetics, lifestyle, culture and personal circumstances. There is no single diet or fitness plan that works for everyone.” 

Anyone needing support with eating disorders or body image issues is encouraged to contact: 

• Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (1800 ED HOPE) or support@butterfly.org.au   
• Eating Disorders Helpline on 1300 550 23 
• South Australian Statewide Eating Disorder Service (SEDS) on (08) 7117 8800
• For urgent support call Lifeline 13 11 14