In today’s era, food influencers often post videos on social media with the theme of “What I Eat in a Day,” showcasing their bodies in sportswear and listing all the foods they consume. While these videos may seem harmless, they can actually reinforce negative ideas about food, weight, and body image, posing potential harm to viewers.
Catherine Houlihan, a senior lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, wrote on The Conversation website about the dangers she witnessed firsthand when collaborating with individuals with eating disorders who had watched these types of videos.
She mentioned that these videos have been popular for over a decade with billions of views, targeting both male and female audiences under the guise of promoting health and nutrition. However, the drawbacks of such videos outweigh the benefits.
Houlihan pointed out that among these influencers, few have formal certifications in health or nutrition, increasing the likelihood of spreading misinformation. They often advocate for low-calorie diets, exclusion of certain food groups, or promote “clean eating.” Some even endorse dangerous behaviors such as not eating, restricting intake, or using laxatives to purge food.
Moreover, they convey harmful messages about body image. Many of these videos use beauty filters to create unrealistic body standards.
These videos typically showcase the influencers in head-on, side profile, gym, and form-fitting clothing shots. Some even include “before and after weight loss” photos, portraying an unrealistic ideal that everyone should aspire to achieve.
The underlying message is clear: “Eat what I eat for a day, and you can look like me.” However, this is not just a dangerous but entirely inaccurate notion.
Understanding what someone else eats in a day does not mean that following suit will make you look like them. In fact, a 24-hour food intake record from one person cannot accurately provide information about their nutritional health, let alone give insights into your own health.
Houlihan emphasized that just like health, everyone’s nutritional needs are unique and may vary daily. What is considered “healthy” for one person may be entirely different for another, depending on factors such as genetics, environment, age, medical history, food preferences, and energy expenditure.
The relationship between health and diet is best viewed over time rather than solely relying on data from a single day. Judging your own dietary intake based on others’ eating habits is unlikely to improve your health and may even worsen your overall well-being.
If you frequently watch these videos and notice yourself engaging in or experiencing any of the following five things, you should be alert:
– Eating disorders: Symptoms like eating below your body’s needs, skipping meals, avoiding certain foods, binge eating, and purging may lead to severe mental health issues.
– Low moods: Watching videos promoting low-calorie diets can worsen your mood, making you feel disheartened after comparing yourself to others.
– Negative body image: Research suggests that watching “What I Eat in a Day” videos can make individuals feel worse about their bodies and less appreciative of their appearance.
– Obsessive thoughts and anxiety: Excessively pursuing “perfect” dietary habits can exacerbate anxiety about food and eating. Encouraging meticulous ways to obtain nutrients, such as breaking down meals into components like carbohydrates and proteins or weighing food, can intensify obsessive thoughts.
– Narrowed focus in life: If your social media is inundated with such videos, you may overly emphasize the importance of food, diet, and body image for your self-worth. This ultimately affects your health and happiness.
Houlihan urged people to understand that these videos are not tailored to your individual health or nutritional needs and contain much harmful content. It is advisable to steer clear of videos endorsing eating disorders, idealized aesthetic standards, or videos that leave you feeling uncomfortable.
In conclusion, these videos offer little to no utility. They hardly provide any useful information to guide you towards achieving health or nutrition goals.
If you are considering changing your diet, be sure to consult qualified professionals, such as certified practicing dietitians, who can understand your situation and monitor any risks.