Identifying Health and Fitness B.S. on the Internet
5 minute read!
It’s almost impossible to scroll through your socials these days without being hit with the latest health and fitness “education” and trends.
Although some small number of people have poor intentions, most people have good intentions and truly believe in the information that they’re putting out there. Sadly, a lot of those well-intentioned people are still telling you to cut whole food groups or macronutrients out of your diet or stand on a bosu ball while you squat with a barbell on your back.
Your social media and search engines are more interested in clicks and engagement than getting to the truth. It’s important to sift through this never ending content with a skeptical view to avoid spending your hard-earned money unnecessarily or just avoid the inevitable disappointment in the end when you’re not seeing the results that you were promised.
Here are some key red flags to look for from individuals or organizations when you’re going through the health and fitness content out there:
1. They speak in absolutes.
“You MUST do [insert some trending diet or exercise routine here] to achieve [insert some vague or specific health and fitness goal here]”.
Or
“You should NEVER eat [insert some macronutrient or particular food here]”.
People who truly know what they’re talking about rarely speak in absolutes. They tend to use words like “likely”, “generally”, and “typically” over words like “always”, and “never”.
2. They identify with the information they’re telling you.
You know I have to bring up the Liver King here… If the person’s handle on Instagram or Tiktok is associated with a particular product, diet, supplement, exercise routine (ie. HIIT), etc, just run the other way.
These identities really tend to help people market themselves and sell their products/services, but only while that specific thing is trending. It shows the viewer an “all-in” perspective that makes them seem more trustworthy and knowledgeable. The total opposite is true in most cases.
Which brings me to my next point.
3. They never change their stance.
Most people who align their identity with a particular diet, exercise program, or supplement are usually willing to die on the sword they live by, regardless of any counter evidence to their claims. They’ll never change that IG handle. Once they’ve been debunked over and over again by the scientific community, they tend to stick to their guns.
Look for people who change their viewpoints over time based on the best evidence available. Now this doesn’t mean that all the information that’s put out there should be coming directly from a published study. A truly evidence-based health and fitness professional uses scientific research, professional experience, and the perspective of their clients/audience.
4. Their expertise is outside of the domain they’re teaching you about.
Ahh yes, the chiropractor who wants to teach you about your hormone imbalances and how their supplement stack subscription will cure you. Because why would you go to an endocrinologist about the high cortisol you think you have because you scrolled through TikTok one day and an immaculate looking influencer told you that if you have any symptom of any kind for any amount of time that your cortisol levels are off balance.
Many people with expertise in one domain will gravitate towards whatever topic is trending on the internet. That’s not to say that a person with expertise in one domain can’t develop a good understanding in another. But, typically their intentions are to gravitate towards the areas where more money is being spent in the industry.
Take a look at the credentials of the person you’re listening to or reading from.
5. The information is too good to be true.
Balance your optimism about the information you’re consuming with realism and skepticism. Many people in this industry will make outrageous claims about how much impact their exercise routine or supplement stack will have on your results.
If the outcome seems too good to be true then it probably is!
6. They are selling you a product, supplement, or coaching service.
Finally, not the worst one in the world. In fact, many educators out there sell a coaching service or may be affiliated with products and supplements. Just be aware when they dismiss other perspectives, products, or services that might work just as well or better.
Anyway, if you’re looking to elevate your training I’ve got some online fitness coaching in the works. Stay tuned! Shameless plug, I might add.
The fact that we have access to so much information, and especially now with AI in the mix, is a wonderful thing.
Keep a realistic and skeptical viewpoint, especially when scrolling through your socials.
Pro-tip: avoid confirmation bias by avoiding leading questions that prompt a desired answer. For example, instead of searching “does sugar make you fat” try “how does sugar impact body weight”. For an even better perspective, attempt to look for information that directly opposes your current beliefs. You may find that your current beliefs can blind you from some good quality learning.
Later people,
Jamie