A Sea of Misinformation: Navigating Nutrition Recommendations on Social Media

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Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, oh my! We all likely are involved in social media to some extent. While social media is a fun way to connect with friends and family and get the scoop on what's up with celebrities or other prominent societal figures, it's also a dangerous place with unregulated nutrition information that is often not evidence-based (4).  As nutrition professionals, we probably find it easy to navigate and filter out information we know to be false - but our future clients aren’t as fortunate. Let’s go over 3 common issues related to social media and nutrition information, and how you can support those you know on how to identify fact from fiction. 


            


  1. The ever-mentioned algorithm

Something I’ve noticed on my own social media is that the algorithm is very effective at pulling information that you are interested in as it learns from your interactions with content. Take TikTok as an example, I was fed a whole page of content from RDNs after typing “nutrition” into the search bar. This is due to my interaction with videos created by RDNs on the app. Other people who don’t have knowledge on nutrition may have a different perspective on nutrition due to the algorithm they have from interaction with videos and content creators that do not disperse valid information and evidence-based content. 

  • Telling people to look for RD or RDN credentials on creators that are talking about nutrition can be a good first start to increasing nutrition knowledge. 

  • Lay out the difference between a certified nutritionist and an RDN. Be cautious when viewing information produced by certified nutritionists as the education level and practice experience varies. Not all will give valid advice and information. Viewing RDN content can help minimize potential misinformation (1). 

  • Be cautious of “What I Eat in a Day” videos. These videos can often begin with body checks and potentially depict unhealthy eating behaviors such as calorie or macronutrient restriction. Just because a creator looks good physically does not mean if you eat like them, you will look like them. Multiple recent studies have examined the effect social media can have on body image and nutrition knowledge (2, 3).


  1. Ads, Ads, Ads

Ads are everywhere we look, even if we aren’t directly on social media. Ads are present on other platforms such as through a simple google search, viewing a webpage, or even just walking through town in stores and on billboards. It’s important to look into the ads we are interested in further before believing what they promote. Encourage people to do some of their own research on the product advertised such as a simple investigation of the website connected to the product.

  •  Ask yourself if there is research to support the effectiveness of the product or service and if the information on the product clearly directs you to it.

  • Are there frivolous health claims? “Lose weight fast!!!” or “Get a flat tummy in one week” are just two examples of claims that can help your clients identify if something is too good to be true. 


  1. “So and so said…”

We all have likely been having a conversation with someone about nutrition and they mention something like “this celebrity said to use this for weight loss” or “I saw this one doctor recommend the keto diet on this page”. As nutrition professionals, we need to make it clear that not all nutrition information you see on social media is true just because of someone’s status or role. 

  • RDNs need to solidify ourselves as THE food and nutrition experts, potentially through more of a presence and information distribution on social media in our role (1). 


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References:

  1. Kabata, P., Winniczuk-Kabata, D., Kabata, P. M., Jaśkiewicz, J., & Połom, K. (2022). Can social media profiles be a reliable source of information on nutrition and dietetics? Healthcare, 10(2), 397. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020397

  2. Klassen, K., Douglass, C., Brennan, L., Truby, H., & Lim, M. S. C. (2018). Social media use for nutrition outcomes in young adults: a mixed-methods systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-018-0696-y

  3. Rounsefell, K., Gibson, S., McLean, S. A., Blair, M., Molenaar, A., Brennan, L., Truby, H., & McCaffrey, T. A. (2019). Social media, body image and food choices in healthy young adults: A mixed methods systematic review. Nutrition & Dietetics, 77(1), 19–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12581

4. Wang, Y., McKee, M., Torbica, A., & Stuckler, D. (2019). Systematic literature review on the spread of health-related misinformation on social media. Social Science & Medicine, 240, 112552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112552

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