In the realm of social media focused on wellness, influencers often suggest various treatments and products to aid in weight loss, combat fatigue, or achieve other health goals. While some of these recommendations may be beneficial, many align with trends lacking substantial evidence to support their claims, according to medical professionals.
Certain influencers advocate for avoiding specific foods, like seed oils, while others advocate for embracing particular diets such as the meat-heavy carnivore diet. Promotional videos may feature products like berberine, touted as “nature’s Ozempic,” and non-medical IV vitamin therapy marketed as hangover or fatigue remedies by establishments known as drip bars.
While alternative health practices have long been part of popular culture, the abundance of online advice has prompted calls for caution and has gained some level of acceptance in mainstream discourse. For instance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former U.S. health secretary, had his Instagram account suspended in 2021 for sharing misinformation on vaccine safety and COVID-19. However, his ideas still have a substantial following. Dr. Mehmet Oz, known for sometimes making misleading claims on his talk show, now faces criticism as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
A recent Netflix series highlighted the story of Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who falsely claimed to cure her terminal brain cancer with a healthy lifestyle and alternative medicine. Gibson later admitted to fabricating her cancer diagnosis and was fined by Australia’s federal court for not donating proceeds as promised.
Given the prevalence of personal wellness discussions online, health experts suggest approaching online content with caution. When influencers endorse products, it’s important to remember that they often have financial partnerships with companies and may benefit from promoting certain items. Research has shown that many posts on Instagram and TikTok discussing medical tests were misleading and failed to mention potential harms.
In particular, promoting dietary supplements has proven to be a profitable practice, but it’s essential for consumers to be discerning when considering purchasing such products based on social media recommendations.
Timothy Caulfield, a health policy and law professor at the University of Alberta, warns that many influencers in the supplements industry are contributing to health misinformation targeted at consumers, generating significant revenue. He believes that the prevalence of supplement sales has become a red flag for questionable health claims.
Cedric Bryant, CEO of the American Council on Exercise, advises consumers to approach bold claims with skepticism, as some influencers may prioritize engagement over factual accuracy. He cautions that if something sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
To ensure credibility, Bryant suggests verifying a creator’s certifications and credentials, particularly in the fitness field. It is recommended to cross-reference this information with official databases to confirm their qualifications.
Furthermore, consumers should be cautious of influencers endorsing products, even if they hold appropriate credentials, as brand partnerships and undisclosed conflicts of interest may influence their recommendations.
When evaluating health and diet claims, Elias Aboujaoude, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, advises cross-checking information with reputable sources and verifying cited studies for publication in respected journals and peer review.
Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian at the Mayo Clinic, emphasizes the importance of aligning health claims with evidence-based medical consensus and exercising caution when interpreting preliminary research findings.
She emphasized that just because the findings have not necessarily been replicated in other research does not mean that treatment methods can be deemed proven effective.
