By: Olivia Visser, Opinions Editor
Content warning: mentions of eating disorders and body dysmorphia
Social media is a useful tool that connects like-minded people, but it also has the potential to cause massive damage. In recent years, online fitness communities have been growing in popularity. If you’re an Instagram user, I’m sure you’ve at some point been bombarded by questionable “what I eat in a day” videos, or advice for getting six-pack abs. I’m someone who believes fitness is for anyone who’s interested in moving their body. It can take many forms, from commuting by bike, to weight lifting, or taking casual walks. Toxic fitness culture on social media discourages people from trying new activities, and contributes to an uptick in self-esteem issues and mental illnesses like body dysmorphia.
A large number of fitness influencers take self-improvement to the extreme, which sends the message that you can never be happy enough with your achievements. It’s concerning to see active and healthy individuals feel the need to subscribe to intensive workout programs or fad diets. Samantha Lego told Insider Magazine that after a 12-week workout program, the excitement of her new body was short-lived. She found herself panicking after eating food, and obsessing over feeling bloated.
I see this often on social media: influencers sharing tips for dealing with “bloating,” and only showing off their bodies before meals. Your stomach is supposed to increase in size throughout the day, but fitness culture sells the idea of a flat stomach that’s simply unattainable for most. These ideas have incredibly damaging effects for social media users. More and more people are engaging in restrictive patterns of eating and exercise, which can often be categorized as an eating disorder. Body dysmorphia, a mental illness causing preoccupation with physical appearance, is also on the rise among young people. Surely, it doesn’t help when influencers share how little they eat in a day to stay small.
Another concerning aspect of Instagram fitness culture is its reliance on pseudo-scientific claims or insignificant lifestyle changes that will supposedly transform your existence. It’s unsurprising that pyramid schemes and health scams are finding their way onto fitness influencers’ pages. From users selling useless and dangerous “detox teas,” to scamming people with expensive workout programs, it’s clear this space has some serious issues with misinformation. We should use utmost caution when we see non-professionals sharing medical advice, or making grandiose claims.
Popular media’s characterization of fitness is exclusionary. It leaves out fat and disabled people, many of whom are physically active. It can perpetuate shame for those who have less of a desire to be active, or do so in unconventional ways. It’s also a very white-dominated arena. Many people of colour and Indigenous people face access barriers and racism in fitness spaces. That’s not to mention the barriers faced by queer and trans folk and disabled people when it comes to fitness environments. Social media isn’t much better in terms of representation for marginalized people.
Physical activity is a great way to feel in tune with your body. Because of this, we should promote fitness for everyone who’s willing and able. Social media sells the idea of a dream body at the expense of physical and mental well-being, which has immeasurable consequences for vulnerable users. Body positivity was a big thing a few years back, and now we’re seeing the emergence of what’s known as “body neutrality.” Intuitive eating counselor Anne Poirier described body neutrality as “prioritizing the body’s function and what it can do rather than its appearance.” While both schools of thought have their use, society would undoubtedly benefit from a reduced emphasis on physical appearance.
