"An influencer pops up with a "what I eat in a day" post-the perfect-looking meals have no carbs, few calories. Another influencer tries to humorously share their night out partying, and a mom shows how she needs wine to get through the day. Ads for fitness programs fill your feed, promising that "you can fix your life in 3 simple steps!" The next day, a coworker talks about the new diet they want to start;"
"Social media offers a space for connection and community, but it simultaneously exposes users to harmful forces such as diet culture and unrealistic beauty ideals. Diet culture attracts people with the promise of health and happiness, but, in reality, it often delivers shame, guilt, and anxiety around food and weight. Reports of supplements, fitness trends, and dieting tricks are designed to exploit consumers' insecurities and turn low self-esteem into profit."
Social media floods feeds with curated food and lifestyle posts that promote restrictive diets, alcohol normalization, and quick-fix fitness ads. Influencers share "what I eat in a day" posts, party content, and celebrity diet endorsements that amplify unrealistic beauty ideals. Diet culture markets products and plans by demonizing foods, fat-shaming, and exploiting insecurities to turn low self-esteem into profit. The wellness market topped $160 billion in 2024 and is predicted to reach $360 billion by 2034 (Finklea, 2025). Teens who are heavy users of social media face double the risk of developing eating disorders. Eating and substance use disorders frequently co-occur, compounding health risks.
Read at Psychology Today
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