Is Social Media Spreading Diet Misinformation?
In a review article published in the journal Nutrición Hospitalaria, the authors discuss the type and frequency of nutrition-related misinformation spread across various social media platforms. This review article highlights the need for collaborative efforts between public health institutions and healthcare professionals to promote authentic health information and education on social media, with a particular focus on improving digital literacy and proactively countering misinformation.
Background: TikTok’s rising influence sees 1 in 5 nutrition posts promoting unverified “detox teas” and fasting routines, targeting Gen Z users with before-and-after body image trends.
Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with millions of people using various social media platforms every moment for communication, recreation, information gathering, and sharing views and opinions. Among various social media platforms, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok have emerged as the most powerful platforms for discussing political views, promoting health behaviors, discussing healthcare practices, and spreading information on the perceived health benefits of different dietary patterns. One major problem related to social media use is the lack of content regulation, which often leads to the rapid spread of misinformation to a large, diverse audience. Such malpractice is particularly harmful when it comes to health and nutrition, as people’s trust in misinformation on these topics can lead to significant public health crises.
Excerpted from News Medical Life Sciences
