In the new age of social media, influencers have become a big part of society and little celebrities in their own right. Most know Katie Fang, Alix Earl, and Nara Smith, but we won’t be talking about how problematic these specific influencers are; today we will speak about the toxicity of the weight loss side of the influencing scheme. From TikTok to Instagram and even Twitter or YouTube, these influencers push the glory of calorie deficits, miracle workouts, strange diets that ‘actually work!’ and becoming the so-called better version of you. On the outside, they may appear as motivating, inspirational, and helpful for some to start their own weight loss journey.
On the inside, though, it is really one big reincarnation of the model industry with the promotion of anorexia, unrealistic expectations, and a very damaging message that they’re oblivious to. The truth about these influencers that people put on such a high pedestal is simple: they are damaging everyone, especially the youth.
On the inside, though, it is really one big reincarnation of the model industry with the promotion of anorexia, unrealistic expectations, and a very damaging message that they’re oblivious to. The truth about these influencers that people put on such a high pedestal is simple: they are damaging everyone, especially the youth.
The biggest problem with these influencers is the promotion of anorexia and being underweight. Most of these people that young people are looking up to are not qualified at all to be giving out any advice about how to lose weight. Most have experienced losing weight, but all of their knowledge pretty much stops at that. They start seeing themselves as experts, believing that they are in the right position to be releasing misinformation about losing weight along the lines of toxic calorie restrictions and over-exercising. They say things like, “Drink three glasses of water before each meal to make yourself feel full quicker!”, “Stand up while you eat to burn calories!!”, or even “Exercise for at least five hours a day!” These ‘tips’ that they are handing out like food stamps aren’t the magic tool to losing fifty pounds that people think; they are a slippery slope to the deadliest disorder—one of the hardest to recover from at that. They promote these habits with no warning as if people will be able to see themselves the same after constantly tracking their calories, their steps, the calories in and calories out, and the cursed three-digit number on the scale. Anorexia is not, and will never be a silly trend to partake in for a few months just to recover from immediately. It is a life–changing experience that will drive you crazy for so much of your life.
Along the lines of anorexia comes the unrealistic expectations and imaginary insecurities these people come up with. We went from BBLs to Adriana Lima to Snejana Onopka, and the immediate switch will kill many people, especially young girls. Many of the influencers promoting weight loss also speak of how much more successful, happy, and healthy they are now. They upload these miracle before and afters while failing to mention the psychological toll that comes alongside it. While saying how much happier they are after their weight loss, they are subconsciously saying that your body equals your worth. They are saying that skinnier equals better. They push on these immature, fantasy insecurities: headphones waist, vuvuzela arms, leggings legs, and septum arms. All of these are things that are very unrealistic and/or genetic. It’s funny to me how they push on the amazing weight loss narrative, all while telling people these things as if intense weight loss won’t give people these “vuvuzela arms;” there is nothing wrong with having loose skin, or having fat anywhere on your body. Fat is needed on your body to survive. You will never have a ‘headphones waist’ or ‘leggings legs’ without the genes that determine those physical features. It all boils down to how you were born: with a small ribcage or wider hips. Trying to fit into something this unrealistic will ruin your life.
Influencers have now also pushed this narrative that the thinner, the better, regardless of health. Health is not the number seen on the scale, but rather the way our body feels and behaves. Sure, you might like the way you look at 5’10 and 95 pounds, but does your body appreciate the dizziness, the hair loss, the rotting teeth, the coldness, the shaking, the passing out, the brain fog, the isolating yourself, the anxiety, the brittle bones, the infertility, the headaches, and the constant guilt after eating anything? Instead of viewing these low weights as amazing and glorifying being 90s–model–skinny, when most of them did cocaine to get that way, maybe these toxic micro-celebrities can focus on promoting a healthy life-style. Healthy is not cutting out all sugar and eating three pieces of lettuce as your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Healthy is not caring about how many calories are in a certain product because ‘if it has more calories than what you weigh, why would you eat it?’. Healthy is eating what nourishes your body, and makes you happy before, during, and after eating it. Healthy is feeling strong, being able to think, and having a body that actually works. While some of these influencers may struggle with their own body image and might think what they’re doing is helping people, we can all agree that this trend is completely damaging to anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and not smiled at what they saw staring back at them.
Weight loss influencers have capitalized on people’s insecurities for too long while doing nothing but making them worse, both mentally and physically. Instead of the conversation being one of “the thinner, the better, your body determines your worth, and every calorie counts,” the conversation needs to be that your body is a temple that needs to be taken care of properly. The scale does not matter, the only thing that matters is that you are healthy. Healthy looks different for many people; it could be 105 pounds, or it could be 195. Your body is yours, and that Instagram model you just compared yourself to? That isn’t even her body, it’s sucking her in her stomach and cameras at the right angle.
Along the lines of anorexia comes the unrealistic expectations and imaginary insecurities these people come up with. We went from BBLs to Adriana Lima to Snejana Onopka, and the immediate switch will kill many people, especially young girls. Many of the influencers promoting weight loss also speak of how much more successful, happy, and healthy they are now. They upload these miracle before and afters while failing to mention the psychological toll that comes alongside it. While saying how much happier they are after their weight loss, they are subconsciously saying that your body equals your worth. They are saying that skinnier equals better. They push on these immature, fantasy insecurities: headphones waist, vuvuzela arms, leggings legs, and septum arms. All of these are things that are very unrealistic and/or genetic. It’s funny to me how they push on the amazing weight loss narrative, all while telling people these things as if intense weight loss won’t give people these “vuvuzela arms;” there is nothing wrong with having loose skin, or having fat anywhere on your body. Fat is needed on your body to survive. You will never have a ‘headphones waist’ or ‘leggings legs’ without the genes that determine those physical features. It all boils down to how you were born: with a small ribcage or wider hips. Trying to fit into something this unrealistic will ruin your life.
Influencers have now also pushed this narrative that the thinner, the better, regardless of health. Health is not the number seen on the scale, but rather the way our body feels and behaves. Sure, you might like the way you look at 5’10 and 95 pounds, but does your body appreciate the dizziness, the hair loss, the rotting teeth, the coldness, the shaking, the passing out, the brain fog, the isolating yourself, the anxiety, the brittle bones, the infertility, the headaches, and the constant guilt after eating anything? Instead of viewing these low weights as amazing and glorifying being 90s–model–skinny, when most of them did cocaine to get that way, maybe these toxic micro-celebrities can focus on promoting a healthy life-style. Healthy is not cutting out all sugar and eating three pieces of lettuce as your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Healthy is not caring about how many calories are in a certain product because ‘if it has more calories than what you weigh, why would you eat it?’. Healthy is eating what nourishes your body, and makes you happy before, during, and after eating it. Healthy is feeling strong, being able to think, and having a body that actually works. While some of these influencers may struggle with their own body image and might think what they’re doing is helping people, we can all agree that this trend is completely damaging to anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and not smiled at what they saw staring back at them.
Weight loss influencers have capitalized on people’s insecurities for too long while doing nothing but making them worse, both mentally and physically. Instead of the conversation being one of “the thinner, the better, your body determines your worth, and every calorie counts,” the conversation needs to be that your body is a temple that needs to be taken care of properly. The scale does not matter, the only thing that matters is that you are healthy. Healthy looks different for many people; it could be 105 pounds, or it could be 195. Your body is yours, and that Instagram model you just compared yourself to? That isn’t even her body, it’s sucking her in her stomach and cameras at the right angle.
I am not trying to bash anyone who is currently struggling with the hard battle of an eating disorder or body issues. If you feel as if you’re spiraling into a deep hole of intense dieting or weight loss, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. :).
You can contact the National Eating Disorders Helpline at (800) 931-2237 or text “NEDA” to 741741 for immediate support.
You can contact the National Eating Disorders Helpline at (800) 931-2237 or text “NEDA” to 741741 for immediate support.
