Every time you open social media it seems like there is a new food trend, an influencer telling you something you eat is bad for you, or a fitness guru pushing a new supplement. With all the polarizing views, contrasting opinions, how do you sort through what’s real and what's BS? Here’s some tips to help you sort through all the information out there.
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Do they have something to gain?
Look at who is sharing this information and if that could create a bias on the information they’re sharing. Is it a fitness influencer telling you carbohydrates shouldn’t be consumed, but you look in their bio and they’re selling a keto cookbook? Or is it a physical therapist breaking down an exercise to show how it works on an anatomical level? One of those has a clear bias, and you should look critically at the information shared.
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Is there a click bait claim?
In our world that is all about views, click bait titles and wild claims are often red flags. A claim like ‘this detox will help you lose fat without exercising’’ or ‘the key to being lean no one is telling you about’ should trigger some alarm bells. If the claim seems out of this world, there is a good chance it is. Quality nutrition and health science research is very difficult, takes time, and most of the time is not that exciting of a headline for the general public.
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Do they share reliable evidence?
Social media is often just showing one part of the story. When there is a claim regarding health it's important to see if they share reliable evidence to support this claim. Anecdotal report from the one person sharing this claim isn’t strong evidence. And, if the claim does share research from reputable, peer-reviewed journals, you can also take a look at the articles to ensure the claims conclusions match what the research says.
Next time you’re scrolling and see a shocking health video, take these tips into consideration, and decide if digesting that nutrition information is worth your time, or a scroll.
