WHEN MENTAL HEALTH TAKES A BEATING
There are instances, though, where social media has been a source of support for people who want to be healthier, provided they understand that being healthy does not mean simply losing weight.
For Miss Ng, the 19-year-old with anorexia, even though social media led her down a path of self-destruction, it also helped her find a way out, as she found and followed mental health advocates online.
One of these is 22-year-old Ro Mitchell, a UK-based influencer who promotes having a healthy relationship with food, among other things. She has more than 203,000 followers on her Instagram page.
Social media experts acknowledged that there are influencers who advocate healthy diets as well as body-positive and well-meaning fitness content. Body-positive content encourages users to appreciate their bodies regardless of size or shape, rather than fixating on unrealistic beauty standards.
Yet, even on such positive and uplifting accounts, there can be toxicity – in the comments.
For example, CNA TODAY found several body-positive social media influencers on Instagram who received comments from people shaming them for being fat. These comments then received hundreds of “likes” or approval from other users.
And even if the content creator might be steeled against such hurtful remarks, other users scrolling through the post might not.
Dr Chua the clinical psychologist said: “The salience of these comments lead people to believe that these comments reflect what the public believes.”
Studies have shown that people with body image concerns are also more likely to recognise, remember and apply these negative comments to themselves, she added.
In other cases, content creators or internet users with good intentions might want to help others maintain certain diets, but inadvertently pressure them.
One example would be Facebook groups for people who subscribe to the Keto diet – a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet. Such a diet can have health benefits when done in moderation, but it is not recommended for everyone because it is not balanced.
Ms Chew the nutritionist said: “In these Facebook groups, people who follow Keto diets might share their meals and give comments on how a meal could be better. This is often framed in a professional manner, with claims of science and specifics on calories and ideal eating hours.
“But sometimes, it creates this pressure that if you do not follow their advice, you will fail to lose weight. That makes people feel guilty, and these strict diet restrictions can lead people who cannot keep up to begin binge-eating.”
Binge-eating is a type of eating disorder, where people overeat despite feeling full.
CAN YOU LOSE WEIGHT SAFELY WITH ONLINE ADVICE?
With the internet and social media being a source of information for most people, how does one discern what to follow and what to ignore?
Experts said that there are some telltale signs of poor advice. They include:
- Suggestions to stop or restrict eating an entire food group
- Diets that sound too good to be true, such as promising extreme weight loss quickly
- Posts that use words such as “detox” or “reset your metabolism”
- Suggestions to buy supplements and products to lose weight
Instead of relying on social media, online users can head to HealthHub, run by national health technology agency Synapxe, and hospital websites, which serve as reliable sources of information.
Ms Chew said that people interested in having a deeper understanding of diets should turn to scientific journals.
The Cochrane Library, for instance, has plain language summaries that make scientific jargon easier to understand.
Know this: Losing weight rapidly can be dangerous. The experts said that most adults should lose not more than 0.5kg to 1kg a week – this is the rate at which fat loss is most likely and muscle mass is retained.
The safest way to lose weight safely? Get advice from a professional face-to-face.
Ms Charlotte Lin, head of dietetics at the National University Hospital, said that it is important to do this, especially because some people may have medical conditions or should not even lose weight in the first place.
“Some people think they must lose weight, but their weight and BMI is normal. If they lose more weight, it might be detrimental to their health,” she added.
“In addition, for some people who are undergoing medical treatment such as cancer treatment, and are slightly overweight, it may not be the best time for them to lose weight. So it’s best for them to speak to their physician to see if this is safe for them medically.”
For reference, accredited nutritionists and dietitians can be found on the website of the Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics Association, Ms Chew said.
