WHAT a shock - people looking to social media for health inspiration are being misled, according to new University of South Australia research.
Scientists undertook an audit of the "leading Instagram fitspiration accounts," in which influencers claim to inspire better lifestyles, finding that almost two thirds of the top 100 influencers published "dubious fitness information" while around a quarter presented hyper-sexualised content, nudity or objectification.
Lead researcher Dr Rachel Curtis noted that popular fitness inspiration hashtags such as #fitspiration and #fitspo feature in over 100 million posts, adding that "the lack of reliable, credible health and fitness content on a platform with more than 1.3 billion users globally is concerning".
The UniSA scientists said if credible accounts can be identified, they might present an avenue for wide-reaching, public health campaigns to promote physical activity.
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