In the modern world, fitness/health recommendations and tips swarm the media influencing communities.

Often people follow these popular trends because they believe are accurate and effective. Many of these trends are not proven to be evidence-based which could lead people astray from a long-term solution to their fitness and health goals. Certified Personal Training, CPT, ensures that every trainer understands the current effective and evidence-based practices. As a student training to become a personal trainer, I am sharing valuable information from my course to encourage and lead you to reach your health and fitness goals.

Social media is the primary information center for those seeking to grow in health and fitness, but sadly, these resources are often inaccurate. In a survey conducted by Value Penguin, 61% of Americans have searched for health topics on social media. For millennials, the percentage is even higher, 69% (Davis). Value Penguin also found that half of social media users don't check the credentials of the person sharing the information. In a study conducted to measure the accuracy of common health trends found in the media, researchers found that almost half were found to have both a low quality and accuracy (Denniss, et al.). In fact, a recent study conducted by researchers found that health information on TikTok was 2% accurate information (Mayer). Two percent is very concerning as many people take their health and fitness advice from social media outlets like TikTok.

"The dark side of social media health advice is the rampant misinformation," Divya Sangameshwar, Value Penguin health insurance expert says. It may not be realistic and healthy to ignore all advice on health and fitness in media, but it would be in your best interest to check the credentials of where you are getting your information. It also may be helpful to see if the diet or type of workout plan is proven to be effective and healthy by ensuring it is evidence-based. Some evidence-based resources include:

• The United States Food and Drug Administration

• Food and nutrient databases from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

• National Institutes of Health

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The bottom line is to be aware of where you are getting your information from when you are seeking to grow in health and fitness: check the credentials of your resources and make sure the workouts and diets are well-researched.

Be Well, Auburn.

Resources:

Davis, Maggie. “61% of Social Media Users Have Used These Platforms for Health Research — and Many Aren’t Checking Creator Credentials.” Value Penguin, 29 Jan. 2024, www.valuepenguin.com/online-health-research-survey

Denniss, E., Lindberg, R., & McNaughton, S. A. (2023). Quality and accuracy of online nutrition-related information: a systematic review of content analysis studies. Public health nutrition, 26(7), 1345–1357. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023000873

Mayer, Beth Ann. “Only 2% of TikTok Diet Trends Are Accurate: 5 Things to Know.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 25 Apr. 2024, www.healthline.com/health-news/tiktok-diet-trends-inaccurate#Takeaway.