TikTok fitspo videos of diet tricks, workouts being shared by unqualified influencers, study finds

From influencers promising you can lose weight fast with a certain drink to people sharing their non-negotiable gym StairMaster routine, social media is filled with beautiful bodies.

So-called “fitspiration” videos can be difficult to avoid and are what some impressionable young people are turning to for guidance on effective diet and exercise behaviours.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: The TikTok fitness fad harming people’s minds and bodies.

But these “fitspiration” videos often share bogus and potentially harmful health information, new research has revealed.

Flinders University researchers analysed a sample of 200 videos on TikTok, most of which were posted by fitness influencers, and found 60 per cent presented incorrect or harmful information.

Lead author PhD student Samantha Pryde said the study highlighted concern about triggering and misleading information portrayed by unqualified influencers and called for greater scrutiny of the TikTok fitness community.

“Ninety-five per cent of the people who were posting the videos didn’t actually state they have a relevant nutrition or fitness credential,” she told …