As viral trends on Instagram and YouTube push dangerous "miracle diets," a new study exposes how misinformation worsens orthorexia and COVID-19 risks — and why doctors are urging a social media shakeup to save lives.
Study: Disinformation about diet and nutrition on social networks: a review of the literature. Image Credit: Greatbjoernf / Shutterstock
In a review article published in the journal Nutrición Hospitalaria, the authors discuss the type and frequency of nutrition-related misinformation spread across various social media platforms. This review article highlights the need for collaborative efforts between public health institutions and healthcare professionals to promote authentic health information and education on social media, with a particular focus on improving digital literacy and proactively countering misinformation.
Background
Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with millions of people using various social media platforms every moment for communication, recreation, information gathering, and sharing views and opinions. Among various social media platforms, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok have emerged as the most powerful platforms for discussing political views, promoting health behaviors, discussing healthcare practices, and spreading information on the perceived health benefits of different dietary patterns. One major problem related to social media use is the lack of content regulation, which often leads to the rapid spread of misinformation to a large, diverse audience. Such malpractice is particularly harmful when it comes to health and nutrition, as people’s trust in misinformation on these topics can lead to significant public health crises.
Considering the quality and reliability of health information spread on social media and its impact on public health, a team of Spanish researchers conducted this systematic review of the literature to explore the type and frequency of health- and nutrition-related misinformation spread on various social media platforms.
Systematic Review Design
This systematic review analyzed preexisting studies focusing on nutrition-related misinformation on various social media platforms, including Instagram, X, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. These studies were published between January 2017 and June 2024. The authors analyzed 28 studies (selected from an initial pool of 673 articles), encompassing more than 2 million Instagram posts, 1,000 YouTube videos, and 46,000 tweets, aiming to identify social media platforms most frequently associated with misinformation spreading and the contents predominately appearing in the sources of misinformation.
Review Findings
The systematic analysis of selected studies revealed that Instagram (50%) and YouTube (39.28%) are the most frequently used platforms for spreading nutrition-related misinformation, whereas Facebook (18.75%), X (10.72%), and TikTok (5.13%) are the least prevalent platforms for the same purpose. Various factors were associated with spreading misinformation, including brand promotion by YouTubers, gaining popularity (more likes and views), and targeted efforts by influencers to attract specific demographics, such as women with low self-esteem.
The review included a section on ‘miracle diets,’ which claim to cure various health conditions within a short period of time without providing any scientific evidence. These types of diets are also commonly known as ‘superfoods’ or ‘healthy diets.’ The analysis of studies focusing on such diets indicated that Instagram is the most prevalent source of information on miracle diets (64.70% of studies), followed by YouTube (41.17%), X (29.41%), and Facebook (21.12%). Studies addressing misinformation related to miracle diets also mentioned different health conditions, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), orthorexia, gout, osteoporosis, renal disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease. COVID-19 and orthorexia were the most frequently mentioned pathologies (14.28% each) in these studies. These observations highlight the association of these diseases with the promotion of miracle diets, primarily aiming to take advantage of people suffering from these conditions.
YouTube and X were the most prevalent sources (54.54% each) of nutritional misinformation related to different pathologies, followed by Instagram (27.27%) and Facebook (11.75%).
Significance
This review article provides a comprehensive overview of nutrition-related misinformation on various social media platforms, which can potentially increase long-term health risks and trigger public health crises. The review identifies the prominent role of audiovisual social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube in spreading misinformation on nutrition and diet. These platforms are particularly popular among younger people, who are easily attracted to visual representations of interactive content.
This shift in user preference from text-based to audiovisual representations reflects the suitability of these platforms for promoting and spreading nutrition-related misinformation, which can modulate users' health behaviors and increase their risk of developing physical and mental disorders. The review emphasizes the role of influencers and content creators in driving nutrition misinformation, noting how many promote branded health products or unverified diet plans—often without scientific backing—to engage audiences and boost visibility.
The review finds a strong connection between miracle diets and orthorexia (an unhealthy obsession with food quality), which is particularly concerning as the rapid health improvement claims made by miracle diets can potentially shift the food preference of high-risk people toward unrealistic and unhealthy dietary ideas and further worsen eating disorders they are already experiencing.
The review also finds an induction of misinformation spread on various social media platforms during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, a surge in misinformation about diet-based COVID-19 prevention methods was observed, particularly on Instagram and X. However, the study also noted that credible nutrition content from healthcare professionals and academic organizations increased in visibility, reinforcing the importance of making reliable sources more accessible. The study further notes a concerning decline in public interest in the Mediterranean diet, a pattern exacerbated by misleading trends on social platforms.
Considering the benefits of accurate health information, these observations also highlight the need for increasing the visibility of credible sources to social media users. Healthcare professionals, in particular, are urged to leverage social media to disseminate evidence-based guidance and counteract harmful narratives. Overall, this review provides a robust foundation for addressing the challenges posed by nutrition-related misinformation on social networks.