Social Media Is Making Eating Healthy More Confusing, Here Are Some Tips

Social Media is filled with life advice from 5 minute crafts to how to live a healthier lifestyle. However some information can be harmful or down right untrue. 

Briana Heaney spoke with Dietitian Gina Wood at the West Virginia University Extension to discuss navigating food and diet information on social media

Bri: So what are some ways that West Virginians can have a healthy and balanced diet?

Wood: You know, healthy eating obviously means different things to different people. But I think the easiest way, and the best way to have a balanced diet is to eat a wide variety of foods. Obviously, lots of vegetables and fruit, lean protein sources, low fat dairy, if you in fact, include dairy in your diet, and whole grains.

Bri: There is a lot, and a growing amount, of information out there on social media, about, you know, eating this food, not that. How can people navigate that space and use that information in a way that empowers them instead of a way that, you know, might contribute to worse habits?

Wood: Sure. So I think obviously, understanding that there is a difference between the two terms registered dietitian and nutritionist. In many states, nutritionist is not a protected term, so that term registered dietitian is protected in most states. So looking for social media accounts from registered dieticians, you know that that person is licensed and credentialed, to practice nutrition, which is not always the case with the term nutritionist. So being aware of that, I think, is one way. Following social media accounts that are government based, so from the USDA, or my plate. 

Bri: If I just go through, and I’ve seen different videos saying all kinds of things like you shouldn’t eat apples, because there’s poison in the seeds, or you shouldn’t drink milk, because there is something wrong with milk, or you should drink raw milk because it’s actually healthier for you than normal milk. I mean there is just so much stuff out there that it can almost become paralyzing, you almost feel like no matter what you do, you’re doing something wrong. And then you just almost don’t even know how to move forward from there. So do you have any advice for people who feel like they are kind of stuck in that space right now?

Wood: Yeah, I think, you know, try to avoid consuming media that demonizes a particular food or a particular food group. You know, those things are rarely reputable. But again, be careful of the accounts that you follow. 

Bri: Sometimes you’ll see posts saying, there is this ingredient in this food or there is this chemical in this food, and it is toxic to humans. How do you stay safe?

Wood: Dosing is important. I mean, just as an example, some of our fat soluble vitamins, which we need for good health can be toxic in really, really high doses. So looking at USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) sources of information, for the levels of nutrients that could be considered toxic at exceptionally high doses, would be the place to look. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has a list of ingredients that are called G.R.A.S or generally recognized as safe. 

Bri: You’ll see on social media, all kinds of different advice from ways to lose weight or just advice on how to eat, when to eat, what to eat. Again, how do people navigate this landscape of information? 

Wood: Yeah, so I would be asking yourself, you know, what foods make my body feel good and energized. Right? It’s not always about the number on this scale. So before embarking on any major changes to your current dietary habits, I would be asking, What am I eating now? You know, what kind of quantities and frequencies are I eating these foods in? In addition to the number on the scale, How’s my blood pressure? How is my cholesterol? How is my blood sugar? How do I feel? Do I feel healthy? Do I feel energized? Do I feel vibrant? Or do I feel sluggish? And like I have a lack of energy or, or motivation to be active. You know, those are sort of the fundamental questions. Should I really be looking online for alternate dietary information? Do I really need to change anything? and then if you feel like you need to make some changes then look for myplate.gov look for information from the USDA.gov websites are the ones that are going to provide you with reliable information.