YDS is supported by Microcosm Coaching and Fly Nutrition.

Should you trust fitness influencers? From ancient Roman gladiators shilling olive oil to today's #fitspo accounts pushing supplements, humans have always been influenced—but social media has supercharged it. Studies show the people we interact with online can have real, measurable impacts on our mental and physical health—and athletes are especially vulnerable.

In this episode, Kylee and Zoë unpack why health misinformation spreads so fast, who's most susceptible to influence, and the documented harms of scrolling through heavily filtered images and dubious nutrition advice. We trace the history of endorsement culture, break down the psychology of why we trust strangers on the internet, and offer tools to protect yourself without deleting every app.

If you've ever felt worse about your body or your fueling after 10 minutes on Instagram, this episode is your antidote.

References

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Ivanka Prichard, Eliza Kavanagh, Kate E. Mulgrew, Megan S.C. Lim, Marika Tiggemann,

The effect of Instagram #fitspiration images on young women’s mood, body image, and exercise behaviour, Body Image, Volume 33, 2020, Pages 1-6, ISSN 1740-1445, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.002. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144519302578)

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Yu Wu, Jane Harford, Jasmine Petersen, Ivanka Prichard,

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