A recent study by Dublin City University and MyFitnessPal found that only 2.1% of nutritional content on TikTok is accurate when compared to public health and nutrition guidelines. This alarming statistic highlights a pressing need for better digital health literacy. But how does misinformation about nutrition work, and why is it so widespread?

Misinformation is broadly defined as the unintentional sharing of false, inaccurate or misleading information. Depending on the context, misinformation might spread more or less easily and will have different ramifications. Nutrition misinformation comes with its own specificities, making it particularly prone to the fast spread of misinformation.

One reason is that nutrition affects people directly and personally, which increases vulnerability to misleading information. On social media, it’s easy for almost anyone to proclaim themselves an expert, especially in fields like nutrition, where online courses can get you a certificate over just a weekend. A confident delivery, generally combined with a fit appearance, is more likely to get engagement and inspire trust than the more nuanced and less definitive advice offered by qualified professionals.

Not only is nutrition misinformation abundant, it also spreads very quickly. This is partly because the messaging might resonate emotionally, making it even more challenging to distinguish between sound advice and misleading information. The following traffic lights system will help you identify patterns of misinformation and better navigate the world of online nutrition advice. The aim of this traffic lights system is to show how nutrition misinformation works. Despite what one might expect, it rarely consists of blatant lies (although this can happen too). Most of the time, there is an element of truth that the public can identify with, represented by the ‘green’ light. This ‘green’ content, however, isn’t isolated and gets coated with misleading and sometimes dangerous information. While this might sound daunting, similar patterns appear over time; being aware of those patterns can really help to spot and counter misinformation:

GREEN: Generally True Information

Definition: This is information that most people agree on. It’s either based on well-established evidence or common sense and is unlikely to be disputed.

Example: "Eat real food; it’s better for you than ultra-processed food."

Why It Matters: Even though this is strictly speaking accurate, and cutting down on ultra-processed foods is in line with health recommendations, it can easily be framed in a way that can be detrimental, where certain foods are banned or called dangerous. This type of message is generally coated with other information, which is more problematic.

ORANGE: Oversimplified or Misleading Information

Definition: This is misleading information which tends to result from oversimplifications, because of jumps to inaccurate or false conclusions. A scientific mechanism might be used to support an argument, but then get oversimplified or taken out of context, leading to misleading conclusions.

Example: Seed oils contain high levels of linoleic acid, which gets converted into arachidonic acid and leads to inflammation. AVOID ALL SEED OILS!

Why It Matters: This type of message, especially as it gets repeated, can easily fuel unhealthy attitudes towards food and fails to take into account the bigger picture of a balanced diet. These oversimplifications often contradict research findings and yield a false picture of how nutrition works. As everything gets oversimplified, social media users are often faced with conflicting advice, leading to more confusion.

RED: Misleading or Dangerous Information

Definition: Posts spreading misinformation rarely merely point out that ‘real food’ is good for you or that you’d be better off avoiding this or that product. Over time, they also fuel distrust in experts, discourage followers from taking advice from professionals, and dismiss important recommendations.

Example: "Everything you’ve been told about healthy fats is a lie. They only want you to get sicker so they can push Big Pharma’s agenda."

Why It Matters: This type of misinformation can be particularly dangerous because it undermines trust in qualified professionals and evidence-based health advice. It can lead people to make decisions that are not only ineffective but potentially harmful to their health. These arguments tend to be made to fit an influencer’s prescribed diet, which often comes as THE solution to all sorts of problems.

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Final Take Away

In a digital world where misinformation spreads faster than facts, being aware of these patterns can help you to be more critical. It is also important to note that algorithms on social media work in such a way so that users end up seeing more and more of the same type of content. This can easily distort reality, making it seem like the proportion of people who thrive on a particular diet is much greater than it really is, for example. Misinformation can then become even harder to spot.

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