Editors’ note: Mentions of eating disorders, descriptions of chronic illness

Climbing the stairs of the Ray Meyer Fitness Center, I was met with a table set with markers and sticky notes. Next to the table was a sign: “To honor Eating Disorder Awareness Week, we encourage you to take a moment to write a positive affirmation for yourself or others.”

Kneeling, I wrote, “Fuel your body with what feels good for you,” underlining the last two words. 

I am still trying to take my own advice after spending nearly a decade favoring health social media influencer videos over medical professionals’ advice. 

I think of “What I eat in a day” videos as an umbrella genre. Content creators take audience members through a day of eating, some dedicating their entire channel to the topic. The genre has many offshoots: what I eat in a day to — lose weight, gain muscle, heal my gut or recover from an eating disorder.

When I was a teen developing an undiagnosed chronic illness, I took drastic measures to change my diet in hopes of healing my body.

My diet: an encyclopedia of health influencer meal prep videos and recipes. 

The result: a trip to the hospital. 

Some of the “health” foods and recipes encouraged by influencers turned out to be the foods that were making my digestive health worse. I was curious to see whether anyone else fell into the trap of food influencer videos.

Amber Hooker, a third-year public relations and advertising major, worries that “What I eat in a day” (WIEIAD) influencers could encourage viewers to start restrictive diets.

“I think a lot of people would rather have an influencer tell them what they want to hear … even if it is unhealthy,” Hooker said. “They see it worked for somebody else.”

Hooker and I agree that WIEIAD videos are often made and targeted to particular demographics. While there are health influencers of all backgrounds, a quick search on TikTok floods my screen with slim, middle-aged, white women.

Virginia Derrick, a senior anthropology major, said it was her chronic illness that prevented her from giving into social media advice. Derrick’s anxiety makes watching others eat nauseating to her. The videos are also a reminder of her struggle to consistently eat the “right” amount of food.

“Watching other people have the time and the mental energy to do something so simple as to plan their meals, is annoying to me,” Derrick said. “I wish I could do that.”

We agree that the problem with health influencers is not only that they perpetuate a one-size-fits-all health regimen, but also that the videos are markers of social class. Fruits, vegetables and protein are expensive, and perishable, especially for those living in food deserts.

Now you may be thinking, “Wow, you are incredibly harsh on WIEIAD videos.” I will admit, there are some I enjoy.

When scrolling on YouTube shorts, I find myself watching Karissa Eats, an influencer known for her thematic videos in this genre. As someone who loves to cook and learn about other cultures, her mini mukbangs filmed around the world intrigue me. Watching her, I often wish I could eat all of those foods in one day and feel fine.

In a video from her travels in Thailand, she eats scorpion and likens it to jerky. She has a powerful food destigmatizing effect. But this can be problematic too. Am I more willing to try a cultural food if an American tells me it is safe?

Food influencers gain merit by eating foods from cultures that are not their own. This can be great in terms of cultural appreciation, but, as Derrick sees it, the benefit of cultural capital is greater.

“No, Aleksa, influencers do not just gain cultural capital — they gain actual capital,” Derrick said.

I think audiences forget that content creators are paid. Trying unique foods means more views and money. Saying “What I eat in a day to stay skinny for the summer” draws attention and implies that a single diet plan will work for everyone.

Hooker, the PR and advertising major, said having body dysmorphia means she’s had to rethink her relationship with food and social media influencers.

“Always listen to your body,” Hooker said. “When you are unhappy and severely stressed trying to make a goal happen … you are not going to meet that goal.”

When I wrote my affirmation and stuck it to the gym wall, I realized how far I had come from the grasp of health influencers. I still love looking to social media for recipes. But after working with a dietitian, I know that what I eat in a day can be different from what you eat in a day. And we can both be healthy.

Related Stories:

• How to navigate a world where diet culture seems inescapable
• Column: Why eating disorder recovery never truly ends
• Intuitive eating: the new non-diet diet

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