Instagram vs. Reality

Andie Wright
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read

Instagram is now filled with health blogs that emphasize the importance of healthy living and exercise in everyday life. These accounts seem harmless and even beneficial in encouraging people to make better decisions. However, these accounts are often very unrealistic for every day living. There will not always be a healthy alternative to normal food items, and exercising seven days a week is often not feasible. It is overwhelming when these health enthusiasts pursued followers that all baked goods are bad or a vegan diet I necessary to live an energized life. They have instilled a fear that consumption of any food deemed bad will result in weight gain or have a negative consequence on a person’s well-being. https://www.thebodypositive.org/blog

Life is about moderation and living in the moment. The issue with the health focused Instagram accounts is that they only show snapshots of a person’s life and fail to display inevitable imperfections. Viewers are comparing their entire lives to snapshot pictures of another person’s most photographic moments. Instagram bloggers rarely post pictures of their flaws or days when exercising and eating a well balanced diet is simply unattainable. There are inevitably times in life when a busy schedule only permits a slice of pizza for dinner, or the cupcakes at a birthday party are not gluten free and paleo.

Young women today are highly susceptible to the influences of Instagram. When girls try to imitate the lives they watch on their Instagram feed, they are often disappointed and left feeling insecure. I truly believe that health bloggers intend to help and inspire others to live happy lives, however in attempting to do so create an obsession with health and exercise that can ultimately interfere with the natural fluxes of life.

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The content posed on health and fitness blogs encourages the consumption of certain “healthy foods” but also often contains messages that demonize certain foods. Radical statements about foods considered to be unhealthy creates a fear amongst viewers. Food is not something to be feared, but rather enjoyed and celebrated as it brings people together. It is all or nothing radical thinking surrounding food that encourages disordered eating and eating disorders. Instagram is used as a platform for individuals to share their personal beliefs without providing facts or credibility. It is critical that followers of these blogs understand that health and fitness are not an exact science, and a healthy lifestyle looks different for everyone. Instagram health accounts that advocate for extreme clean eating and excessive exercise ignore a component of mental health that addresses the importance of indulging and living in the moment.

Happiness is the most important goal in life, which is rarely accomplished through extreme rigidity. Organization and discipline are essential to living a productive life, but balance is the ultimate sign of well-being. Making food decisions that are right for personal health should involve eating a variety of foods that provide energy and allow a person to participate in daily activates. Obsessing over food intake and attempting to follow a diet and exercise plan from social media detracts from spontaneity and energy that can be focused in other areas of personal growth. Overall, Instagram accounts that preach health and wellness ironically may cause a neurotic attempt for everyday people to live a rigid life that ultimately inhibits well-being.

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