Weight Loss for Money on Social Media: Is it worth it?
Scrolling through social media accounts of personal trainers, models, and exercise gurus can be mentally exhausting. It’s a never ending comparison of them to you, the continuous “Why don’t I look like that?” and “Could I ever look like that?” However, now these popular accounts have started to play off of their followers ethos, pathos, and logos to sell fitness. The promise to be skinny, be someone else, and look amazing in just a few “easy workouts” has drawn mass crowds to these pages.
“Become skinny and get money ” has become a common theme across Instagram, Facebook, and other forms of social media. Most of the time its simple: Sign up. Do the challenge. Post a before and after. “Win” the money (if you have the best transformation). What could possibly go wrong?
Some people have successfuly lost weight by doing these challenges; in fact, many followers have had success following these plans. The proof is in the before and after photos posted all throughout the internet. One example is the @KatyHearnFit Instagram account. She has made a fortune off of being fit and selling her workouts for almost $200 dollars per challenge. It is the same “simple” plan where one winner is chosen based off of how well they look now compared to before. This is often judged off of how much weight they have lost and how much muscle they have gained. Katy Hearns grand prize for the winner is $500 dollars.
This can be the motivation that some people are looking for. The grand prize money is that little extra push they needed to become healthy and fit. However, this can lead to extreme body disformia. Social media has put pressure on women and men to be, act, and look a certain way.
In the thesis paper “Why Don’t I Look Like Her? The Impact of Social Media on Female Body Image,” written by Kendyl Klein, she states, “The Internet and social media provide a platform for women to seek out images of what they want to look like, a place for women to search for diet and exercise advice, as well as a an outlet through which women can perform outward comparisons with their peers and celebrities. Social networks may not create new problems for women, but they do certainly intensify existing ones.”
Challenges, like Katy Hearn’s, can cause women to lose weight at a rapid pace. Some women go off the plan, stop eating, work out an excessive amount, and build unhealthy habits in order to win the grand prize. Usually, once the challenge is done people gain all of the weight they lost back.
The National Eating Disorder Association’s website states, “The effect of media on women’s body dissatisfaction, thin ideal internalization, and disordered eating appears to be stronger among young adults than children and adolescents. This may suggest that long-term exposure during childhood and adolescence lays the foundation for the negative effects of media during early adulthood.”
Social media can arguably promote unrealistic ideals for women and men, but do weight loss challenges help or hinder users? HealthyWage.com has made a business out of weight loss challenges and states, “Leading academics have found that money enhances weight loss success, making dieters significantly more likely to lose weight. HealthyWage applies that research, offering cash weight loss challenges that model those studies and make losing weight more fun and effective.”
People that do the programs and stick with them usually see results. The users are able to lose weight, live a healthy lifestyle, and get the money for doing so.
Without these challenges some followers would never have had the motivation or incentive to get fit and lead a healthier lifestyle. People feel encouraged by these accounts to show off their bodies and their progress.
So is it worth it? That is up to the eye of the beholder. I think if it is done in a healthy way then by all means go for it; however, if it leads to self doubt, harmful thoughts, and unhealthy habits then people should in no way follow these plans or continue the challenges. Money can be a great incentive for people to pursue fitness goals, but it should never be used as a “get rich fast” plan.
