As Instagram continues to dominate the social media world, its emphasis on Internet communication is growing simultaneously. Many users look to Instagram to find and build a sort of online community bound by a shared interest.
One such community is known as #FitFam. This culture in particular emphasizes fitness, wellness, and diet. With the help of social media, users interested in such a lifestyle can find support and continuous motivation. However, as this fitness culture continues to dramatically increase in popularity, it begins to closely resemble a cult-like group that is obsessed with clean eating, weight lifting, and meal prepping—and it may have unfortunate consequences.
There is no doubt that social media contributes to our already rocketing stress-levels. As members of Gen-Y, we can’t help but obsess over and succumb to the latest trends online. And as this movement gains followers, our feeds are suddenly transformed into motivational boards featuring “fitness gurus” and “certified nutritionists,” usually with names like @fitness_girl05 or @bros_wh0l1ft, who love to broadcast how many antioxidants are in a cup or blueberries or how many calories are in your French fries.
This added pressure can manifest itself more intensely into disordered eating. Some people can’t help but feel guilty about eating normal food due to pressure from the “FitFams.” While enjoying your mimosa and eggs benedict at brunch, a quick scroll through your Instagram feed can cause you to feel like the biggest loser of 2015.
At this point you may decide that enough is enough, and declare that tomorrow you’ll be stronger, healthier, and all-around better, like the FitFam does. Members treat every day as a chance to eat right, be “good,” and even self-punish if temptation wins over. This is usually done through stricter eating, fasting, and exercising. This attitude is closely in line with orthorexic behavior.
According to National Eating Disorders Association, Orthorexia Nervosa is an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy. Often, orthorexia starts out as an innocent attempt to eat more healthfully, but orthorexics become fixated on food quality and purity. Often, they become consumed with what and how much to eat, and how to deal with such “slip-ups.”
While people with anorexia skip meals, those with orthorexia do not (unless they are fasting). Anorexics focus only on avoiding foods, while orthorexics both avoid foods they think are bad and embrace foods they think are super healthy.
Today, social media may be potentially evangelizing this illness, as the appearance of a healthy lifestyle has dramatically changed due to celebrity endorsements and millions of Instagram photos of extremely fit people doing squats and bicep curls using the hashtags #FitFam, #eatclean, and #trainmean.
The worst part about this trend is that you so want to be a part of it. Its emphasis on healthy lifestyle is important, after all. However, changing all of your current eating and exercise habits into ones that satisfy the FitFam’s agenda is unnecessary and unhealthy. Leading a healthier life can be a huge adjustment to some, and is one that requires consistent time, effort, and patience that the FitFam’s fast-paced track does not take into account. It is important to build a workout and diet regimen that suits you and your pace. Moderation is key: indulging once in a while is not a crime—life is short!