Every few scrolls on Instagram, there is another promise waiting. A fat-burning morning drink. A gut-healing detox. A reel claiming that cutting one food group changed someone’s life in 30 days. Health advice today is no longer limited to clinics or hospitals — it lives on social media feeds.
With the growing influence of social media, we now turn to the Internet for almost everything — fashion advice, shopping recommendations, and even career guidance. Now, increasingly, many are turning to reels, shorts, and podcasts for health tips.
Influencers today hold significant clout online. The more they interact with audiences and build familiarity, the more trust they tend to gain. As creators grow larger follower bases, many audiences begin treating their opinions and recommendations as credible advice to apply in their own lives. Across fitness, skincare, lifestyle, and even entertainment spaces, creators are increasingly sharing health-related advice, routines, and diet tips.
At the same time, doctors and medical professionals are also entering social media, to simplify medical concepts and make health information more accessible.
Dr Pal Manickam, founder of NewME, a virtual lifestyle medicine e-clinic, says this accessibility is exactly what draws audiences towards online health creators. “When Instagram says, ‘Here are three reasons you’re bloated,’ it feels accessible and easy to understand,” he says. “But the problem is, the body is not a reel. Symptoms can have dozens of causes, and what worked for others might not work for you.”
For Shaivya Tanwar, clinical dietitian, observing widespread misunderstanding around food and health was what pushed her towards creating health content online. “As a dietitian, I felt that many people lack access to individualised assistance but are constantly receiving inaccurate information online,” she says.
Rise of health influencers
What draws many audiences towards such content is relatability. “I was putting on weight and wanted to reduce it, but couldn’t. The content made by the influencers resonated with my routine and daily life, so I tried it,” says Udhay*, a 31-year-old media professional.
For others, trust comes from creators who appear informative and consistent. “I majorly consume health-related content from Dr Santhosh Jacob and Dr Prakash Murthy, whom I find trustworthy because they give out information based on facts and science and not mere viral content,” says Monica S, a 25-year-old content strategist.
As users engage with more wellness content, algorithms often continue pushing similar videos onto their feeds. “Even if I show a slight interest in some topic, my feed usually gets flooded with that specific content,” says Karthik, a 19-year-old college student.
This repeated exposure can gradually influence the way people view their bodies, eating habits, and lifestyles. “Online wellness culture still places a lot of emphasis on beauty,” says Shaivya, adding, “People are under pressure to get rapid results rather than long-term health outcomes because they are continuously exposed to ‘ideal’ body types, transformation videos, and unrealistic timelines. Algorithms reinforce this by repeatedly showing similar content, creating an unhealthy cycle.”
Karthik believes that feeling insecure is natural, and people should not let creators exploit their insecurities. “To a person who isn’t familiar with fitness, or an intermediate who spends most of his time consuming fitness content from people with years of experience — and sometimes enhanced athletes claiming to be natural — it can become very demotivating and create insecurity,” he says.
Meanwhile, doctors note that social media’s influence on public health is not entirely negative. “Social media has democratised health education,” says Dr Pal. “People now know about sleep, exercise, gut health, mental health, and preventive care. But it has also created health anxiety, self-diagnosis culture, and information overload. The internet can educate. It can also confuse.”
Consumers believe that fitness and wellness content have also acted as sources of motivation, discipline, and awareness. “It kind of motivates you. I won’t say it’s pressure because at the end of the day it’s for your own good,” Monica says, although she acknowledges that some viral fitness challenges can create unrealistic expectations for beginners trying to replicate extreme routines online.
Karthik says certain advice from fitness creators helped improve his workout routines and consistency. “I switched my workout split and also followed small fitness tips that actually worked for me,” he says. But, he adds that they can vary significantly from person to person depending on factors such as age, body type, and existing health conditions.
However, experts warn that not all viral wellness content is rooted in scientific nuance. Trends that categorise foods as entirely “good” or “bad,” or creators who rank ingredients and diets in absolute terms, can often oversimplify health. Varsha Easwaran, founder of Varsha’s ONP, clarifies that generalising these things can become very misleading.
She notes that misinformation online can sometimes have far more serious consequences than confusion alone. Referring to a recent case from Madurai, she recalls the death of a 19-year-old who reportedly consumed borax after watching a YouTube video promoting it as a weight-loss remedy. “People are so desperate for quick fixes and rapid results that they sometimes don’t stop to question whether something is medically safe,” Varsha says. “Social media rewards virality, not accuracy.”
The problem becomes more serious when short-form content starts replacing personalised medical guidance altogether. According to Shaivya, many patients now arrive after attempting extreme diets, detoxes, or supplement routines they discovered online. “People frequently come to believe they have food intolerance, hormonal imbalance, or gut diseases simply because they are related to a few symptoms online,” she says. “Self-diagnosis can delay proper treatment, increase anxiety, and sometimes even worsen conditions.”
Advice galore
Dr Pal says the problem is amplified when social media rewards certainty and sensationalism over nuance. “Gut cleanse, fat-melting drinks, one food causing all diseases, and always take X or Y supplement — These spread because certainty is seductive. (Telling) ‘Maybe’ doesn’t go viral; (but saying) ‘Doctors don’t want you to know this’ does.”
When the advice is ample, users find it challenging to navigate conflicting health advice. Sometimes even between medical professionals themselves. “Contradictions are common because health knowledge is rarely one-size-fits-all,” says Shaivya. She advises audiences to look for balanced, evidence-based information rather than creators who rely on exaggerated claims or fear-based messaging. Dr Pal adds that audiences should pay attention to the quality of evidence and whether creators acknowledge uncertainty rather than presenting complex issues with complete certainty.
While some users learn to navigate online health content carefully, others say blindly following generalised routines online has had serious consequences on both their health.
Udhay’s attempt to follow calorie-deficit and fitness advice eventually showed on his health. “I was consuming too much protein and caffeine because those routines were constantly promoted as effective for weight loss and appetite control,” he says. Over time, excessive black coffee consumption began affecting his sleep, digestion, and daily life. “No one spoke about moderation. It was presented as a general routine,” he adds. What initially felt like “healthy habits” eventually escalated into gut issues, panic attacks, social anxiety, and travel anxiety due to constant digestive discomfort. “I trusted those people and thought I was doing something good for my health,” he says.
After nearly a year-and-a-half of symptoms he sought medical help. Following scans, tests, and multiple consultations, doctors diagnosed him with constipation and related digestive complications. “I didn’t listen to my body and trusted influencers blindly,” he says. “My body was constantly warning me, but I kept assuming I was doing the right thing.”
Dr Pal points out the danger of online health misinformation — delayed care. “A symptom gets normalised. A disease gets missed. Someone with chest pain tries home remedies, or a diabetic follows random fasting advice,” he notes.
The issue becomes even more complicated when health content is blended with advertising. From protein powders and supplements to detox drinks and wellness products, health-related brand collaborations have become increasingly common across social media. “A person watching a reel may not always realise whether a recommendation is evidence-based or simply an advertisement,” he says.
Exaggerated promises, fear-based messaging, conspiracy claims, and creators presenting opinions as universal truths without evidence often signal unreliable health content online. “A major red flag is content that says, ‘Doctors are hiding this one secret’,” says Dr Pal. “Medicine has many flaws, but conspiracy-style marketing is still nonsense.” Varsha adds that audiences should be cautious of creators who ask people to “just trust me” without providing research, context, or credible sources. “Check the person’s qualifications. Look for evidence-based content, not just opinions, and avoid quick-fix promises,” says Shaivya. “It might work temporarily, but it won’t solve your root cause issues.”
It is easy to consume information and apply it in your daily life. But when it comes to health, better safe than sorry.
*Name changed
