New research found that even brief exposure to “fitspiration” content can lower self-esteem and increase body dissatisfaction.

The flood of fitness inspiration content (#fitspo) dominating social media feeds may be negatively affecting young adults’ mental wellbeing, body image and relationship with exercise, according to a new international review led by former Olympian Dr Valerie Gruest.

Published in Health Communication, the large-scale review analysed 26 studies involving more than 6000 people aged 18 to 33 across seven countries, examining the impact of so-called “fitspiration” content — often shortened to “fitspo” — on health-related behaviours and emotions.

Researchers found even short-term exposure to highly curated fitness posts could trigger lower self-esteem, poorer body image, increased social comparison and unrealistic motivations around dieting and exercise.

“Fitspiration content is often framed as positive and health-focused, but our findings suggest it may be more harmful than beneficial for some young adults,” said Dr Gruest, who competed for the Guatemala Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics before pursuing research at Northwestern University.

“Even brief exposure can trigger harmful comparisons and reinforce unrealistic body standards, which may undermine self-esteem and encourage more extreme or unsustainable approaches to diet and exercise.”

The review examined experimental studies conducted between 2015 and 2023, with participants exposed to between 10 and 100 fitspiration images or videos across platforms, including Instagram and TikTok.

Researchers found the negative effects were consistent across gender, age and body mass index, suggesting the issue extends beyond the young female audiences most commonly associated with body image concerns online.

“I’ve been fascinated by fitspiration content since my time as an athlete, where it was often held up in elite training environments as the ideal,” Dr Gruest said.

“But even then, I knew those body standards didn’t reflect the reality of training for performance, especially when following a balanced, sustainable diet.”

The researchers say the findings highlight the need for greater awareness around how fitness-focused content is consumed online, particularly among younger audiences regularly exposed to idealised body standards.