With the rise of social networks, more and more people put their health in the hands of certain profiles that we all know as
influencers
. Whether from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Twich, many users become “informed” about issues that directly affect their health. From including or discarding certain foods and using certain food supplements to, directly, subscribing to new treatments and using diagnostic systems of dubious credibility and effectiveness.
Topics related to food, diet, nutrition, lifestyle and health are a continuous
trending topic
with one
hashtag
or another. The worst thing, as almost always in these cases, is the torrent of contradictory information –
infoxication –
faced by users who no longer know who to trust. The messages are very diverse and are almost always constructed in the form of pseudo-miraculous proposals: promoting the consumption of alkaline water, following a certain diet for each phase of the menstrual cycle – which would imply, at least, three different dietary guidelines each month. –, lose weight by drinking water with lemon, stop drinking water because it dehydrates – and start eating other things – or any other nonsense without a scientific basis, like those explained by nutritionist and food technologist Beatriz Robles in this post.
In this context, it is estimated that 77% of Spanish influencers fail to comply with European regulations and engage in unfair commercial practices. This is one of the worrying data that emerges from an investigation carried out by the European Commission together with consumer protection entities, an action that has been especially echoed by our Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Among the main objectives of the research is to highlight the special vulnerability of consumers when faced with their usual advertising messages, since the majority of said content is not easy to identify as such.
To date, Consumo has sent a series of warnings to particularly relevant Spanish
influencers
warning them of their bad practices and the harsh sanctions to which they are exposed. In most cases the identities of these profiles are not known, with the exception of some who have taken advantage of the Government's warning to advertise themselves - and in the process the victims - as is the case of Carlos Ríos (the creator of the movement and
realfooding
supermarket
)
who, taking advantage of the fact that the Pisuerga passes through Valladolid, has attributed this genuine warning about his bad practices in RRSS, to affirm, once again, that his person is the object of persecution by the institutions and that the aforementioned warning is the result of some statements of his - from the day before yesterday - criticizing menus in hospitals. Something that has nothing to do with the Ministry's sanction notice that actually happened months ago.
The motivations of an
influencer
: gold is not the only thing that shines
Without the intention of being exhaustive, a conflict of interest can respond to various origins, the economic one being the most immediate and easy to identify. However, we cannot forget other types of conflict of interest that are relatively common in the dissemination and social media environment. Among them, ego and competitiveness stand out, both cases of conflicts of interest that are not exactly easy to discover.
Ego refers to the occasions in which the
influencer
or disseminator generates content with the purpose of gaining more prestige, popularity or, typically, visibility. The one related to competitiveness happens when a certain profile establishes a certain competition against another profile, or against organizations or institutions, in order to obtain a greater reputation. Both conflicts of interest – ego and competitiveness – share many overlaps, making it sometimes difficult to label them in isolation.
Thus, the issue goes beyond the defenselessness of consumers in the face of content for which it is not known for sure whether it is sponsored or not, and whether or not it can be identified as an advertising action. Ultimately, and for various reasons, a certain piece of content can be truly nonsense, whether or not it has an immediate economic interest behind it.
It may seem like something, but it doesn't mean anything
There are no master formulas to identify nutritional quackery in Social Networks, but there are a series of characteristics that can help us question it or, at least, make us doubt its suitability. But first, we point out three variables that are usually used to convey a certain credibility and in reality they do not mean anything. Take note:
The number of followers. Having a large account of
followers
or many “likes” is for some users a guarantee of trust. However, thinking like this is an error that is highlighted from the moment that this variable can be twisted with a checkbook. Thus, some profiles opt for this alternative and with it transfer an exaggerated and misleading image of success to their profile. This activity, which is not easy to unmask, may, in itself, constitute an illegal act, as this legal article clarifies. You can also have many followers and
likes
without having purchased them – for example, having a profile that covers everything from cleaning to makeup, sharing memes and restaurant recommendations at the same time – and be aware that, even if something is popular and you choose it, most of them do not have to be valid and reliable. Now is when we could talk about Hitler, but I think he understands.
Have a “verified” profile. The “verified” profiles in the different social networks generally refer to people or entities that have proven to have a certain public relevance. This visibility or distinction is usually justified by providing a series of links that demonstrate to the social network managers that the profile being verified is certainly relevant. But there are two drawbacks: the first, that the profile is truly known, but at the same time it is so to say nonsense. Second, today most social networks allow you to buy – back to the checkbook again – this type of verification marks. A strategy that, I imagine, will be profitable for the social network itself, but it does not help ordinary users at all. Some applications, such as “X”, distinguish between payment verifications for individuals (blue), institutional ones (gray) and those belonging to companies (yellow). However, on Instagram, it is impossible for users to discriminate whether a certain profile with blue verification has been obtained on their own merits or by spending money.
Have an academic degree. It's sad to say, but having an official title hanging on the wall and signed by the king is no guarantee of being a good person. You can be a [fill in with any health qualification] and at the same time be a scoundrel outside the code of ethics and even the legislation. All this without forgetting that beautiful Latin phrase quod
natura non dat, Salmantica non præstat
, which says that, if someone was born with certain intellectual deficiencies, going to university is not going to solve them. Fortunately, it is not the general trend, but we must be prepared, knowing that we can find anything.
This is how unreliable and even dangerous content or profile is identified
That said, let's look at some of the aspects we can look at to get an idea of the reliability of a profile or content. Let's go from the most generic to the most specific:
If it sounds too simple, pretty, idyllic or perfect to be true, it's not true. Complex problems usually require complex solutions that involve various variables (which are usually omitted in the content of social networks). Thus, weight control, body image management, following a healthy diet and all the other derivatives are terribly complex issues. So complex that we often forget that there are non-modifiable factors such as age, gender and genetics; while those that are often require control of elements that are difficult to control (working hours, sociocultural environment, exposure to advertising, access to a certain food offering, etc.). Laura Caorsi explains it brilliantly in this article. Quick summary: if something is proposed so easily as to solve “those complex problems”, no one would have “those problems” anymore.
Propose an excessive body cult. It's nothing illegal, of course, but showing off your palm and even showing off your body to convey a message intrinsically related to health doesn't seem serious. Going out into the fray with less clothes than Tarzan is something very striking, without a doubt, but it does not seem the most appropriate. More than anything because it is not unlikely that users will relate the advice to the image of the protagonist, which surely depends on many more factors than those mentioned in the content. Something that is not fair, and that at the same time can generate a certain stigma of guilt when expectations are most likely not met.
The account itself is focused on products or services that are promoted in the posts. In these cases it is difficult to identify that it is promotional content: now it is up to the user to discriminate whether that product or service is useful or if it is rubbish.
It promotes the concept of nutrient-centrism or nutritionism and places the achievement of prodigious goals on a nutrient, from eliminating the risk of a certain disease to solving the ravages of the passing of the years or of everyday life (example).
It talks about superfoods, transferring amazing – but unreal – health properties to specific products, often exotic, relatively inaccessible and expensive. His speech usually takes us to the previous point: the richness of these foods in certain miraculous nutrients.
Accusing specific foods – which are generally part of a healthy eating pattern – of being the cause of countless ills.
Influencers can
play
fair... or dirty (which is the most common)
The appearance of social networks has caused important changes in the world of
marketing
and has led to the birth of digital advertising that little by little has been gaining ground over traditional advertising (radio, press and television). So much so that, according to a study, in 2019 and in Spain, investment in digital media exceeded for the first time – with more than 2,000 million euros – that made in television, which has long held the leadership in media advertising. traditional. In this context, brands know that, currently, hiring
influencers
is much more profitable than traditional advertising. Two possibilities open up here:
The
influencer
promotes a good or service from a third party according to the regulations, making it clear to users that the nature of the publication responds to an advertising action. It is also worth remembering that most social networks today have an option when creating content that allows authors to mark their publication as part of a promotional action. It is the right thing to do.
The
influencer
– and let's not forget, also some companies – don't give a damn about everything except the benefits. A situation, as we have seen, especially frequent. Real life tells us that many companies demand
“organic” content from
influencers , that is, one that seems the most natural within the chronology of their publications (
timeline
). The
influencer
can listen to the company 100%, flouting all the regulations that regulate this type of actions, and score a goal for all his followers. It can also include small clues that only someone with the skills of Sherlock Holmes can resolve doubts about the nature of the content (example). These ridiculous clues can consist, for example, of a video, fleeting mentions that it is a collaboration or an advertisement or, in the context of a written post, including small hashtags like #ad and #publi at the very end – from the English “
advertising
”, and “advertising”, respectively – without legal validity.
European regulations are very diverse
In Spain and in 2022, the General Audiovisual Law was modified in order to adapt it to the European directive on unfair commercial practices, but while the corresponding regulation arrives, the sanctions are neither there nor expected. At the moment the Government is dedicated to “warning” the offenders, some for the second time, providing them with a “Code for the use of
Influencers
in Advertising” that actually applies, and in a rather lax way, to companies before own
influencers
.
In France things are very different: the new Law No. 2023-451 of June 9, 2023, came to light as a result of an intense national debate to regulate commercial influence and combat the excesses of influencers
on
social networks (a figure which, apparently, does not enjoy a particularly good image among its population). The regulations go far beyond what is proposed in the European framework and, of course, what we have in Spain. It is clear from the beginning: “People who exercise commercial influence activity by electronic means are prohibited from any promotion, direct or indirect, of acts, processes, techniques and methods with aesthetic purposes mentioned in health legislation. [They are also prohibited under the same conditions] from promoting processes, techniques and methods that are presented as comparable, preferable or substitutable to medical acts, protocols or prescriptions.”
This is how forceful the law is in France: it prohibits many common practices in the world of social networks, regulates many others and proposes important sanctions for non-compliance, which reach up to seven years in prison in the most serious cases (and up to 300,000 euros). of fine). One of the most innovative issues is the mention of specific conditions related to the promotion of food. In article three, it is mentioned verbatim that the activity of
influencers
will have to comply with European legislation (RE 1924/2006), relating to nutritional and health claims on foods, which, by the way, also applies to the food market. supplements (vitamins, minerals, collagen, etc.) and alcoholic beverages.
That is, food producers and
influencers
will have to observe in social networks the same conditions and limitations in their advertising as those that appear on packaging and are carried out in traditional media. In addition to the obligation to have a written contract between the
influencer
and the company, French law requires that the
influencer
who has been identified committing an infraction must share a publication from the competent authorities on their social networks (in this case , the General Directorate of Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention) letting you know that your profile has been sanctioned. And most importantly: these sanctions are already taking place.
Some clues that we are facing a profile with reliable content
Believe it or not, the recommendations to achieve a good health prognosis or, even easier, to improve the current one, are quite simple. That at this point in the story a publication or a profile indicates that he has discovered temperate water and passes it off as a revolutionary discovery, makes no sense. Therefore, these are some of the characteristics of “good looking” profiles and posts:
Indicate at all times and clearly the possible commercial relationships with third parties. Keep in mind that in the chronology of the publications of a certain
influencer
you can find both truly organic or natural content, as well as promotional content that should be properly indicated, labeled and marked as indicated by the legislation and proposed by the social network itself.
Trust is also obtained when a profile with advertising content only creates promotional content for those products or services that are consistent with its profile. Talking about healthy eating and, at the same time, creating content with companies whose business objective is ultra-processed foods or alcoholic beverages, does not seem the most logical.
Including citations, links, and references to generally accepted scientific or consensus documents also helps. In this way, users can check, if they want – and they should want – the scope and context of the statements made in the publication.
It is not a guarantee of 100% trust, but the accessibility of the
influencer
to start debates, clarify doubts and provide more information usually shows that, first, there is nothing to hide and, second, that you are on that social network to help and provide knowledge, not only to increase economic benefits.
In the end, and no matter how many clues are given, it is necessary to appeal to the rationality and common sense of users. Reading, re-reading, taking a step back, questioning, displaying a minimum critical spirit and taking one's own, authentic decision or position, are attitudes in clear decline.
Perhaps one of the biggest problems that social networks have generated is that they have exacerbated the tendency of some years towards superficial thinking, lacking critical judgment and which often takes the form of the externalization of decision-making among users. It is not uncommon for some of them to show their restlessness; and even indignation, at the conflicting opinions of two
influencers
– when one says one thing and the other the opposite – on the same subject.
Finally, let us be aware that dietetics and nutrition are two sciences and, as such, there are things that are known, things that are known that are not known, things that, at least for the moment, are the subject of scientific debate and things that they will end up changing. But, I insist, no one expects “great revolutions” (unless you want to be fooled).