Influencers promote daily meal content

Daily meal videos on social media, often shared by influencers, promise impressive physical results. These videos typically feature a photogenic breakfast, a perfect salad, and a silhouette presented as proof that the method works. They often encourage viewers to follow their diet to achieve a similar body type.

Study questions authenticity of claims

A study published on July 22, 2026, in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, questions the authenticity of these promises. Researchers from Flinders University in Australia analyzed 300 videos about nutrition and healthy lifestyles. They found that 68% of the nutritional information or physical activity advice was misleading or false.

Analysis focused on specific platforms

The study analyzed 150 TikTok videos and 150 Instagram Reels, collected between May 25 and 27, 2025. The videos were gathered using hashtags like #healthylifestyle, #nutrition, and #cleaneating. The content mostly featured women and targeted a female audience. Some videos directly linked specific body types to particular diets or food choices.

Diet alone does not determine body shape

The study highlights that simply copying a content creator's meals does not guarantee achieving their body type. Many factors influence body shape, including genetics, age, physical activity, sleep, health status, treatments, weight history, and relationship with food—elements that cannot be understood from a single bowl of granola.