Cited by 239Eating Disorders and BehaviorsImpact of Technology on AdolescentsHealth and Lifestyle Studies

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"I aspire to look and feel healthy like the posts convey": engagement with fitness inspiration on social media and perceptions of its influence on health and wellbeing.

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Raggatt, Michelle, Wright, Cassandra J. C., Carrotte, Elise, Jenkinson, Rebecca, Mulgrew, Kate, Prichard, Ivanka, Lim, Megan S. C.·2018·BMC Public Health

DOI 10.1186/s12889-018-5930-7PMC PMC6086030

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fitspiration is a popular social media trend containing images, quotes and advice related to exercise and healthy eating. This study aimed to 1) describe the types of fitspiration content that users access and how they engage with content, 2) investigate the disordered eating and exercise behaviours and psychological distress of individuals who access fitspiration, and 3) understand the perceived influence of fitspiration on health and wellbeing. METHODS: Participants who access fitspiration content were recruited via social media to complete a cross-sectional online survey. Participants' psychological distress was measured using the Kessler 10 Psychological Distress Scale (K10); disordered eating behaviours using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26); and compulsive exercise behaviours using the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI). Participants also answered a series of open-ended questions about their experiences with fitspiration. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted for quantitative data. Responses to open-ended questions were analysed for key themes using an iterative process of open, axial and thematic coding. RESULTS: Participants (N = 180, 151 female, median age 23.0 years (IQR 19.0, 28.5)) most commonly accessed content posted by personal trainers and athletes (59.4%), posts tagged with the 'fitspiration' hashtag (53.9%) and posted by 'everyday' people (53.3%). Overall, 17.7% of participants were classified as high risk for an eating disorder, 17.4% reported very high levels of psychological distress, and 10.3% were at risk of addictive exercise behaviours. Participants described both positive and negative influences of engaging with fitspiration content. The influence on their health beliefs and behaviours was explained through four key themes: 1) Setting the 'healthy ideal', 2) Failure to achieve the 'ideal', 3) Being part of a community, and 4) Access to reliable health information. CONCLUSIONS: Many participants reported benefits of fitspiration content including increased social support and access to health information. However, participants also reported that fitspiration content could negatively influence their wellbeing and perception of healthy goals. Content posted by relatable individuals or qualified experts was perceived as most trustworthy. Future research is needed to determine the individual and content-related factors associated with negative and positive fitspiration experiences.

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“By providing motivation and social support fitspiration may lead to increased physical activity, which has significant benefits for physical and mental health [42, 43].”
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McLean, H. E., Jaebker, L. M., Anderson, A., Teel, T. L., Bright, A. D., Shwiff, S. A., & Carlisle, K. M. (2021) · Human Dimensions of Wildlife · doi:10.1080/10871209.2021.1950240 · Cited by 19
“…videos were chosen not only because they depict the activities, actions, and operations most relevant to wild pig hunting, but also because personal and relatable posts attract audiences, resulting in more response and engagement (Dekker et al., 2020; Khamis et al., 2016; Raggatt et al., 2018).”
Background
Exploring the perceived influence of social media use on disordered eating in nutrition and dietetics students
Law, R., & Jevons, E. F. P. (2023) · Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics · doi:10.1111/jhn.13212 · Cited by 17
Investigating the effects of fit-normative and weight-inclusive Instagram images on women’s exercise motivations
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Is Fitspiration the Healthy Internet Trend It Claims to Be? A British Students’ Case Study.
Limniou, M., Mahoney, C., & Knox, M. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18041837 · Cited by 15
“Due to conflicting research, it is unclear as to whether fitspi‐ ration has detrimental consequences on audiences [41].”
Background
The Relationship between Obligatory Exercise and Eating Attitudes, and the Mediating Role of Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Fan, H., Gan, Y., Wang, R., Chen, S., Lipowska, M., Li, J., Li, K., Krokosz, D., Yang, Y., & Lipowski, M. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13124286 · Cited by 16
“Although attending exercise is beneficial to health, it may also negatively influence people’s perception of health goals [91], and to some extent, influence them to have a stronger sense of identity with the culture promoted by social media, thus leading them to a cognitive bias about the aesthetic perception of stat…”
Background
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“The bright side of social media use among adolescents might include enhanced cognitive and affective empathy, increased self-esteem (Guinta, 2018; Vossen & Valkenburg, 2016), or exposure to healthy physical experiences (i.e., fitspiration; Raggatt et al., 2018).”
Background
How Many Likes Are Good Enough? An Evaluation of Social Media Performance
Ferreira, C. C., Robertson, J., & Reyneke, M. (2021) · Journal of Internet Commerce · doi:10.1080/15332861.2021.1966724 · Cited by 15
“…authors suggest that users of social media platforms often feel inadequate about their own life or achievements, with these feelings of social inadequacy often stemming from a constant evaluation of oneself relative to others in an online social network (Vogel et al. 2014; Raggatt et al. 2018).”
Background
Sociocultural Influences on Compulsive Exercise in Young People: A Systematic Review
Reynolds, K. A., Plateau, C. R., & Haycraft, E. (2022) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-022-00180-x · Cited by 15
“, fitspiration) as being associated with increased compulsive exercise (Blackstone & Herrmann, 2020; Raggatt et al., 2018).”
Background
TikTok: a far-reaching opportunity for health professionals to address weight loss
Samuel, L., Tang, H., & Basch, C. H. (2022) · Public Health · doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2022.10.010 · Cited by 16
How Self-Compassion Moderates the Links Between Fitspiration Use and Body Concerns in Young Women
Seekis, V., Bradley, G. L., & Duffy, A. L. (2021) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-021-01656-y · Cited by 15
Understanding Continuance Intention Determinants to Adopt Online Health Care Community: An Empirical Study of Food Safety
Yang, J., & Jong, D. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18126514 · Cited by 15
When sport is taken to extremes: A sociohistorical analysis of sport addiction
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“Second, the upsurge of corporeal media trends, such a “fitspiration” (Raggatt et al., 2018), provide idealized images of the modern athletic and healthy body, which, in turn, produce new physical standards (Prichard et al., 2020), as highlighted in the release vector.”
Background
Interactive communication in the process of physical education: are social media contributing to the improvement of physical training performance
Jiang, S., & Ning, C. (2022) · Universal Access in the Information Society · doi:10.1007/s10209-022-00911-w · Cited by 17
“At the same time, it was noted that when studying information about physical exercise on social networks, many young women perceive a perfect body image that they would like to achieve; this can negatively affect their physical and mental health [24].”
BackgroundInfluential
Prospectively predicting naturalistic exposure to fitspiration and thinspiration in young women with disordered eating by leveraging an ecological momentary assessment design
Christensen, K. A., Chen, Y., Forbush, K. T., Cushing, C. C., & Romine, R. S. (2023) · Eating Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2023.101767 · Cited by 13
Effect of Social Media on Diet, Lifestyle, and Performance of Athletes: A Review of Current Evidence
Nath, S., Bhattacharya, S., Golla, V. B., & Kumar, R. (2024) · Current Nutrition Reports · doi:10.1007/s13668-024-00526-y · Cited by 13
“Raggatt et al. [51] reported that engagement of SM users with “fitspiration” content is large in their study where 59.4% of the participants accessed contents posted by athletes and personal trainers and 53.9% went through posts that were tagged with “fitspiration” hashtag.”
Influential
Changes in Digital Media Use and Physical Activity in German Young Adults under the Covid-19 Pandemic - A Cross-Sectional Study
Helbach, J., & Stahlmann, K. (2021) · Journal of Sports Science and Medicine · doi:10.52082/jssm.2021.642 · Cited by 14
“Whether social media use impacts PA positively or negatively depends primarily on the context of use (Vaterlaus et al., 2015) and the content viewed (Raggatt et al., 2018).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Flex Friday: A content analysis of men’s fitspiration on Instagram
Angrish, K., Oshana, D., & Gammage, K. L. (2023) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101651 · Cited by 21
Enhancing Sustainability Communication among UAE’s Higher Education Students: The Relationship between Sustainable Living Knowledge and Intention to Live Sustainably
Romdhane, S. B., Lee, S. Y., & Al-Shaebi, S. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su151511892 · Cited by 11
The influence of social media on the dietary behaviors of young Australian adults: A mixed methods exploration
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Recent insights in the correlation between social media use, personality traits and exercise addiction: a literature review
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Is Fitspiration Truly an Inspiration? Relationships between Fitspiration, Exercise, and Body Image
Bowles, A., Walsh, S. M., & André, T. (2021) · Health Behavior Research · doi:10.4148/2572-1836.1101 · Cited by 11
“# FITNESS”: impact of Instagram on exercise adherence and self-efficacy
Chaudhary, K., & Dhillon, M. (2021) · International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1612197x.2020.1869804 · Cited by 10
“Another advantage of social media platforms appears to be their ability to enhance physical activity levels (e.g., Cavallo et al., 2014; Raggatt et al., 2018).”
Background
Social media use, eating attitudes, orthorexia nervosa and well-being: testing a moderated mediation model
Kovan, A., & Yıldırım, M. (2025) · Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity · doi:10.1007/s40519-025-01753-0 · Cited by 13
“Additionally, social media content is known to convey strong messages regarding health and lifestyle choices, influencing individuals’ behaviors in response to these messages [44].”
Finfluencer: can financial social media influencers promote desirable financial behaviours?
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MARKETING DE INFLUENCERS EN REDES SOCIALES
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Exploring the Linkages of Digital Food Communication and Analog Food Behavior: A Scoping Review
Bartelmeß, T., & Godemann, J. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19158990 · Cited by 10
“In other studies, human perception serves as the object of inquiry, for example, to substantiate the credibility users attribute to digital food communication [39,40,46,52] or the impact of social media food communication on perceived well-being [37,39] or body image [32].”
Risk of low energy availability and nutrition knowledge among female team sport athletes
Pai, N. N., Brown, R. C., & Black, K. E. (2024) · The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness · doi:10.23736/s0022-4707.23.15273-x · Cited by 10
Keeping Fit & Staying Safe: A Systematic Review of Women's Use of Social Media for Fitness
Dennehy, D. P., Murphy, S., Foley, S., McCarthy, J., & Morrissey, K. (2024) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103361 · Cited by 10
A mixed methods exploration of self-presentation, authenticity, and role model function on Instagram: perspectives from female influencers in Germany
Zimmermann, D., Schneider, C., & Kaspar, K. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1472514 · Cited by 12
Because Follower Experience Matters: The Continuance Intention to Follow Recommendation of the Influencer
Inan, D. I., Hidayanto, A. N., Juita, R., Puteri, A. R., Romauli, I. P., Ramadhani, B. P. K., & Dwiputritaufik, T. A. (2022) · Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies · doi:10.1155/2022/3684192 · Cited by 9
“followers perceive these factors, they are satisfied, which leads them to follow the advice from the influencer [7], for instance, in purchase intention and healthy lifestyle [8, 9].”
Background
Analysis of Actual Fitness Supplement Consumption among Health and Fitness Enthusiasts
Espeño, P. R. E., Ong, A. K. S., German, J. D., Gumasing, M. J. J., & Casas, E. S. (2024) · Foods · doi:10.3390/foods13091424 · Cited by 8
“I find it easy to make sure I meet the recommended dosage of my fitness supplements [89] automatic precursors AP1 I feel good after consuming fitness supplements [28] AP2 After consuming fitness supplements, I think of consuming supplements in the following days [90] AP3 If I were asked about my…”
Background
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Limniou, M., Duckett, H., & Mitchell, E. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1578510 · Cited by 15
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Associations between Body Image and Self-Perceived Physical Fitness in Future Spanish Teachers
Rojo-Ramos, J., Gómez-Paniagua, S., Carlos‐Vivas, J., My works are correct, B. M. I. A. A. I. S. R. L. M. T. I. D. A.-M., Vega-Muñoz, A., Mañanas-Iglesias, C., Contreras-Barraza, N., & Adsuar, J. C. (2022) · Children · doi:10.3390/children9060811 · Cited by 8
“Otherwise, this relationship is reduced in terms of physical appearance care because, in recent years, there has been a change in the approach to physical training, toward seeking to be fit rather than thin [71], especially in women [72].”
Background
Sexual Harassment in Fitness Instructors: Prevalence, Perpetrators, and Mental Health Correlates
Mathisen, T. F., Sølvberg, N., Sundgot‐Borgen, J., & Sundgot-Borgen, J. K. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.735015 · Cited by 8
Profiling and assessing the risks of image- and performance-enhancing drugs use during the COVID-19 lockdown
Luca, I. D., Carlo, F. D., Burkauskas, J., Dores, A. R., Carvalho, I. P., Martínez, M. Á. G., Szabó, A., Fujiwara, H., Barbosa, C. M., Nicola, M. D., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1386721 · Cited by 7
How Do Social Network Sites Influence Workout Intentions: A Social Norm Approach
Rui, J. R., & Liu, S. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.753189 · Cited by 7
“As sharing details of daily life on SNSs such as workout experiences becomes increasingly prevalent, how workoutrelated posts may affect engagement of individuals in physical activities has attracted scholarly attention (Hamari and Koivisto, 2015; Vaterlaus et al., 2015; Burke and Rains, 2018; Raggatt et al., 2018; Pe…”
Background
THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN NURSING STUDENTS
HAMURCU, T. G. Ö., & Yılmaz, S. (2023) · İnönü Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksek Okulu Dergisi · doi:10.33715/inonusaglik.1156789 · Cited by 7
Perceived Behavior Analysis to Boost Physical Fitness and Lifestyle Wellness for Sustainability among Gen Z Filipinos
Kurata, Y. B., Ong, A. K. S., Cunanan, A. L. M., Lumbres, A. G., Palomares, K. G. M., Vargas, C. D. A., & Badillo, A. M. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su151813546 · Cited by 7
They shouldn’t be richer than me: How visual wealth exposure on social media increases relative deprivation
Yan, X., Fu, Y., 一洋, 風., & Han, Y. (2025) · Cyberpsychology Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace · doi:10.5817/cp2025-2-4 · Cited by 9

Authors: Raggatt, M., Wright, C. J. C., Carrotte, E., Jenkinson, R., Mulgrew, K., Prichard, I., & Lim, M. S. C.
Affiliations: Burnet Institute (AU)
University of the Sunshine Coast (AU)
Flinders University (AU)
Corresponding author: Raggatt, Michelle
ORCID: Raggatt, Michelle
Carrotte, Elise
Jenkinson, Rebecca
Mulgrew, Kate
Prichard, Ivanka
Lim, Megan S. C.
Venue: BMC Public Health
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2018-08-10
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Pages: 1002-1002
ISSN: 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5930-7
PMC: PMC6086030
OpenAlex: W2886105560
Cited by: 239
References: 47
Citations by year: 2026: 27 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 7
FWCI: 21.39
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (tdm)
Locations: BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Flinders Academic Commons (Flinders University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Health and Lifestyle Studies
Keywords: fitspiration, social media, disordered eating, compulsive exercise, exercise addiction, psychological distress, eating disorders, health beliefs, social support, health information, online health content, trust in health information
MeSH terms: Diet, Healthy, Adult, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Aspirations, Psychological, Body Image, Compulsive Behavior, Cross-Sectional Studies, Emotions, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Perception, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Support, Stress, Psychological, Exercise, Young Adult, Social Media

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"I aspire to look and feel healthy like the posts convey": engagement with fitness inspiration on social media and perceptions of its influence on health and wellbeing.

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