Rise Of Misinformation In The Fitness Industry

Fitness and exercise are ancient concepts. Ancient Greece considered exercising a civic duty. The benefits of exercise have been documented for hundreds of years by Indian, Middle- Eastern, and European scholars. The progress over the years has improved the science behind it and the information we can access. It has also unified all of this into an industry of its own. The amount of people part of the industry has sky-rocketed. It is one of the largest growing industries. It generates billions of dollars every year and influences a critical part of our life- our body. Specifically, the way we maintain it. The way we look after our bodies has life-long consequences. Due to this, people are willing to spend a considerable amount of money on coaches, trainers, exercise equipment, supplements, performance-enhancing drugs, and other products.

Its industrial growth is most notable across ages, with the number of people posting information related to fitness, training, and dieting increasing exponentially. It is a double- edged sword because anybody can post anything. Because the fitness industry is a very-high revenue industry, people market anything to make money. This misinformation spreads through products, celebrities, and influencers. With people claiming different methods for weight loss or weight gain with little to no scientific backing. In simpler words, misinformation in the fitness industry is rampant.

Products like body wraps, slimming shoes, creams, fat-burning pills, starch blockers, apple- cider vinegar have been heavily marketed. With companies claiming quick fat loss with little to no work. And even though there have been numerous scientific studies that disprove this, these products still sell. It is due to a lack of awareness among consumers. Most of the time results and progress seen using these products are not long-term. They also often cause harmful side effects. It’s critical to meet most fitness advice with some scepticism.

It's important to note that any fat loss method that doesn’t include reducing calories or increasing physical activity is probably fake.

While it's easy to spot fake products, there are a large number of fitness myths that circulate within the fitness world. It's considered valid advice by most people. Spot reduction of fat, longer the workout-better the results, working out from a young age stunts your growth, lifting heavy makes women look bulky and multiple others. They spread through friends, family, fitness coaches, and people in general. While some have a certain amount of truth to them, most of them are just myths. Many fitness influencers give advice based on their personal experience simply because they enjoy staying fit and active. This isn't necessarily wrong. But because everyone has a different body type, sex, height, their specific workout routine or diet plan might not work. Among fitness influencers too, there exist some who consistently spread misinformation. But people still follow their advice simply because they're in top shape. For example, V-Shred (Vince Sant), a fitness influencer has drawn criticism from multiple renowned fitness experts and influencers. For a community that barely agrees on things, this is rare. Misleading workout programs and

advice, such as Chloe Ting's, "Abs in 2 Weeks", are considered realistic by the general population, when it's simply not.

As a rule, it's key to research most fitness-related advice you come across. It is also critical to arrive at your conclusions through well-done research as part of your fitness journey. There's no shortage of information online, so always do your research before taking anything at face value.