‘Strong is the new skinny’: A content analysis of #fitspiration images on Instagram

Abstract

'Fitspiration' is an online trend designed to inspire viewers towards a healthier lifestyle by promoting exercise and healthy food. This study provides a content analysis of fitspiration imagery on the social networking site Instagram. A set of 600 images were coded for body type, activity, objectification and textual elements. Results showed that the majority of images of women contained only one body type: thin and toned. In addition, most images contained objectifying elements. Accordingly, while fitspiration images may be inspirational for viewers, they also contain a number of elements likely to have negative effects on the viewer's body image.

Young People�s Experiences of Viewing the Fitspiration Social Media Trend: Qualitative Study (Preprint)

“…The issues of frustration, guilt and feeling addicted to viewing Fitspirational posts are novel insights emerging from the current study. Negative effects of exposure to Fitspiration on self-esteem, body image and disordered eating have been demonstrated [3] and speculated upon [7][8][9][10][11][12][13] previously and the accounts of our participants are in line with these studies and also the proposition that social comparison on the basis of appearance is one of the routes by which Fitspiration produces negative psychological effects [3].…”

“…In line with Palmer [14] we found that participants described desire to gain information as a key driver of consumption of Fitspirational material; specifically, our participants were interested in information that would help them to improve their appearance, with health appearing a less important motivation. Similar to Tiggeman & Ziccardo [7] we also showed that participants could feel inspired and motivated by Fitspirational content. However, our findings showed that this does not seem to routinely translate into positive dietary change and physical activity; a finding also reported by Palmer [14].…”

“…The existing literature is limited, given the newness of the trend, but has centred around the concerning nature of the images and content and possible effects on mental health (including disordered eating), body image and self-esteem. A number of studies using content analysis have concurred in finding that Fitspiration posts perpetuate pervading body image ideals (very lean females, very muscular men), are sexually objectifying, and tend to emphasise appearance over health [7][8][9][10][11]. However, Deighton-Smith's [11] analysis also identified some potentially positive features including the emphasis placed on personal control and commitment, and the building of a sense of community and social support.…”

Uso de redes sociais, influência da mídia e insatisfação com a imagem corporal de adolescentes brasileiras

“…Estudos apontam para a falta de diversidade de corpos como referencial de beleza, parecendo haver somente um modelo do que é belo e dificuldade em lidar com o diferente. Todos desejam ser iguais, como um pré-requisito para ser aceito, sendo o culto à magreza uma norma social, expondo-se à exclusão quem não adere a esse modelo 4,15,26 . A mídia atua reforçando e popularizando maneiras de se atingir o "corpo ideal".…”

“…Essas novas mídias reforçam o narcisismo e os padrões de beleza vigentes e alguns estudos avaliaram seu impacto sobre a imagem corporal (IC) 4,5 . A IC pode ser definida como a imagem do corpo construí-da em nossa mente e os sentimentos, pensamentos e ações em relação ao corpo 6 .…”