ArticleFrontiers in nutrition2026
Social media as a self-reported source of weight-loss information: a cross-sectional comparison with traditional sources among Arab young adults.
Article in Frontiers in nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Social media has become an important source of nutrition and weight-loss information among young adults, but concerns persist regarding its quality and reliability, and its influence on weight-loss outcomes remains unclear. This study assessed the prevalence of social media as a weight-loss information source, compared its self-reported outcomes with those of traditional sources such as nutritionists, and examined its association with unhealthy weight-loss behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling among Arab young adults residing in the United Arab Emirates. Of 697 respondents, 305 met the inclusion criteria: all were overweight or obese at baseline and reported an intentional weight-loss attempt within the previous 12 months. Participants were categorized by their primary source of weight-loss information; social media, nutritionist, health provider, specialized website, or other sources. Weight-loss success was defined as a ≥5% reduction in initial body weight; unhealthy weight-loss practices were also assessed. Results: Participants had a mean age of 26.6 ± 6.9 years and a mean body mass index of 31.6 ± 6.0 kg/m Conclusion: Social media is widely used for weight-loss information among young adults and appears associated with self-reported outcomes similar to those of traditional sources such as nutritionists, although the cross-sectional, self-reported design precludes conclusions about comparative effectiveness. Because the sample was restricted to motivated young adults with overweight or obesity, these exploratory, hypothesis-generating findings should be interpreted within this context rather than generalized. They tentatively suggest that public health strategies might enhance the accuracy and credibility of weight-loss content on social media rather than discourage its use, a direction requiring confirmation in studies that directly assess content quality and creator credentials.
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