Social media as a self-reported source of weight-loss information: a cross-sectional comparison with traditional sources among Arab young adults.

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/m2; 76.4% were female. Social media was the most reported primary source (39.3%), and 241 participants (79.0%) overall achieved ≥5% weight loss. Weight-loss success was similar between social media users (86.7%) and nutritionist users (82.5%), as was the prevalence of unhealthy weight-loss practices (59.2 and 60.3%, respectively); these descriptive comparisons were not formally tested for statistical equivalence. Younger age, lower educational attainment, and overweight status were significantly associated with high reliance on social media (p < 0.05).

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.