Fitspo photos deter Queensland women from fitness

SHREDDED six packs and perfect bodies posted on social media are turning women off fitness, new Australian research has found. But a new Queensland campaign hopes to turn that around.

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SHREDDED six packs and perfect bodies posted on social media are turning women off fitness, new Australian research has found.

State government campaigns like #Jointhemovement that use Queenslanders of all shapes, sizes and ages are more motivating and inspirational than “unattainable” bikini bodies posted on Instagram under #fitspo, the study from Flinders University revealed.

Researchers say photos posted to social media websites featuring “unattainable” bodies are discouraging women from getting fit.

“The many millions of posed images of fit and thin women that flood the internet do not translate into getting women to strive for the same image. Most believe these looks of perfection are unattainable and too challenging,” researcher Dr Ivanka Prichard from Health and Exercise Sciences at Flinders University said.

The Queensland Government #Jointhemovement campaign pushes the message that “it’s not about ability and it’s not about perfection, it’s about having more energy and feeling better”.

“Fitspiration” was born after “thinspiration”, a drive to promote weight loss often to dangerous extremes. It was hoped that #fitspo would drown out the “thigh gap” message and promote a more positive fit and strong trend.

Dr Prichard said #fitspo photos created appearance dissatisfaction.

The study supports previous research by the researcher that found body satisfaction decreased and negative mood increased over time following exposure to fitspiration images, highlighting the potential negative consequences of engaging with fitspiration media.

“These results can inform agencies about campaign effectiveness and suggest that women benefit from campaigns that feature non-idealised depictions of women exercising,” she said.

Instagram influencer Brooke Chamberlain. Picture: Luke Marsden

Brooke Chamberlain and Jessica Green from the Gold Coast are fit and athletic, up and coming Instagram influencers.

“The photos we post on social media are not designed to make women feel they need to look a certain way. The message is that being athletic and fit makes you feel great. Perfection is not obtainable for anyone. Jessica and I do mixed martial arts, I snowboard and I do stunts. It’s not about looking pretty and thin it’s about being happy and strong,” Brooke, who has 25,000 Instagram followers, said.