For countless people, social media has become a go-to source of advice on how to look, eat and exercise.

On Instagram and TikTok, wellness influencers push their own strict diet and workout regimens, while peddling everything from activewear to protein powders.

Invariably, they’re young, beautiful, thin and toned. Influencers such as Sommer Ray, Tammy Hembrow and Kayla Itsines have attracted tens of millions of followers by presenting highly curated versions of health, happiness and success.

There can be benefits. Many young women find fitness influencers motivating and educational, while social media can provide communities of support for those pursuing their own health and fitness goals.

But this influence – often coming from people with questionable credibility, on major platforms that lack safeguards against unsupported health advice – can also come at a cost.

Our newly published research suggests that’s particularly the case for young women trying to navigate constantly changing ideas about fitness and the “ideal” body.

Chasing constantly changing ideals

We surveyed 200 young New Zealand women about the body ideals they encountered online. They identified a sometimes contradictory mix: being lean and toned, thin, curvy, fashionable, fat-free, muscular or........

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