Now, thanks to the Internet — and social media, in particular, finding weight-loss support is far easier than it ever was in the past, especially now that we can connect with others who have both struggled and succeeded with losing weight.
In recent years, a number of medical studies have shown that individuals who use social media are far more effective at keeping weight off long-term compared to those who don’t. One study in particular conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina’s School of Public Health found that those who used Twitter on a regular basis for weight-loss support received especially high numbers of tweets that offered emotional and esteem support. Additionally, for every 10 tweets, they published to Twitter about their weight-loss and fitness progress, weight-loss patients lost one-half a pound.
Social media can also provide weight-loss patients with the ability to seek support anonymously. In some cases, those on the road to weight loss may not want their friends, family, and coworkers knowing about their struggles with diet, nutrition, and exercise, and about how these factors impact their daily lives.
Tips on using social media for weight-loss support
- Follow or “like” entities that regularly post information that inspires or guides you on your weight-loss journeys, such as weight-loss and health organizations, nutritionists, and fitness professionals.
- Include hashtags related to weight loss when posting about related topics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, such as #weightloss, #nutrition, #diet, or #fitness. Hashtags will help attract other users interested in the same topics.
- Perform a hashtag search using weight-loss keywords, then follow users who post regularly about those topics.
- Share and post weight-loss milestones to your Facebook and Twitter timelines. You’ll be surprised at the number of supportive responses you receive!
- Search for inspiring weight-loss quotes or before-and-after weight-loss photos on Pinterest for extra motivation.
- Post and share links to healthy recipes, and share photos of your favorite foods on Pinterest and Instagram.
