“What I Eat in a Day” (WIEIAD) videos have taken over the internet since 2020. Whether it’s a specific diet, “intuitive eating”, or a normal day, if you can name it there’s probably a WIEIAD for it.
These videos are highly addicting, we watch one and can’t stop, and comparing what we eat is inevitable.
Here in is the problem.
A lot of WIEIADs begin with a body shot. Often problematic, this can tell young, impressionable users “If you eat like this, you can look like me”.
In actuality, this isn’t the case. We can copy how someone we watch on social media eats down to the microgram, and we still wouldn’t look like them.
Adults know this, but young teenagers and children might not, leading to possibly extreme measures being taken to look like their favorite content creators.
WIEIADs that share nutritional information, such as calories, proteins, and serving sizes, can also be dangerous. TikTok and Instagram have been hit with lawsuits surrounding eating disorders in the past, and restriction-encouraging or fad-diet-focused WIEIADs are not helping in this area.
When it comes to fad diets, WIEIADs can be a difficult subject. If a diet works for someone, that’s great, but it won’t work for everyone. Fad diet WIEIADs only become a problem when someone believes their way of eating is the only way.
While only a small subsection of WIEIAD videos might promote a specific diet, doing so is still dangerous. It just takes one comment demonizing carbs, protein, or sugar to alter someone’s perception of food forever.
I understand that WIEIAD videos don’t come from a bad place. Usually, they’re made as just another form of content or a part of a personal journey, and that’s fine.
However, making such content requires that proper precautions and common courtesies’ are taken.
Content creators who know this will often include a disclaimer that says something along the lines of:
“This is what I eat, please don’t compare yourself to me”.
If WIEIADs continue to be posted, which, let’s face it, they probably will be, more creators have to include the disclaimer mentioned above.
It’s all about creating a safer space and a more positive atmosphere for viewers and content creators, something everyone on social media should be concerned about.
