NUTRITION DISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA: AN OVERVIEW

Social media today play a key role in communicating and disseminating information about health and nutrition. However, the lack of effective content moderation has led to a rapid increase in misinformation that threatens public health. The rapid evolution of digital platforms and the diversity of their audiences make it difficult to effectively control the quality of the information posted. The aim of this study is to identify the social media platforms most frequently used to spread misinformation about nutrition, and to analyze the main thematic areas of such messages, including false dietary claims and links to diseases. A systematic literature review was conducted, including an analysis of empirical studies devoted to misinformation on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Publications were selected according to PRISMA guidelines, and data were synthesized in a narrative form to achieve the stated research objectives.

The final analysis included 28 studies covering various aspects of misinformation about nutrition on social media. The most significant platforms for its dissemination are Instagram (50% of cases) and YouTube (39.28%), to a lesser extent - Twitter (10.72%) and TikTok (5.13%). More than 62% of disinformation sources are dedicated to so-called "miracle diets", often associated with the risks of developing orthorexia and associated with the topic of COVID-19 (14.28% each). Characteristic features of such materials include unfounded promises of rapid health improvement and disease treatment without reliable scientific basis. High-quality and reliable nutritional content is published mainly by medical professionals and academic organizations, which emphasizes their exceptional role in shaping the correct ideas among users. Nutritional misinformation on social media platforms is a current and growing threat to public health. As other case studies illustrate, the active dissemination of false information leads to mistrust of professional sources, a rapid increase in the popularity of unverified diets, the formation of dangerous dietary practices, and an exacerbation of alarming real panic. Social media users, especially those with low digital and critical literacy, are most susceptible to such influences. Current strategies to combat the problem include developing digital and media literacy of the population, providing tools for verifying information, and increasing the activity of medical professionals in digital spaces. Effective counteraction to disinformation is possible only with the coordinated efforts of health care institutions, experts, and social platforms themselves, which should become platforms for reliable education and strengthening the health of society.