Australian social media stars feeding their followers ‘dangerous’ ideas on health

Social media influencers peddling a form of starvation to young people have body image advocates and nutritionists worried.

Australian YouTubers have been feeding their followers health ideas and food restricting tactics such as fasting, and only consuming coffee for an entire day.

In a ‘what I eat in a day’ video that was shared this week, Ruth May from Sydney told her followers about how she was ‘shocking her body back into Ketosis’.

Holistic health princess Sarah Stevenson (pictured) fasts until 4.30pm some days, while other days she has two meals a day – one meal being a smoothie

Australian YouTuber Ruth May (pictured) only had a coffee before undertaking a 13km run, she told viewers this week

Australian YouTuber Ruth May (pictured) only had a coffee before undertaking a 13km run, she told viewers this week

She spoke about feeling ‘puffy’ and ‘bloated’ and beginning her day with a coffee before undertaking a 13km run.

When she ate her first meal at 2.30pm she had eggs, salmon and spinach.

Fans commented on the video saying her discipline is inspiring.

Sydney’s ‘holistic health princess’ Sarah Stevenson sometimes fasts until 4.30pm, while on other days she will have two meals – one being a smoothie.

But not everyone is a fan.  

Australian Medical Association NSW president Dr Kean-Seng Lim is worried the type of influence these types of messages have on young people, The Daily Telegraph reported.

‘If this were to become the daily diet for someone they would actually be becoming quite vitamin deficient, quite iron deficient’

He said it could have a negative impact on teenagers education.  

Butterfly Foundation ambassador Mia Findlay said food restriction videos act as a way for young people to justify their dangerous eating habits.

Australian Youtuber Ruth May shows off her slender figure to her thousands of Instagram followers

Australian Youtuber Ruth May shows off her slender figure to her thousands of Instagram followers

‘The connotations becomes ”follow this diet and you can have my shiny, happy life”.’

Last month radio host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson was blasted for seeming to ‘encourage eating disorders and teaching young women to starve themselves.

She sparked outrage after talking about how she lost weight eating just an avocado for lunch, and chicken and vegetables for dinner.

Ms Findlay told The Daily Telegraph at the time that most people would classify that as a starvation diet. 

‘It encourages eating disorders, it reinforces bad eating habits. It is normalising a way of eating which is not normal. It is not healthy and not sustainable,’ she said.

Holistic health princess Sarah Stevenson (pictured) sometimes only has two meals a day - one meal being a smoothie

Holistic health princess Sarah Stevenson (pictured) sometimes only has two meals a day – one meal being a smoothie

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk