What I eat in a day/ WIEAD/ ‘food vlog’. We’ve all seen them, I’ve posted my fair share of them myself, but should people share food content online? I’m sure we’ve all seen backlash more than once because of one of these posts. Are they harmful or informative?
Suggested Posts: My What I Eat in a Day Archives
Where this idea came from
I think this post requires an explanation. As I said, I’ve posted several of these posts myself so ultimately, I don’t think my stance on this is a major secret and this post probably seems like it’s coming out of nowhere. Recently I’ve seen a surge in people reviewing other people’s WIEAD content. And that’s prompted a lot of questions from me.
One issue with WIEAD content is that one person’s diet is exactly that, individual not universal. Many of us online feel like we need to start those posts with a little disclaimer saying this is what works for us and not everyone should go out and eat that way. I can’t speak for everyone, obviously, but I do feel confident in saying that I’m sure at least 95% of us aren’t sharing what we eat hoping everyone reading/ watching goes out and eats the exact same thing.
But ultimately, there are many potential issues.
Backlash
Backlash comes for many different reasons. One of the big ones is the impression it gives younger viewers. Many people sharing what I eat in a days are sharing them as part of some sort of weight loss or fitness journeys and follow eating routines to fit that, whether that be some sort of calorie restriction or counting macros etc.
However, those kinds of accounts are typically health/ fitness orientated to being with. To some extent, viewers know what they’re getting.
The biggest form of backlash I think comes from more lifestyle accounts. You know the ones I mean – the tall, skinny girl who does regular Zara hauls then shows a random WIEAD which shows her eating next to nothing. Or, on the flip side, the equally thin younger girl who is apparently blessed with the world’s best metabolism and shows herself eating nothing but junk yet remains this ‘perfect’ reflection of the media’s ideal beauty standard.
In either of those situations, those diets aren’t realistic for the average person. And they likely aren’t realistic longer term for the content creator either. And seeing that can possibly lead to negative thoughts about food/ body image if their audience isn’t in the best mental space to be consuming that content.
Information & authenticity
Here’s the thing, although people can compare diets and possibly be triggered by food content, a lot of people post it as an educational thing. If you’re a food or fitness creator, you get bombarded with questions about what you eat. If you’re a really lean fitness model and you pretend you eat nothing but chocolate and shakes, surely that’s more negative than being authentic and saying ‘look, I eat very little sugar and a LOT of kale’.
I don’t know whether it’s because I create food content, or just plain nosiness, but I love what I eat posts. When I first started posting my own, I thought people might find it interesting. As someone who shares a lot of healthier options, I thought people might like to see what a regular day actually looks like for me. It’s important to me that you guys know that I still like Pringles even though I eat kale chips, and just because I make a healthy protein ball doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy cookies.
Cruel or constructive?
As I mentioned above, I’ve seen a new trend of other people reviewing diets/ WIEAD posts. Now, you can look at this one of two ways. Without naming and shaming, there’s one dietician who has made a name for themselves by reviewing YouTubers diets. As a dietician, there’s obviously some science involved in this, and the advice being given comes from a good place. However, is it morally right for someone in a healthcare profession to critique someone they don’t know personally, who may or may not eat certain things for health reasons they haven’t made public, all based on a few single days of eating that they chose to share? Personally, I don’t think so.
It’s one thing to think certain things about the way someone eats as a viewer. In my opinion, it’s entirely different to publicly bash and shame someone for it as a ‘professional’. I’ve seen these videos go as far as saying people probably have eating disorders for eating too much as well as not enough. This then sends people in the direction of the original creator leaving comments insinuating they know more about their health than they do.
I hope it goes without saying that it’s right to call someone out if they’re saying something dangerous and trying to pass it off as fact. If a raw food enthusiast tries to convince the world that carrot juice is going to cure cancer, that deserves intervention. But if you’re casually sharing what you ate on Tuesday and you didn’t happen to get enough iron that day, that’s no one else’s business to comment on, other than maybe your own doctor if you’re not getting enough iron every day.
Suggested Post: Vegan Sources of Iron
Should people share food content online?
There’s an argument that you shouldn’t post it if you’re not open to criticism. But in my eyes, that’s like telling someone who posts makeup tutorials they should get used to people leaving nasty comments about their nose, or a fashion blogger being told that they need to accept people commenting on their body. Even if you want to argue that it’s different because it’s food and health, does that mean people can’t share workout routines in case someone takes it too far?
In my eyes, it comes down to being responsible. If you’re not promoting some extreme diet or lifestyle and you’re responsible in the way you share it, I don’t see any problem in posting it. On the other hand, if you’re the one consuming the content and you know it could be triggering for you, be responsible for your own health, don’t click and unfollow accounts you know are bad for you. I know that could be easier said than done depending on the individual situation, but if you are still following, please remember that what I eat in a day is literally one day. One day out of 365 does not determine anyone’s health. Never take one day on the internet as a life guide.
Rant over, what are your thoughts on this kind of content? Do you enjoy what I eat in a days or diet/ food posts in general?
Until next time,
Sophie
An interesting post. TBH I rarely bother with posts discussing food unless it’s to rave about a dish they had at a restaurant.
Interesting take! I think that’s often why I end up searching for those blogs with recipes that I often question. You make a valid point in how people look at these posts. I often look for these blogger/vloggers to have some sort of disclaimer on their recipes and endorsements. Always so important to consider the wide audience. Great post! 🙂
It’s frankly irresponsible of dietician or any medical professional to diagnose someone as having an eating disorder without meeting them. If they are going to review WIEAD they need to have preface that they are not giving an official diagnosis and that person could indeed be very healthy.
Like you’ve said, unless someone is actively promoting and pushing unhealthy diets (like Skinny Tea promoters) then I don’t believe it’s something that should be commented on.
Ashleigh | The Ashmosphere
I don’t understand the review trends across different niches as of late. I’ve seen more of this, bloggers and professionals ‘reviewing’ the content of others rather than just focusing on making their own content. While it may not be meant to be malicious, it often comes across that way… I’m not referring to round ups of your ‘favourite bloggers’ or anything like that, both those that specifically go into depth critiquing the work of another.
I’ve always found these types of articles to be helpful. If something is not of my liking I just disregard it and move on. Each to their own; there’s an audience for everything. For me, I’ve enjoyed them.
I personally love seeing what other people eat in a day and never once came away thinking I ate too much or too little, so this is a negative side to sharing food content online that I never thought about.
Sometimes I wonder if there is common sense left in the world; obviously what works for one person does not work for me and I never thought it does. I read food/diet posts as ways to see how other people mix meals or find new recipes and options I may not have been aware of before.
That said, the need to have a perfect body creeps into young minds surprisingly young so I can see how diet posts might turn into a place for poor eating habits in young people to develop. With that in mind, disclaimers can be useful.
Thanks for sharing!
This is definitley a good conversation starter. My only opinion would be, it just depends on how the reader or viewer digests the information. I love seeing food posts, it inspires recipes for me.
Very interesting topic and helpful too. It’s ok being criticized. Just enjoy it too.
I think it’s wonderful to share what you eat because it will inspire a lot of people or give them ideas to try something they might not have tried before.
You can connect with other through your love for food 🙂
http://www.fashionradi.com
You laid out your thoughts so thoroughly yet succintly, and I couldn’t agree more! Shaming, willfully promoting false information, or pushing a particular narrative, is never valuable or okay, but other than that, I think your approach, and what you shared here on the positive side, is exactly right xx
PS lolllll i can distinctly recall the youtuber you’re speaking of here haha, wild times, kind of had that memory buried :’)
Thank you so much! ❤ Haha I checked her account before I posted this to make sure she still does that kind of content, new review weekly and thriving from it still apparently
Youn are right, people have become too negative and easily find the bad in things than the good
https://www.melodyjacob.com/2020/08/poem-to-my-faraway-lover.html
I love food content. It’s isn’t about losing weight or how many calories but many new recipes that you can try.
I’m sort of on both sides here. I totally get what you mean when it could be bad for younger viewers to be watching small or dieting WIEAD posts but on the other hand I find them really interesting and it gives me ideas of things I want to cook! Interesting post x
Interesting topic, I have read some blogger’s who have had backlash about such things but the way I look at it is, if it’s something that I don’t want to read, then I just click off and move on. If you are not a doctor or RD, or in that genre of expertise, it’s all merely an opinion just like blogs. We cannot take everything as the bible but constructive criticism is also good, especially if it comes from a genuine place. I personally love food and recipes blogs, but I don’t like preachy ones though.
I’ve always personally liked WIEAD because I just use them as inspiration on what to eat within a week, but not on how to eat.
I have a love/hate relationship with sharing food content online. I think sometimes it can be toxic but otherwise it can be inspiring. For example, I enjoy watching ‘what I ate in a day’ videos for meal inspiration but I can understand how it can be toxic or triggering for people with eating disorders.
Roni | myelevatedexistence.com
I love it when you share recipes, I always learn so much from them and I always want to try and do your recipes! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I feel like people should be able to share whatever they want, unless it is you know… harming someone else? Everyone is different and we can’t be judging what people choose or have to eat. I think it is good knowledge overall and encourages transparency of what reality is for some people. Everyone’s metabolism works differently. When I worked out twice a day, I had to eat a lot. I know for me, I am always worried about “offending” people with the type of food I eat, but I don’t feel guilty of what I eat myself. I think going at things with an open mind is the right thing to do. I’d say, keep saying food posts. 🙂
Nancy ✨ exquisitely.me
That dietician needs a slap across the face, and is clearly more interested in fame then their profession.
This is really interesting! You’re totally right in that when someone does post about what they eat in a day, its literally just 1 day out of 365 days, I’m sure everyone reading that type of content would recognise that. However if it is something that is triggering to you, then it’s important to not read it or unfollow that person so you don’t see their content popping up on social media feeds. I’m also quite nosy and really enjoy reading about what people eat in a day, just because it’s interesting reading about what others enjoy eating! xx