There’s a way to hide weight loss ads on Instagram (Picture: Getty)
It’s that time again! The year is coming to an end and another one is about to begin, with many of us setting New Year’s resolutions – such as losing weight and exercising more.
But sometimes what we see online may be harming our mental and physical health.
In particular, we’re talking about weight loss ads that pop up on our Instagram feeds.
We’ve all been there, when we’ve scrolled endlessly through Instagram and stopped to read them.
However, a recent report by the British Dietetic Association (BDA) has warned people that they shouldn’t focus on ditching the pounds in the New Year as it could be ‘psychologically really damaging’.
Why weight loss ads can be damaging
There’s so much pressure online on how we should look and portray ourselves, and this is exacerbated by messaging saying we ‘need’ to lose weight or tone up.
Weight loss adverts are not only harmful to our bodies (with some suggesting unsustainable or unhealthy methods) but also our mental health too.
In 2021, Instagram apologised for a ‘mistake’ that promoted weight loss content to its users with eating disorders, who were prompted to search for terms like ‘appetite suppressant’ – raising the risk of relapse or worse.
So last year, the platform made changes to help us hide weight loss ads on our feeds, following a campaign and subsequent petition by Katie Bunderberg.
There was already a filter for topics such as alcohol and parenting, which may have been triggering for some people online, and Katie argued this ‘should be extended to weight loss’.
But not everyone is not fully aware of how to mute ads on Instagram – which is a must for those wanting to make positive, not toxic, changes in the New Year.
Twitter user Danae Mercer recently revealed the steps to take for ‘less diet pressure for 2023,’ and thankfully it couldn’t be easier.
How to mute weight loss ads on Instagram?
Click ‘ads’
Click on the search bar
Click ‘body weight control’
Click ‘show less ads about this topic’
Click ‘show less ads about this topic’
If you do see content you feel is harmful or inaccurate, you can also report posts to Instagram directly.
While companies will always aim to profit from our insecurities, you don’t have to let them into your digital world.
MORE : Instagram is launching some big new features for 2023
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