Fit, thin, curvy and toned: the contradictory body ideals young NZ women face online

Getty Images For countless people, social media has become a go-to source of advice on how to look, eat and exercise.

On Instagram and TikTok, wellness influencers push their own strict diet and workout regimens, while peddling everything from activewear to protein powders.

Invariably, they’re young, beautiful, thin and toned.

Influencers such as Sommer Ray, Tammy Hembrow and Kayla Itsines have attracted tens of millions of followers by presenting highly curated versions of health, happiness and success.

There can be benefits.

Many young women find fitness influencers motivating and educational , while social media can provide communities of support for those pursuing their own health and fitness goals.

But this influence – often coming from people with questionable credibility , on major platforms that lack safeguards against unsupported health advice – can also come at a cost.

Our newly published research suggests that’s particularly the case for young women trying to navigate constantly changing ideas about fitness and the “ideal” body.

Chasing constantly changing ideals We surveyed 200 young New Zealand women about the body ideals they encountered online.

They identified a sometimes contradictory mix: being lean and toned, thin, curvy, fashionable, fat-free, muscular or “thick” – with shapely buttocks and thighs.

Some 57% felt young women were under strong pressure to achieve these ideals.

But they also recognised how difficult they could be to reconcile: how, for instance, do you simultaneously achieve an ideal that demands being both thin and curvy? Read more: We have all heard social media can impact women’s body image – but it isn’t all bad We found another contradiction.

Online fitness trends such as the popular “ fitspiration ” are often presented in terms of empowerment, body positivity and self-love, while at the same time encouraging strict control over diet, exercise and other aspects of daily life.

For some, constantly chasing these ideals took a toll.