The Before and After Trap

Ever searched for #Fitspo on your socials, hoping to score a hit of workout motivation...only to find yourself sucked into a black hole of before-and-after posts? Same.

17 September, 2018
The Before and After Trap

Although it seems like they’re suddenly everywhere, transformation photos aren’t exactly new—brands were using them to sell diets and workouts decades before #fitfluencer’ became a legit career. Lately, however, modern versions have become ubiquitous on social media, as fitness stars blast them out to their millions of followers.
And experts have begun to investigate how this fitspiration impacts viewers—with some troubling results. While before-and-after pics might inspire sweat sessions, they
can also spur mental-health issues, according to a recent Journal Of Health Psychology study.
“When you’re exposed to images of women who transformed their bodies, you might evaluate those bodies against yours,” says clinical psychologist Cortney Warren, PhD,
author of Lies We Tell Ourselves. And if you determine that your body is more ‘before’ than ‘after’, that can chip away at your self-worth. For those whose self-esteem is already shaky, this could even ignite an eating or exercise disorder, says Cortney.
What’s more, these photos may send a message that you won’t be totally happy until you’ve achieved an ‘after’ body, says Michelle May, MD, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. “This could make you prioritise exercise over other important life stuff, like socialising or taking vacations.” Things can also backfire when viewers start working out but don’t see results quickly. Anna Victoria, a certified trainer with 1.3 million Instagram followers, often shares before-and-after shots as a way to honour women who’ve found success through her programs. “People tell me all the time this helps them keep up their healthy lifestyle,” she says. Still, she acknowledges the posts might prompt some viewers to make unhealthy body comparisons. To minimise that, Anna says she uploads photos of people who are three months (or more) into a routine
and are usually smiling in both pics. She also makes a point of including specifics on the mental and emotional benefits of exercise in her captions. “I reiterate that everyone’s starting point is different and you can’t compare yourself to anyone else,” she adds. That’s helpful for some, says Cortney, but not all. “The images themselves can still be triggering for certain people,” she says. If you find yourself constantly judging your bod based on Insta photos, it’s time to Unfollow, advises Anna, and focus on how you can safely embrace your fitness goals.

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