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Media ramps it up from amplifying body fads to straight out misrepresentation of dietitians

Dietetics, Exercise Physiology / Science, The Health Industry

The latest craze, the “ab crack” is “whack” according to Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA). ESSA Spokesperson, Katie Lyndon says that for a lot of people the ab crack will be unattainable, even with a low body fat percentage, and that abs are usually influenced by genetics, not how much you do of a particular exercise.

The phrase “ab crack”, which is defined as an indented line between the abdominal muscles, is the latest body trend that has started appearing all over social media. This “new thing” mostly can be seen as a line going down the middle of the abdominals of bikini models, who genetically have it.

A recent online survey by ESSA discovered that people affected by what they see and that social media trends do have an impact on what they perceive as the optimum body type. The survey also showed that combining an unrealistic target and a one size fits all exercise approach is ineffective.

“I am urging all Australians to ignore these fad social media trends, and instead focus on long term health, setting realistic goals and seeking the advice of an accredited exercise professional,” said Ms Lyndon.

Fad diets and body image issues in the media is obviously not a new trend, but in recent months it has been taken to another level. A Channel 7 News story aired on 23rd May 2016 was titled ‘Fatty foods don’t make you fat, but sugar is off the menu: Dieticians (sic)’ was a classic example of misleading information that people were led to believe had been suggested by dietitians. The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) has said that this alarmist report contained “many factual inaccuracies, with the information presented to Australians not in line with the latest evidence.

According to DAA the Channel 7 News story suggested that the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) are ‘making us sick’.

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