China recently made headlines by imposing strict credentials and content restrictions on influencers discussing regulated topics such as medicine, law, finance, and education. Under these rules, creators must hold verified professional degrees or licenses—a move that makes complete sense when we see teenagers ingesting random vitamins and minerals simply because a famous influencer recommended them.
From serums promising glowing skin to pre-workout blends claiming to sculpt the perfect physique, influencers are turning bottles and sachets into must-have lifestyle accessories. For adults, this might amount to little more than a costly experiment. For teenagers, however, the consequences can be far more serious, and the evidence suggests that yes, following these trends can genuinely cause harm.
The appeal is easy to understand
Teenagers are, by nature, highly impressionable and deeply invested in how they are perceived by peers. Social media only intensifies this. When a favourite influencer credits a magnesium gummy for their glass skin or a fitness creator swears by a fat-burning capsule for their physique, it is hardly surprising that impressionable followers want to replicate the results. The way of taking antibiotics for fever is normalised, but it too has its own side effects, which end up making the body more prone to falling sick.
Where the risk begins
The trouble is that many of these products are marketed with little regard for age-appropriate dosing or scientific accuracy. Adolescent bodies are still developing, and hormones, metabolism, and organ function do not operate the same way they do in adults. Excessive vitamin A, for instance, can cause liver damage, while high doses of iron can be toxic in growing bodies that do not require supplementation in the first place. Weight-loss and muscle-building supplements are more concerning, as many contain unregulated stimulants or hidden ingredients that have never been tested on teenagers. But because some Instagram influencers suggest these products, youth start its intake without even having a second thought about what exactly they are taking.
The psychological dimension
This is not the entire story. The constant marketing of supplements as a quick way to obtain the perfect physique might be contributing to harmful body image in subtle ways. Teenagers who are already dealing with all the struggles of being a teenager might start to feel that their own bodies are lacking something unless they consume their body weight in different kinds of tablets and supplements. This unhealthy obsession with physical improvement might evolve into an eating whatever some famous influencer tells them online. But such things can only be taken after a complete body checkup and tests, then only can one tell what exactly is missing from the body.
Misinformation dressed as advice
But perhaps the most worrying aspect about the influence of misleading information is just how sure people sound while saying it. Though influencers may act with the best intentions, most of them are not even professional nutritionists or doctors. Thus, it is natural that they use the language of an expert and make statements about the magical properties of some supplement, such as its ability to "detox" or increase energy levels overnight. Teenagers, being naive enough to think that enthusiastic statements made by others are always true, tend to believe in the words said without questioning what the influencer says.
None of this means that supplements are always dangerous, and there are no negative consequences for all the latest trends. Sometimes, multivitamins might help if a teenager needs them and takes them in proper amounts after a doctor’s consultation. What is more important is that people consume supplements in an unquestioning manner because of social validation, not for health reasons. But parents, teachers, and social media should also take responsibility and convince teenagers to ask questions and visit healthcare professionals before taking anything.
The author is the associate director of Internal Medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
