Andy Devaney
If you’ve ever scrolled through TikTok or Instagram and found yourself halfway through a “miracle” fat-loss hack or an influencer preaching detox diets, brace yourself — nearly 90% of health and nutrition influencers on these platforms don’t disclose the risks tied to their advice.
That’s precisely why Active IQ has launched its Trust Your Trainer campaign — a hard-hitting call for social media giants to take accountability for the health misinformation running wild across our feeds.
Active IQ, a leading awarding organisation for the physical activity sector, has published a new manifesto urging platforms like TikTok and Instagram to shoulder greater responsibility for their role in shaping public health behaviours.
Their proposal is simple: introduce a Trust Your Trainer trust mark so users can immediately recognise when a content creator’s advice is backed by a professional qualification — not just by follower counts and filters.
Recent studies paint a grim picture of “fitspiration” culture. The majority of videos tagged under fitness and diet trends were found to be misleading, harmful, or built on shaky science. The rise of unqualified influencers peddling dangerous weight loss methods and extreme routines isn’t just muddying the waters — it’s putting people’s physical and mental health on the line.
“Social media can and should be a force for good in supporting healthier lifestyles,” said Jenny Patrickson, Managing Director of Active IQ. “But without stronger safeguarding, it risks undermining public health and professional expertise. From dangerous weight loss hacks to unqualified influencers pushing extreme training routines or unregulated supplements, the content flooding feeds is not just misleading, but putting people at risk.
“We’re calling on industry colleagues and organisations to stand with us in urging platforms to take meaningful action to protect people from harm and champion evidence-led, ethical advice.”
Backing the movement is David Stalker, an Active IQ Consultant with over 35 years in the physical activity sector. “This is an important and timely initiative,” Stalker said. “It is the responsibility of our industry to ensure people are guided towards safe, credible information that supports long-term health and wellbeing. We fully support Active IQ’s call for greater accountability from social media platforms and urge the sector to get behind this manifesto.”
The Trust Your Trainer campaign also highlights stories like that of Robyn Drummond, a personal trainer who learned the hard way how dangerous social media misinformation can be.
At 18, Robyn was drawn in by bikini bodybuilding models online, believing success was only a few kilograms and a handful of hashtags away. After restrictive dieting and guidance from unqualified “coaches,” she developed an eating disorder. No one around her spotted the signs.
“Conflicting, inaccurate, and unregulated content online is actually making weight management harder and harming mental wellbeing in the process,” said Drummond. “I know this because I was the person looking for advice on social media, and this is the reason why I do the job I do now.
“Too often advice is shared without consideration for safety or scientific backing, and I can’t emphasise enough that a sizeable following doesn’t qualify you as an expert. This manifesto is an important step towards tackling misinformation and ensuring those seeking guidance can trust the information they’re getting.”
With more than half of Gen Z now turning to TikTok for fitness advice, the gap between certified professionals and self-made “influencers” is widening dangerously. Unlike qualified trainers who study, certify, and uphold standards, many influencers have no credentials — yet their videos reach millions in minutes.
Active IQ’s Trust Your Trainer manifesto isn’t just another online campaign. It’s a rallying cry — a call to rebuild trust in an industry that’s been hijacked by algorithms and aesthetics.
The organisation is urging operators, training providers, fitness professionals, and industry stakeholders to sign the manifesto and pressure platforms to clean up the digital fitness space before more damage is done.
To find out more or to sign the Trust Your Trainer manifesto, visit: www.activeiq.co.uk/trust-your-trainer
