Today, I want to talk about influencers.

It’s a tricky topic and something I am personally working through, so I thought I’d take you on this journey with me.

Please know that my intention is not to judge social media influencers or condemn the content creator industry. Instead, I want to talk about and process how we might be influenced—both positively and negatively—and how we can approach the influences we encounter with more awareness and intentionality. And keep reading till the end for lots of verses that point out the Biblical truth on the power of influence to point you back to God. As I often say, don’t take my word for it.

Influence is all around us, even in ways we don’t always recognize right away. That is our reality. And again, some influence can be positive. It can help us grow. I have personally been influenced for good by people on the internet who don’t know me and never will. But seeing their faith in action or hearing about a life change that helped them has encouraged me.

In fact, let me tell you a quick story, because I want to start on a positive note.

Learning About Gut Health and Functional Medicine

After I recovered from bulimia, my digestion was so off. But I thought it was my new normal. I figured it was a consequence of bingeing and purging for over 10 years. So, I lived with the discomfort for years.

That is, until one day, maybe four years ago, an influencer I follow shared her journey with gut health. She described her symptoms—which sounded like mine—and mentioned going to a functional medicine doctor for a diagnosis because functional medicine is about finding and solving the root issue. I don’t want to make a blanket statement about all functional medicine doctors compared to all traditional doctors, but one difference can be that traditional medicine tends to prescribe a “solution” (I’m using air quotes) that masks the symptoms but does not necessarily get rid of the problem.

So what did I do with this information from social media? First, I’ll tell you what I didn’t do. I didn’t just believe it, no questions asked. I did my own research. I learned more about gut health. And then, I booked an appointment with a functional medicine doctor near me.

After explaining my symptoms and answering a LOT of questions, my functional medicine doctor recommended I have testing done to check for food intolerances and hormone imbalances. I won’t go into all the details of the process or my results, but the tests did show a high intolerance to dairy and a few hormones out of normal range.

I tell you this because, had I not been “influenced” on Instagram to look into functional medicine, I might still be living with uncomfortable gut issues. Today, my gut is still a work in progress, but understanding how my body responds to certain dairy protein has made a major difference!

So, yes. You can be influenced for good. But, the influence someone else has on you can have negative consequences—specifically for your mental, physical, and spiritual health.

What Does It Mean for Someone to Be an Influencer?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, one definition of the word “influence” is “to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks.” We see this definition played out online every single day because the literal job of an influencer is to affect how someone behaves or thinks. They make money when you click their links to purchase a product or service or sign up for a course. Some influencers even sell their own products, services, and courses.

Now let me clarify something. I’m not here to tell you that clicking links is wrong or that you should stop buying anything an influencer recommends. I regularly look to influencers for clothing inspiration and have purchased many items through their links—some I’ve loved, some I’ve returned, and some I wish I returned.

And therein lies my point. Not everything shared by influencers will be good—or, at least, not good for YOU. And I’m not only talking about clothes.

Health and Wellness Influencers Are Not Necessarily Experts

I don’t know if this is your experience, but I am seeing more and more influencers promoting health-related products, workout and eating plans, and wellness services with claims that they are life-changing in some way or another. Their words imply that if you do this… buy that… eat this… take that… you will look and feel like them.

Some of the products, plans, and services I’ve seen range from supplements and protein powders to detox therapies, reset diets disguised as wellness, and big-ticket trends like cold plunges and saunas. Let me throw another disclaimer in here that not every health and wellness post you see is a sham—not necessarily anyway.

But the reality is that, with some exceptions, most people who share are not experts. And even legitimately licensed and certified experts don’t always get it right. In fact, on season 2 of my podcast, one of my guests—a dietitian—admitted that she steered many clients wrong before realizing her methods were rooted in toxic diet culture.

LISTEN to my podcast Recover with God.

Influencer Marketing

And, expertise aside, many influencers are paid by brands to promote and sell something, which is evident when you see #ad, #sponsored, or the word partner anywhere on a post or story. But, did you know? Influencers can also earn commission through platforms like LTK or brand affiliate programs. And, unfortunately, not every influencer discloses this, despite it being a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirement.

I’ve reached a point where I assume that anytime I click on an influencer’s link, my cookies will be tracked and the influencer will be paid if I make a purchase. If that sounds really technical, it is, and I won’t get into specifics.

However, fun fact: I used to work in the world of influencer marketing, so I am very familiar with the industry, how partnerships are negotiated, how brands use this content as a marketing tool, and how influencers are compensated.

Part of my job back then was to find influencers with followers in a specific target audience, so they could share a product to that audience. For me, the goal was to find influencers who genuinely loved the product so their promotion would be authentic.

I also know influencers who are very picky about partnerships and only work with brands they know and love—which I hugely respect!

Yet, as the world of influencer marketing has grown, I’ve seen more and more content pushing products that has me questioning whether the person who posted even uses the products. So, I want to pose a bigger question here:

How much of what influencers share is genuine, and how much is purely for the money?

Or, consider this question: Even if an influencer does use the product and loves the product, does that mean it’s good for you or will work for you? Again, influencer does not automatically equal expert. 

Everyone Is an Influencer

In fact, let me argue for a minute that we are all influencers—I am, you are—because we have the power “to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks,” as the dictionary puts it. If you recommend anything to anyone, you are influencing. If someone tries something you shared because you convinced them it’s great, you are influencing. 

But, on the flip side, what if a friend or family member tells you about this amazing diet they’re on and maybe you can tell they lost a significant amount of weight? Are they an expert at weight loss because they lost weight? No. Could their diet actually be unhealthy? It’s possible.

I don’t want to demonize all eating changes people make because incorporating whole and unprocessed foods or more protein into your meals and snacks can provide your body with nutrients it needs to thrive so you can feel your best. And yet, so many eating plans and diets are not focused on giving your body what it needs. So many focus on weight loss, which often means cutting out entire food groups or limiting macro nutrients like carbohydrates. Restriction is not the answer, and it’s not sustainable.

Dieting Statistics and WIEIAD Content

Statistics show that diets don’t work long-term. But this goes beyond statistics. We don’t see what other people eat every single moment of the day, whether they are friends or influencers.

This is why I believe those “What I Eat in a Day” (WIEIAD) videos can do more harm than good. WIEIAD is nothing more than a snapshot of one single day, and not necessarily reflective of how the people who post them always eat. They could eat more or even less on other days.

We also don’t get a full picture of anyone’s daily activity level—even if they share workouts or walks. Because, even activities like cleaning the house or mowing the lawn or even shopping are using up more energy than sitting at a desk or driving or taking a nap.

And don’t even get me started on all the filters that can completely change the way a person’s face or body looks.

My point here is this:

• First, what works for someone else may not work the same for you and your body.
• Second, just because someone sees results, doesn’t mean the method is healthy.
• Third, you’re likely not seeing the full story with anyone’s health and wellness journey.
• And fourth, what you are seeing might not even be fully real.

How Many People Struggle with an Eating Disorder?

Now, let me take that one step further. While my intent is never to judge, you would likely be surprised by how many people you follow—whether you know them personally or not—have an eating disorder or struggle with some level of disordered eating.

Statistically, it’s 1 in 10. Roughly one out of every 10 people you follow online who share eating or exercise tips could be silently battling an eating disorder—and yet they are still offering advice. That is concerning and I hope it challenges you to be more discerning about who you follow, who and what you choose to trust, and how you let it impact your own health.

And I want to insert another statement right here, right now.

Losing weight—if that is your goal—will not make you happy long-term. It won’t. I have been influenced by so many diets in my past. I have tried low fat, low carb, low sodium, clean eating, and more. As an adult, I have been the smallest size in any store, and have even worn kids sizes in the past. But that was a result of severe restriction and bulimia and forcing myself into a weight that was not natural for my body. 

And I was miserable.

If you feel miserable today, trying to transform your body in a way that feels too restrictive because an influencer or even a coworker told you it would work—I want you to know, it’s not worth the misery.

If you feel bad about yourself today because you see an influencer or family member on a cleanse or diet or intense workout plan—and gosh, they seem so disciplined and happy—I want to challenge you with a few questions.

Questions to Consider About Who You Follow Online

1. Do you actually know if they are happy?
2. Does following certain people make you feel negative about yourself?
3. Are you comparing your life to someone else’s?
4. Do you find yourself believing that products influencers share will truly make you happy, change your life, or solve your problems?
5. How credible and trustworthy are the people you follow? Are they experts? Are they sharing authentically?
6. Should you do more research before buying—or buying into—what anyone is selling?

On the first season of my podcast, I recorded an entire episode on diet culture marketing tactics. It goes into more detail on what to be aware of when it comes to how products are advertised to target your emotions and point out your flaws.

LEARN MORE about how marketing and ads impact eating disorders and dieting.

But again, don’t simply listen to what I have to say.

Bible Verses About Influence

We need what we believe to be rooted in God’s Word. The Bible. Below are several verses that speak to the power of influence and how to approach it in our lives.

First, I’ll start with what the Bible says about our response when others attempt to influence us, and then I’ll share a few verses about our responsibility for our own influence on other people.

Romans 12:2 (ERV)

Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

Galatians 5:7-9 (EASY)

7 Like good runners, you were doing very well! You should not have let anyone turn you away from God’s true message. 8 It is not God who has caused you to change what you believe. No! God is the one who has chosen you to serve him. 9 People say this: ‘Only a small amount of yeast in the flour will cause a loaf of bread to grow big.’

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Proverbs 27:17 (EASY)

People learn from each other, as one iron tool can make another one sharp.

I like that this verse points out how we can be influenced for good, as I talked about earlier in this episode.

And, we can also influence others for good, so let’s switch over to more verses that speak to our influence. Like it or not, we are all influencers in some way. Not only do we need to be careful about who we let influence us, but we also need to be aware of who we are influencing—on purpose or not. Family, friends, coworkers, other people online. We never know who is watching.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ERV)

24 We should think about each other to see how we can encourage each other to show love and do good works. 25 We must not quit meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. This becomes more and more important as you see the Day getting closer.

In Matthew 5:13-16 (ERV), Jesus himself told his followers:

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it. 14 You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15 People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

And finally, I will end with this verse.

Romans 12:21 (ERV) 

Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.

That is not to say that influencers or anyone who influences you is intentionally evil. But the devil is a real enemy who does want to harm us and he will do whatever he can to use negative influences as evil in our lives.

But we can “defeat evil by doing good” and spreading that good to others. That is the ultimate positive influence.

The Power of Influence

The power of influence is undeniable, and we all possess it. Yet, in this social media age, the people we see as influencers are able to impact a larger audience with even one post or message.

I personally see a lot of harmful advice about weight and our bodies that, I admit, makes me mad. And then it makes me sad. One thing I am working on is praying for influencers I come across who themselves have been so influenced by diet culture and finding value in being skinny. It is so hard for me to watch them influence others to follow their example, but I also hate that they are likely struggling and not living in freedom. 

And so, I’ve started to pray for influencers and the people who follow them—that they would find freedom and that their followers’ eyes would be opened to the truth.

I also pray for all of us—you listening, and myself—that we would look at who we follow with clear eyes and minds. Let us be a people who are more influenced by the Bible and the wisdom of those who closely follow God than by anyone attempting to sell you a product or plan that promises game-changing results.

Who we allow to influence us matters. How we influence others matters. And without God, the enemy can use it for evil all too quickly.

Be careful out there!