204. Your Diet (+ Social Media Influencers) Sucks with Zoë Rom & Kylee Van Horn

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with two special guests, Zoë Rom and Kylee Van Horn. Zoë and Kylee cohost the Your Diet Sucks podcast, a new show debunking diet culture and nutrition misinformation. Zoë Rom is the Editor-in-Chief of Trail Runner magazine, entrepreneur with her own Microcosm Coaching business, author of Becoming a Sustainable Runner, accomplished ultrarunner, journalist, comedian and more! While Kylee Van Horn is a Registered Dietitian and founder of Fly Nutrition, writer, lifelong runner and coach.   Our discussion today is all about the dangers of social media influencers. We explore how social media and unqualified influencers are shaping (and often distorting) the way female athletes approach their nutrition, body image, and training. No one is immune to influencers –myself, Zoë and Kylee included– and we share why people are “influenced”, the rise of young girls wanting to become influencers, and where athletes fit into this. Supplements are a particular area of concern we dive into, explaining how a lack of regulation and scientific support allows influencers and supplement companies to run wild with marketing claims for expensive and potentially dangerous products. We give listeners tips for discerning fact from diet fad, finding experts over influencers, avoiding falling for fantastical supplement claims, and cultivating a healthy social media experience. TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 4:30 Your Diet Sucks podcast; Zoë and Kylee’s backgrounds 10:30 Being “influenced” by social media; why we get “influenced” 17:45 Supplements on social media: how influencers are selling fake, unscientific and unsafe claims  21:05 Responsible and ethical social media marketing and use; deciphering good and bad messages 25:50 Athletes as influencers and athletic endorsement 28:30 Mental health and social media use  31:00 Social media pressures 34:30 Using social media safely and for good 36:35 Who to trust? The blurred lines between experts and influencers 40:20 Tips for separating experts from influencers and not falling for misinformation/ untruths 47:00 How women and men consume media differently  53:30 End of the podcast questions For more just like this, check out this episode of Your Diet Sucks: The Dangers of Social Media and Influencers in the Nutrition Space and Zoë’s Athletic Cheese reel  Listen to the Your Diet Sucks podcast here! Follow on Zoë Instagram @carrot_flowers_z Kylee Your Diet Sucks @yourdietsuckspod and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.