6 Ways to Spot a Fake Health Blogger

on September 21, 2015

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Don't Be Fooled...

Although the days of quack doctors peddling their "miracle cures" seems to be a thing of the past, they've got a successor-the fake health blogger. Although they've got a professional website, a huge following, and brand sponsorships, a closer look reveals that most of their dogma is just bad science. Here's how to spot phony fitness blogs.

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What They Promise is Too Good to Be True

Feeling better is one thing, making claims about curing terminal cancer is another. We all know that healthy lifestyles come with a lot of benefits, but some bloggers try to take advantage of this to promise unrealistic results. Check with a healthcare professional before making any significant lifestyle change, and remember that every body is different.

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They Use Scare Tactics with No Evidence

Some food bloggers will use scare tactics to prove a point about their particular way of life-like claiming that all "chemicals" in food are toxic. It's good to know about the different things in your food, but lots of chemicals are naturally occurring and harmless in normal amounts.

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They Donu2019t Disclose Their Sponsors

Many new-age health products will pay bloggers to advocate their new "miracle cure." Although the Federal Trade Commission requires bloggers to disclose whether they're working with sponsors or not, be sure to keep a careful eye on why bloggers are touting a certain product.

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They Use Research that Hasnu2019t Been Proven

If you need to be reminded of the importance of fact-checking, look no further than the story of John Bohannon, who made a fake study (that people actually believed!) about chocolate helping you lose weight, all to prove that we need to pay more attention to "research" done by "professionals."

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They Favor Pseudoscience Over Real Science

Many phony health bloggers claim to be experts in "new" or "alternative" medicine. They will often back up their stories with exaggerated testimonials or appealing language. Here are some tips from Forbes on distinguishing real science from the fake stuff.

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They Use Deceptive Imagery

Phony bloggers use things like Photoshop or other "smoke and mirror" tactics to exaggerate results of a weight-loss program or diet fad. This fitness blogger demonstrated that with just a few simple adjustments that took all of 3 minutes, she had a convincing "before/after" photo.

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Theyu2019re Quick to Attack Others in Order to Defend Themselves

When asked for more information, many fake bloggers will attack those asking questions as people working on behalf of "big business" or trying to work "against the movement." Real health experts are willing to take questions and admit they're wrong, if necessary.