Roberta Carbonari exposes the dangers of social media diets and questions the 'dictatorship of thinness'

Roberta Carbonari, a nutritionist and a leading figure in the treatment of eating disorders, and the author of more than 16 book chapters, is recognized for her firmness and sensitivity when discussing eating behaviors. A member of the Eating Disorders Centre in Australia, coordinator, and postgraduate professor, she is concerned about the rise of simplistic health discourse on social media—especially when the focus is weight loss.

"Have you ever seen a course that says, 'Come and lower your blood pressure in three weeks'? No. But for weight loss... there are tons of them. And the worst part: for those who are obese, this isn't a treatment. It's risky," says Roberta in an interview with the IstoÉ Saúde Entrevista podcast, released this Friday, the 8th.

The most vulnerable and least protected public

When analyzing national and international research, Roberta came across alarming data: 76% to 98% of the audience reached by certain nutrition content on social media are children and adolescents between the ages of 9 and 17. "It's precisely the most vulnerable audience, who lack the critical thinking skills to filter what they see, who are receiving potentially harmful messages about their bodies and nutrition."

Studies show that exposure to content about the body and performance is directly linked to greater body dissatisfaction and dysfunctional eating behaviors—especially among girls. "The problem is that they don't realize this connection with mental health. They feel the impact, but they don't connect body dissatisfaction to psychological illness," she explains.

Danger disguised as an incentive

Seemingly motivational messages, such as "I trained, I'm paid," can carry a toxic connotation: the idea that eating is only permitted if one "deserves it" through exercise or restriction. "For those who already experience body dissatisfaction, this reinforces dangerous compensatory practices," he warns.

Roberta also criticizes so-called “nutritionism” — the reduction of eating to calorie, macro, and micro calculations — which ignores the cultural and emotional dimensions of the act of eating.

Obesity: It's not laziness, it's metabolic warfare

Far from being just "shut up and exercise," obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease. Hormonal, metabolic, and even gastric emptying changes directly affect appetite and satiety. "It's not just about resisting hunger. It's a physiological and metabolic war. When we simplify, we make even more sick those who are already fighting it every day."

She reminds us that treatment is continuous and multidisciplinary—and that "30-day challenges" are ineffective and dangerous. "There's no time limit for treating obesity. Like any chronic disease, if treatment is interrupted, it returns."

The weight of stigma

In addition to physical barriers, people with obesity face prejudice. "If they take medication, they say it wasn't their fault. As if becoming obese were a choice. It's reductionist and cruel."

Roberta recalls the case of a patient who lost 40 kilos over four years of multidisciplinary monitoring and began to have more energy, less pain and a healthy relationship with food — but was attacked on social media for “still not being thin enough”.

A call to responsibility

For Roberta, urgent regulation of weight-loss courses and challenges is essential. "Promising results is unethical because we don't control the outcome. What changes people's lives isn't just the weight on the scale, but the relationship they build with their bodies and with food."