How "Today's Workout Done" Tricks Students on Social Media 

Losing Health in the Pursuit of Muscle



The Muscle Loss Fear and Supplement Dependency Culture Created by Social Media Marketing

 These days, fitness related terms like "body profile," "today's workout done", and "bulk up" have become a big part of self-care culture among university students. Social media is flooded with posts of people's workout sessions and diets. Many university students now see body transformations and exercise routines as proof of self-discipline. While the adoption of healthy exercise habits is certainly a positive trend, our culture's focus on consumption is also leading to excessive competition and anxiety.

In particular, social media influencers and online ads have been fueling a fear of muscle loss that takes advantage of young people's insecurities. Content that is designed to attract attention keeps emerging, claiming that you will lose muscle if you do not drink a protein shake straight after working out, or that you need to take specific supplements to get any real results. This creates pressure for beginners to transform their bodies as quickly as possible. However, these exaggerated promises, such as rapid weight loss or fast muscle gain, set unrealistic expectations. As a result, people end up exercising not for health reasons, but to build their bodies just for show.

Ultimately, fitness is no longer just about being healthy. It has become a contest to obtain the "perfect body" seen on social media as quickly as possible. As a result, university students' approach to health is becoming increasingly distorted.

The Dark Side of High Protein Diets: Rising Gout Rates in Young People

 The idea that you need to consume large quantities of protein to prevent muscle loss is also becoming increasingly popular among the younger generation. Consequently, some university students ignore their body weight and activity levels, living almost entirely on chicken breast and protein shakes and exceeding their daily protein requirements by a large margin. However, excessive protein intake can damage your internal organs. When the body breaks down protein, it produces waste products such as urea nitrogen, which the kidneys and liver must filter out. Over time, consistently consuming more protein than your body needs can put these organs under constant strain.

One particularly concerning issue is the buildup of uric acid. If uric acid produced during protein metabolism is not properly flushed out of the body, it can accumulate in the joints and lead to gout. According to data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of gout patients in their twenties increased by roughly 48.5%, rising from about 24,000 in 2018 to around 35,000 in 2022. Gout was once considered a disease affecting middle-aged and older adults, but it is now becoming common among young people as well.

The Diet Enzyme Craze and Exaggerated Advertising

 Alongside high-protein foods, another product that has caught the attention of university students is diet enzymes. Recently, social media and online advertisements have been promoting enzymes as a means of breaking down fat and carbohydrates to aid weight loss. Dramatic before-and-after photos and video footage of people sharing their success stories create the expectation of quick, almost magical results. But the reality is that enzymes are proteins. Most of the enzymes you swallow are broken down and digested as they pass through your stomach and intestines. Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect commercial enzyme products to directly burn fat or cause dramatic weight loss, as the advertisers suggest.

This does not stop companies from repeatedly using eye-catching phrases such as 'body fat reduction' and 'de-puffing' to attract consumers. University students, who are often very self-conscious about their appearance and body shape, have become the main target of these companies. An increasing number of these students are spending large sums of money on expensive, scientifically unproven products. There is a serious problem with the social media-driven consumption culture that prioritizes quick fixes and dramatic results, overshadowing the basic principles of real health management.

True Self Care Starts with a Balanced Diet

 If you want a healthy body, you should avoid relying on supplements or diet products. What really matters is a balanced diet and consistent daily habits. Supplements are just for extra help. They can help fill minor nutritional gaps, but they can never replace proper, healthy meals.

You need to design a diet based on whole foods that fits your weight, activity level and lifestyle. Rather than relying on processed supplements, focus on obtaining a balanced mix of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals from real food. Health is not something you can achieve overnight. It is the result of small healthy habits repeated day after day, year after year.

The current fitness culture on social media tends to focus on quick transformations and posting content to get likes, which means it loses track of what health is really about. After all, exercise is not supposed to be a performance for other people. Instead, it should be a way to understand and take care of your own body.

Kim Sehyeon

<sehyeon07@naver.com>