Doctor's warning over 'one-size fits all' TikTok trends that promise quick health fixes

Dr Idz, a certified medical doctor with more than 500 thousand followers on Instagram, helping those on social media navigate the turths from the lies when it coms to nutritional advice, and speaks to the Mirror about his best tips when it comes to food

One person who has been consistent in debunking myths is Doctor Idress Mughal.

The doctor, known as Doctor Idz online is a qualified and certified medical doctor with more than 500 followers on Instagram who helps grapple with the different food myths that swarm social media.

Dr Idz, 29, took some time to speak to the Mirror about the influence of his work in real life and online and why it's important that we away from the over saturation of food knowledge that comes with social media.

He says: "The concept that changing your diet or having the perfect diet can literally fix anything, which is a terrible notion. It puts all the blame on the individual without taking into account any other factors, for example, that not all conditions are related to lifestyle and people will still develop cancer or autoimmune diseases or have heart attacks anyway.

"Not everyone has the means to consistently afford fresh produce nor do they even have acces to it. For example, if you're in a lower income region, your local convenience store probably on't have it all due to shelf-life issues," he continues.

"The onus is not all on the consumer. It's also on the government and on health policy. We have to make fresh, healthier foods more affordable and accessible. That being said, many people don't realize that lots of canned frozen and packed foods are also extremely healthy, for example, canned beans, canned tuna, and packets of rice.

He says: "If you can spot influencers' marketing strategies and you can understand why they're saying what they're saying, then you can acknowledge whether something is more or less likely to be trustworthy. Look out for absolute statements, like "these are the best things" or "these are the worst things for you," and buzzwords like "gut health" and "inflammatory."

MyFitnessPal helped co-ordinate a study with Dublin City University where they analyzed over 67,000 TikTok videos related to health. Only 2% per cent was accurate, so that's one in 50 videos.

"Most of the people watching health content who are actively engaged in fitness will probably have come across any of these videos that I'm covering without thinking: "Could this be nonsense? Was I thinking critically about this claim being made, or was I just taking it at face value, because it triggered an emotional response in me?" They want to instil fear. You're more likely to buy into what they're saying of you feel vulnerable," the doctor adds.

On how to navigate the world of food on social media he says: “Just avoid the wellness sphere, because you're going to come across a lot more nonsense than you are accurate advice. To the best of your ability, follow some basic dietary and lifestyle principles like getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night, having a regular routine in your day, trying to consume lots of fruits, nuts, seeds and veg, having a high amount of protein (around one gram per kilo of body weight), do some form of activity three or four times a week. There are dietary guidelines on the NHS website.

Dr Idz has many clients who go to him for consultancy to help with manging their food and having a healthier diet. "The point of a consult is to address lots of things - cooking ability, education level about food, allergies - and to make a diet or a nutrition plan the client will stick to," he tells the Mirror.

"The point of working with someone is to take into account their preferences, and to find ways to overcome their intolerances. You need to be a proesisonal o uderstand all these things, as nutrition is highly personalised," he adds.

When it comes to food regarding different ethnic groups, there are many rumours that swirl saying certain goods aren't good for people from particular backgrounds. Dr Idz explains, “there is an element of truth to the notion that different ethnicities or regions of the world have a slightly different risk profile but that could be genetics or cultural and environmental factors. Health care access and discrimination can also affect risk. As long as people understand there are genetic, cultural and environmental factors, we don't need to be overly anxious about such claims.