Snatched, bod goals, skinny—all things people are pressured to be. I want a six-pack, narrow shoulders, a defined jawline, flawless skin, long lashes, and toned limbs. 

Unfortunately, this is not a realistic vision because it’s not really possible. Real people don’t look like that. We can’t all be Victoria’s Secret Angels. This is where surgeries and editing come in. People on the internet don’t always provide accurate information.

On the internet, you often see people with your dream body. That’s great for them, but if they try to sell you something, think for a second. You’ve never met this person. What are they offering you? Regrettably, they could be lying to your face. 

Real personal trainers have offices, locations, and helpful services because they are trained professionals. They have earned degrees and made a living through a real practice. While your brain might be dead during your second hour of scrolling on social media, you are hopefully able to weed out fakes. To be fair to you, there are real personal trainers out there. 

But real professionals aren’t advertising on your For You page, suggesting that two ab exercises toned their entire body. Especially if they want you to buy their special program that will make you lose 100 pounds in seven days, it’s probably not real. Often, these people can be sponsored by businesses, so they are really doing paid ads. Advertisements aren’t going to tell you the bad side effects of a product. Even when they are advertising the product that supposedly changed everything for them by giving them shiny hair or clear skin, they could always be lying. 

Some people are just lucky and have good genetics. Quick metabolism can provide a platform that allows an influencer to brag about their ab routine and their consistency in the gym. Influencers even suggest unrealistic diets or supplements that will help you achieve what you want. However, many don’t follow their own advice. Of female Instagram users, one-third have developed eating disorders due to constant exposure to false perfection. By being flooded with ideas of how they are not good enough, they lose themselves.

Therefore, you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself if you aren’t perfectly consistent. And their apparent “good” genetics don’t mean your genetics are bad. They just might have features that the world admires. Or maybe they aren’t really that lucky. 

Nowadays, surgeries exist to fix anything you think is a flaw. Medications, like ozempic, and plastic surgeries have made it easy to manipulate your body. People get Botox, liposuction, and lip filler, but some may claim that it’s all a result of their hard work. Some reinforce the idea that if you don’t have the ideal body, you aren’t working hard enough. This is clearly not true because we can’t all possibly have the same features, and these ideas create more insecurity.

Furthermore, editing exists. When you see a perfect photo of someone in their bikini with a golden tan, you can’t assume that’s their real body. If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Even in pictures where their skin looks glowy and clear or their lashes are perfectly curled, all of that can be added to the photo after it is taken.  

So, before you listen to those influencers and bury yourself in guilt, remember that those people aren’t always honest. If you don’t look like them, that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard enough or are ugly. We can’t all be perfect, and there’s no shame in that. So don’t buy the products just because an influencer told you to. Next time you hear about a new exercise or a quick way to solve a physical problem, do your research first.