Nutrición y Redes Sociales: La Responsabilidad Ética de los Profesionales de Salud al Combatir la Desinformación

Introduction: Social media has brought about a significant transformation in the way information is transmitted and shared. However, this has led to a major issue: misinformation, particularly concerning health and nutrition topics. This problem has spread widely on social media due to the lack of regulatory strategies and the proliferation of unqualified influencers who position themselves as information leaders. Objectives:Thisessay aims to analyze the ethical responsibility of health professionals in disseminating nutritional information on social media, highlighting the importance of ensuring that such information is scientifically supported.Methods:An academic essay was conducted based on a literature review of scientific databases such as PubMed, NCBI, BMC Medical Ethics, and JMIR, among others. It focused on recent studies regarding the dissemination of nutritional misinformation on social media and the ethical principles that guide health professionals in digital communication.Results: The analysis of the selected bibliography revealed a significant presence of individuals on social media who share unverifiable erroneous data, positioning themselves as authorities on nutrition topics without the necessary credentials. They enhance their credibility with the public through innovative communication techniques, marketing, and advertising, and share false information in the form of diets and nutritional advice, which is widely accepted by a highly impressionable audience. This behavior represents a significant risk to the population and public health, as the lack of information verification and critical thinking about what is published on various platforms has led to the spread of harmful nutritional practices. Conclusions:The essay concludes that health professionals not only have the ethical responsibility to disseminate scientifically supported information, but also the duty to actively denounce the misinformation they encounter on social media. Training in digital competencies and critical thinking is crucial to effectively combat misinformation and educate the public.