Online images of superfit new mums is not reality for most mothers, study suggests

Unrealistic images on social media of women’s bodies shortly after they have had a baby could be contributing to post-natal blues, a study suggests. Celebrities such as fitness guru Chloe Madeley have been praised for sharing their body image insecurities after giving birth. Dr Megan Gow of the University of Sydney, who led the study, said: ‘These images are presenting an “idealised” version of the postpartum body which may contribute to body dissatisfaction in postpartum women who may already be struggling with feelings of inadequacy.’ ‹ Slide me › Before and after: Celebrities such as fitness guru Chloe Madeley have been praised for sharing their body image insecurities after giving birth Before and After: Tammy Hembrow shows off her pregnancy bump and toned stomach after giving birth Miss Madeley, 35, showed pictures of her toned stomach just three weeks after having her first child in August Study authors assessed 600 images tagged with #postpartumbody for body fat and muscularity. The study – to be presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Melbourne – said women may benefit from targeted health messages on Instagram ‘to interrupt the potentially harmful content’.