Why Weight Loss Pictures Can Be Deceptive

This pair of pictures shows Australian personal trainer Mel — but it isn’t a before-and-after shot. Both were taken within 15 minutes of each other. The difference? The pose, the accessories, the zoom and a simple image filter.

As Mel explains on her blog, changing the zoom, switching from red to black swimwear, altering the pose and wearing fake tan (amongst other cosmetic tweaks) all make the image on the right look healthier.

We’re familiar with the tricks imposed by image editors, but Mel also points out the damaging impact of a before-and-after shot even if it happens to be accurate:

What a before and after shot doesn’t tell you how the person achieved it. It doesn’t tell you if they did it in a healthy way or if they starved themselves for weeks on end to get there.

Quite. The efforts of our own Mark Serrels notwithstanding, sustained weight loss takes place over a period of time.

The hidden truths behind a transformation pic! [MelVFitness via Gawker via Business Insider]


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