Shawn Redd had played baseball until his second year of college. After he quit playing in 2006, he experienced a 35-pound weight gain. Since then, Redd has been working to lose the weight with a trainer and social media.

Organizations who provide health and wellness tips can be found on social media websites such as Twitter. Sports Dietician Amy Goodson those with information tailored specifically to men or women have many followers and prove to be especially helpful to college students looking to shed some pounds or live healthier lifestyles.

Redd, now a communication studies graduate student, followed several Twitter accounts that focused on healthier lifestyles and smarter eating choices, like Men’s Health Magazine and GQ Magazine.

“I mainly use them as a secondary source to my trainer, and it’s a great way to find additional information and pick up some missing components,” Redd, who has lost 10 pounds, said.

Eating tips from organizations such as “Eat This, Not That” have been helpful to Redd, he said, because they provided him with healthier food options at many popular chain restaurants.

Goodson said she believed social media can be a great tool for students looking to live healthier. Goodson has her own Twitter account from which she tweets professional nutrition advice.

Social media can provide a place for students to find professional information about nutrition and fitness, Goodson said. She warned students, however, to be careful with social media because lots of misinformation can be found on the Internet.

“The most important thing to pay attention to is where the information is coming from,” Goodson said. “For the most part, major magazines and professional organizations are going to have the most reliable information.”

Social media may help students who are not trying to lose weight as well.

Senior accounting and finance double major Allison Hemer said she used Twitter to follow accounts like “PBFingers” that publishes healthy recipes. “PBFingers” was created by a young freelancer who liked to publish her daily activities, recipes and workouts.

“I probably visit the blog a handful of times throughout the week whenever I notice a tweet that sounds interesting,” Hemer said. “[Social media] is a great source for finding pretty much anything.”