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A new study was published in the scientific journal AppetiteSocial media has a significant impact on our food choices, as navigating through food delivery apps and watching ads, a tempting recipe video or food photo on social media, may be an encouraging way to eat healthy foods, according to the report published on the “Times of India” website.
Conducted by psychologists from Aston University’s School of Health and Life Sciences, the study looked at the acute effect of social media on the eating behavior of the 169 study participants, who had an average age of 21 (but total ages in the group ranged from 18 to 48).
The role of social media in choosing what to eat
The research found that study participants who viewed fake Instagram posts of highly likable fruits and vegetables ate a significantly higher percentage of grapes instead of cookies.
In addition to viewing pictures of fruits and vegetables, participants also looked at less nutritious foods such as cakes and biscuits, and other non-food pictures. However, the researchers found that participants continued to consume a greater proportion of grapes after viewing highly likable pictures of fruits and vegetables compared to the other pictures.
Social media
“The results of the study suggest that it is not just exposure to images of healthy food on social media, but images that get high,” said Lily Hawkins, a PhD student in psychology at Aston University, who led the study along with lead author Dr Jason Thomas. From ‘likes’, it may motivate people to choose to eat more healthy foods, rather than foods that are less nutritious.”
“One reason for this may be the thinking that other people like and eat fruits and vegetables, which motivated participants to change their behavior in order to conform to what they see as a general rule,” she added.
healthy food options
The results of the study suggest that social media can be used in the future as a way to encourage healthy eating, by encouraging users to follow more social media accounts that have been highly admired for nutrition-balanced posts that also contain healthy foods.
Professor Claire Farrow, Director of the Applied Health Research Group at Aston University, said: “We know that social interactions can powerfully shape what, when and how much we eat. These findings highlight the important role that social media plays in shaping those online influences.”
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