Social Media Diet

Food pictures are all over social media. Look around when you are out to eat and you’ll likely notice people taking more pictures of their food than their friends. Do all of these food pictures influence how we eat? A new study says it might.

WHAT DID THEY STUDY?
To get an idea of what people think of how their social media friends eat, researchers asked themto report on their perceptions of how much and how often their friends ate certain foods as well as whether they think their friends like certain foods. They also asked how often they thought their friends should eat certain foods. They then compared this to how the people in the study actually eat.

WHAT DID THEY FIND?
How much and how often people believed their social media friends ate fruits and vegetables predicted how often they ate fruits and vegetables themselves. People with friends who ate a lot of fruits and vegetables ate more, while people with friends who are not big posters of fruits and vegetable pics tended to eat fewer. For less healthy items like high calorie snacks or sugar sweetened drinks, people were influenced by how much they thought their friends should have, not how much they actually had. The more they thought their friends should have, the more they had themselves.

BOTTOM LINE
While this study is just the beginning of looking at how social media can influence our eating styles, it does offer some ideas on how we can test some new strategies for eating better. If you have some food related goals you are trying to achieve, enlist some friends to help and make it social. Post pictures of your favorite healthy foods, drinks and meals and encourage your friends to do the same. Even if it doesn’t influence your behavior, it could give you some ideas for new foods to try.

Reference:
1.Lily K. Hawkins, Claire Farrow, Jason M. Thomas. Do perceived norms of social media users eating habits and preferences predict our own food consumption and BMI?, Appetite, Volume 149, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104611.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
APRIL 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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Trending Diets

January is a time that many of us examine how we are eating and look to make some changes. Testing out the latest fad diet can be tempting. Here are some tips if you are considering a new diet.

TRENDING
One of the most popular diets currently searched for on Google is the ketogenic diet, also called “keto.” This diet is actually not new. The ketogenic diet has been used since the early 1900s to treat medication resistant epilepsy. The basis of the diet is to eat high fat, very low carb and moderate protein to force the body to use ketones for energy instead of traditional glucose. Paleo and Whole30® are other trending diets that focus on eliminating certain foods and focusing on whole, less processed ingredients. While none of these diets have enough research to support recommending them across the board, it is possible to include strategies into each of them that are well researched. Focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and good fats like olive oil and avocado supported by lean proteins.

TRIED AND TRUE
There are a few eating styles that are actually well researched and shown to support overall health. One is the DASH eating plan. DASH has been shown to help reduce heart disease risk and is being investigated for additional benefits. The Mediterranean Diet is also supported by research as a way of eating that supports overall health and helps to lower disease risk. Both of these diets have similar foundations with a base of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

BOTTOM LINE
Regardless of the style of eating you adapt, consider your overall health, not just your weight. The foods you choose to eat, or not eat, can impact your health in ways you may not realize. Being fully transparent with your doctor and seeking.

Reference:

1. Google Trends. Available at https://www.google.com/trends
2. DASH Eating Plan. Available at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan
3. Mediterranean Program. Available at https://oldwayspt.org/programs/mediterranean-program

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
JANUARY 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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