A new study finds that “likes” on social media have a positive impact on healthy food choices

A new study found that social media users are more likely to choose healthier foods if they see a large number of likes on healthy food pictures

The study conducted by psychologists from the School of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University found that the study participants who watched like fruit and vegetables imitated posts on Instagram ate a significantly higher percentage of grapes than biscuits.

The study, published in the scientific journal Appetite, investigated the acute effects of social media posts on the eating behavior of participants

While watching pictures of fruits and vegetables, participants will also watch non-food pictures such as cakes and biscuits that lack nutrients, as well as non-food pictures such as stylish interior design

Lily Hawkins, a PhD student in psychology at Aston University, and her mentor, Dr.

"The results of the study show that not only seeing pictures of healthy foods on social media, but also those pictures that have received a lot of'likes', may prompt people to choose healthier foods instead of lower-nutrient foods

"We see that the diets approved by others, as well as the diets posted on social media, will affect our actual eating behavior, leading us to eat more healthier foods and snacks

"One of the reasons may be that thinking that other people'like' and eating fruits and vegetables will prompt participants to change their behavior to adapt to what they think is normal

According to the latest data from the National Health Service (NHS) UK Health Survey, in 2018, only 28% of adults consumed the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day

The results of the study show that social media can be used as a way to encourage healthier eating in the future by encouraging users to follow more social media accounts that highly like nutritionally balanced posts and also contain healthier foods

The researchers said that their next phase of work will be to experiment with the use of real Instagram accounts to test whether people are required to actively follow the pictures posted by more social media accounts.

The work of Professor Claire Farrow, Director of the Applied Health Research Group at Aston University, contributed to the National Child Feeding Guidelines resource.

"We know that social interaction largely affects what we eat, when and how much we eat

"Research results show that people do not simply passively watch what other people eat online, but this digital information can affect our food preferences and choices, especially when we think that many people like certain foods

"Further research is needed to explore whether and how these findings translate into digital interventions to help individuals who wish to make healthier food choices, and to understand how social media platforms can be used as tools to support healthy eating behaviors

For more information about studying psychology at Aston University, please visit the School of Health and Life Sciences and Psychology Courses page

DOI

10.
1016/j.
appet.
2021.
105424