According to Fox News, 63 percent of young adults have reported feeling “overwhelmed” by food photographs. Each day, millennials are bombarded on social media by pictures and videos of food.
Although these platforms can be great for society in promoting body positivity and helping people connect easily, they can also be detrimental to one’s health.
Look at your Instagram feed. I guarantee there is at least one photo of food. What about Facebook? Do you see one of those Tasty or Buzzed cooking tutorials? Did your friend Snapchat their lunch today? These constant reminders of food are causing an unhealthy obsession among many millennials.
According to a study in The Journal of Neuroscience, “external cues such as the sight of appetizing foods can also evoke a desire to eat, even in the absence of hunger.” Social media, at times, is making people eat mindlessly, therefore adding unnecessary calories to a person’s diet.
Unhealthy Portion Sizes
Have you ever noticed how large the portion sizes are of most of the food images that you see on social media?
This can give people a false sense of what a normal portion size looks like, making it easier to overeat. If someone sees a photograph of a 2,000 calorie milkshake someone else ate, they can rationalize eating the large portion themselves.
A 2,000 calorie milkshake itself is the same amount of calories that the average woman should eat in a single day to maintain her weight. In order to get as much out of your calories as possible, it is best to eat foods that are the greatest “bang for your buck,” meaning you can eat more for less calories.
For example, a serving size of cooked pasta is about a cup, which measures to about 200 calories. For that same serving size, you can eat zucchini noodles, which only amount to about 20 calories, meaning you can eat a more substantial amount of food for a significantly healthier meal.
Harvard Health Publications agrees with this notion, stating that scientists “suspect that a social network influences what its members perceive as normal and acceptable.” Keep in mind that this can also at times help someone maintain a healthy weight. With all the food accounts circulating at the moment, though, social media seems more harmful than helpful.
In reference to food pictures on social media, Fox News stated that “the mere pleasure of viewing such tasty food can be all it takes to stir up your appetite and compel overindulging.” Trends in society are often a chain reaction, and the normalization of large portion sizes can be detrimental for the health of those who use social media regularly.
Unhealthy Meal Options
Everyone should treat themselves sometimes; however, it is hard to maintain a healthy diet when you are constantly bombarded with images of foods that are high in fat. Many popular food Instagram accounts frequently post pictures of primarily “unhealthy” meals.
These Instagram accounts may advertise multiple images of decadent desserts paired with photographs of seemingly fit people, creating an equation that often does not work out for most people.
According to a Brian Lansink, a food psychologist and researcher, 70 percent of meals prepared in households in America are influenced by social media.
Tips to Stay Healthy
It is important to keep in mind what accounts you follow on social media, and possibly delete those that are making your stomach grumble or cause heavy fixation. In order to pursue a healthy diet, try cleansing your kitchen pantry as well as your social media feed.
Lastly, try to avoid eating when you are just bored. Mindless eating is adding extra and unnecessary calories to your daily diet, and can easily be avoided. Do not look at photos online that will trick your stomach into thinking you’re hungry, such as at midnight when you are just hanging out watching Netflix, and stay out of the kitchen as much as possible.
As long as you are exercising regularly and getting your body healthy amounts of the nutrients it needs, then it is okay to treat yourself. Just make sure that you aren’t letting social media influence all of your eating habits.