Instagram. Facebook. Twitter. Most of us are on at least one of the social media (SM) platforms. And when it comes to sharing pictures of food, WhatsApp cuts through all age groups. Think about how much of your SM feed is filled with pictures of food, especially during the lockdown!

There are studies which show how peers influence our eating habits. These days majority of the influence comes from SM.

Once you search or follow a particular type of person online, SM algorithms tend to prod you towards following an increasing number of similar handles / accounts. The more of this type of accounts or people you follow, the stronger the influence gets.

If your SM feed is mostly showing your friends sharing pictures of junk food or high calorie foods, you will gravitate towards a similar eating pattern. If your SM friends are sharing pictures of healthy meals and snacks, you are more likely to follow suit.

There are numerous accounts / handles on SM belonging to fitness enthusiasts / influencers as they are known to be. These enthusiasts typically post at least one photo a day. These are typically photos of their home-cooked meals or a meal from a chic restaurant/ café. In both types of posts, the presentation of food is highly tempting making you crave for an equally delicious looking and tasting dish!

There are pros and cons of SM when it comes to its influence on our eating habits:

Pros

• Increased exposure to a wide range of foods, cultures, eating styles, world cuisine
• Chances of you choosing a variety of foods in higher, expanding and possibly improving your nutrient intake as well
• If the influence is from people eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, there is a high probability you will start including healthier foods regularly
• If the influencers / friends are sharing attractive pictures of more home-cooked meals, chances of you preparing more meals at home are quite high
• Your interest in experimenting with food in the kitchen using a variety of recipes could go up, giving you the satisfaction of prepping your own meals and enjoying home-cooked food
• Healthier eating patterns will reflect on your weight, health and fitness levels too

Cons

• If your SM feed is filled with pictures of junk food, you may tend to overlook the negatives of it and go for similar foods more often – Peer group influence can very easily give that mindset change
• If your SM feed shows more people eating out on a regular basis, you tend to crave for dishes that look more appetising and are high in fats, sugar and salt
• If you get used to eating out more often, it may get difficult to change this aspect of your lifestyle later
• Unhealthy eating pattern can adversely affect your weight, health and fitness levels
• You may also tend to get habituated to posting restaurant meal pictures to get appreciation from your friends on SM. This cycle can get difficult to get out of.

For better or for worse, social media is here to stay and influence us on a wide range of things. Social media influence on your food choices and eating pattern hugely depends on the kind of friends / handles / accounts you follow online!

However, everything doesn’t need to depend on the kind of accounts you follow online. You can be trend setter of healthy eating – SM can be a powerful tool to inspire and get inspired for living a healthy life!