Social media users tend to eat healthy or junk if their friends do same: Study

BIRMINGHAM : A recent study has suggested that people tend to consume more of either healthy or junk foods after being influenced by their peers. This phenomenon could be attributed to the posts people put up about their eating habits or the general state of health they portray through their social media profiles.

The research published in the scientific journal ‘Appetite’ found that study participants ate an extra fifth of a portion of fruit and vegetables themselves for every portion they thought their social media peers ate. So, if they believed their friends got their ‘five a day’ of fruit and veg, they were likely to eat an extra portion themselves.

On the other hand, Facebook users were found to consume an extra portion of unhealthy snack foods and sugary drinks for every three portions they believed their online social circles did.