Do perceived norms of social media users’ eating habits and preferences predict our own food consumption and BMI?

I'll have what She's having (but not what They're having): The moderating role of group membership in the effect of social norms on food choice in an online environment

The modern food-rich environment has contributed to the rise of unhealthy diets linked to noncommunicable diseases. Previous in-person research has found that the effect of social norms on food intake is greater when set by a perceived in-group member relative to an out-group member. Given recent increased social media use, we investigated whether this effect of group membership extends to food choices and to normative information presented remotely online. Participants (N = 179 female university students, 18-32 years) viewed a Facebook page pertaining to either their university (in-group) or a rival university (out-group). They were presented with either a healthy or an unhealthy norm via a post in which a student discussed their order at a café on the relevant campus. Food choice was assessed through an online menu where participants were asked to order one main, side, and dessert dish. As predicted, participants who viewed the healthy norm ordered a higher percentage of healthy items (especially in the desserts category) relative to those who viewed the unhealthy norm. However, this effect was significant only for those in the in-group condition; there was no such pattern for participants in the out-group condition. These findings provide insight into the role of group membership in the effect of social norms, and have practical implications regarding the design of identity-based social media health campaigns to promote healthier eating behaviours.

Can social media be used to increase fruit and vegetable consumption? A pilot intervention study

Background

Exposure to social norms about fruit and vegetable intake has been shown to increase individuals' consumption of these foods. Further, exposure to socially endorsed 'healthy' food posts can increase consumption of low energy-dense (LED), relative to high energy-dense (HED) foods. The current pilot study aimed to investigate whether exposure to healthy eating (vs. control) social media accounts can shift normative perceptions about what others eat, eating intentions and self-reported food consumption.

Methods

In a 2 (condition) × 2 (type of food consumed) mixed factorial design, 52 male and female students were asked to follow either healthy eating (intervention) or interior design (control) Instagram accounts over a two-week period. Baseline and post-intervention measures assessed normative perceptions of Instagram users' consumption of fruit and vegetables (LED foods), and energy dense snacks and sugar sweetened beverages (HED foods). Participants' intentions to consume, and self-reported consumption of these foods, were also measured.

Results

There were no significant changes in perceptions about what others eat, or participants' own eating intentions (ps > 0.05). However, the intervention increased participants' self-reported consumption of LED foods by 1.37 servings (per day) and decreased consumption of HED foods by 0.81 items (per day), compared to the control condition (ps < 0.05).

Conclusions

This novel pilot study demonstrates that a social norm-based social media intervention can successfully encourage healthier eating, with a large effect after two weeks. Certain social media platforms may therefore provide a viable tool for nudging healthy eating. Future work will aim to replicate these findings in a larger and more diverse sample.

Exploring the perceived influence of social media use on disordered eating in nutrition and dietetics students

BACKGROUND

Social media use (SMU) is increasingly widespread. More recently, SMU has been associated with increases in disordered eating; however, few qualitative studies have explored this issue in nutrition and dietetics students specifically, where susceptibility to disordered eating may be particularly high. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the perceived impact of SMU on disordered eating in nutrition and dietetics students.

METHODS

One-to-one, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nutrition and dietetics students from universities across the UK. Interviews explored students' views on the potential influence of SMU on their eating-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Data were thematically analysed to identify key themes.

RESULTS

The findings suggested that SMU may provide students with a useful tool for the exploration of new recipes, ingredients and health-related information, thus enabling them to improve their eating behaviour and diet quality. However, students also showed high levels of objective awareness regarding the problems associated with SMU, including the presence of misinformation, body image dissatisfaction, social pressures and disordered eating. Interestingly, despite enabling them to detect sources of misinformation, students also discussed the negative impact that their course had on their eating habits, suggesting course content may be an additional risk factor for the development of disordered eating for this particular group.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research should investigate ways to mitigate the negative impact of SMU and course content on disordered eating in nutrition and dietetics students.

Occupational Health Applied Infodemiological Studies of Nutritional Diseases and Disorders: Scoping Review with Meta-Analysis

(1) Objective: to identify and review existing infodemiological studies on nutritional disorders applied to occupational health and to analyse the effect of the intervention on body mass index (BMI) or alternatively body weight (BW); (2) Methods: This study involved a critical analysis of articles retrieved from MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Latin American, and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) and Medicina en Español (MEDES) using the descriptors "Nutrition Disorders, "Occupational Health" and "Infodemiology", applying the filters "Humans" and "Adult: 19+ years". The search was conducted on 29 May 2021; (3) Results: a total of 357 references were identified from the bibliographic database searches; after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 11 valid studies were obtained for the review. Interventions could be categorised into (1) interventions related to lifestyle, physical activity, and dietary changes through education programmes, (2) interventions associated with lifestyle, physical activity, and dietary changes through the use of telemonitoring systems or self-help applications, (3) interventions tied to lifestyle, physical activity, and dietary changes through control and/or social network support groups, and (4) interventions linked to changes in the work environment, including behavioural change training and work environment training tasks. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the heterogeneity present when analysing the results for BMI was 72% (p < 0.01), which decreased to 0% (p = 0.57) when analysing the outcomes for weight, in which case the null hypothesis of homogeneity could be accepted. In all instances, the final summary of the effect was on the decreasing side for both BMI and BW; (4) Conclusions: Despite the high heterogeneity of the results reported, the trend shown in all cases indicates that the intervention methodologies implemented by empowering individuals through Web 2.0 technologies are positive in terms of the problem of overweight. Further implementation of novel strategies to support individuals is needed to overcome obesity, and, at least in the early studies, these strategies seem to be making the necessary change.

Prevalence of helminths in fresh vegetables: a narrative literature review

The consumption of fresh vegetables is related to healthy lifestyle habits present in culinary preparations in different regions. The presence of pathogenic parasites in these foods can cause gastrointestinal disorders. Thus, the objective of the present study was to carry out a narrative review of the literature on the prevalence of helminths in fresh vegetable samples. The analysis of the studies published from 2016 to 2022 showed that hookworms and Ascaris lumbricoides are the most common pathogenic helminths in fresh vegetable samples, with a prevalence of up to 73.8% and 55.1%, respectively. In addition, studies have shown associations between the presence of helminths and pathogenic protozoa. The results obtained in this review indicate the urgent need to implement actions at all stages of the vegetable production chain, from the water used in planting irrigation to cleaning before sale to the final consumer. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

The extent of energy drink marketing on Canadian social media

BACKGROUND

Caffeinated energy drink (CED) consumption among children and adolescents is a growing global public health concern due to its potential to produce adverse effects. CED marketing viewed by children and adolescents contributes to this problem as it increases consumption and favourable attitudes towards these high-caffeine and high-sugar products. This study aimed to describe the social media marketing of CEDs by estimating the frequency of user-generated and company-generated CED marketing and analyzing the marketing techniques used by Canadian CED brands on social media.

METHODS

CED products and brands were identified using the list of CEDs that received a Temporary Marketing Authorization from Health Canada in June 2021. The data on the frequency, reach and engagement of CED-related posts created by users and Canadian CED brands on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, and YouTube were licensed from Brandwatch for 2020-2021. A content analysis was conducted to assess the marketing techniques used in Canadian CED company-generated posts using a coding manual.

RESULTS

A total of 72 Canadian CED products were identified. Overall, there were 222,119 user-level mentions of CED products in total and the mentions reached an estimated total of 351,707,901 users across platforms. The most popular product accounted for 64.8% of the total user-level mentions. Canadian social media company-owned accounts were found for 27 CED brands. Two CED brands posted the most frequently on Twitter and accounted for the greatest reach, together making up 73.9% of the total company-level posts and reaching 62.5% of the total users in 2020. On Instagram/Facebook, the most popular brand accounted for 23.5% of the company-level posts and 81.3% of the reach between July and September 2021. The most popular marketing techniques used by Canadian CED brands were the use of viral marketing strategies (82.3% of Twitter posts and 92.5% of Instagram/Facebook posts) and the presence of teen themes (73.2% of Twitter posts and 39.4% of Instagram/Facebook posts).

CONCLUSION

CED companies are extensively promoting their products across social media platforms using viral marketing strategies and themes that may appeal to adolescents. These findings may inform CED regulatory decision-making. Continued monitoring is warranted.

The relationship between diet and lifestyle behaviours in a sample of higher education students; a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Transitioning into higher education (HE) impacts health behaviours. Poor dietary and lifestyle behaviours may correlate and increase risk of co-morbidities. The introduction of the Okanagan Charter detailed the important role of health promotion within a HE setting. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dietary quality and lifestyle behaviours of students attending HE.

METHODS

Full-time students, aged 18+, were eligible to participate in this online cross-sectional study. Self-reported questions were asked in relation to demographics, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and COVID-19. A food frequency questionnaire measured dietary quality along with tools assessing alcohol use, sleep quality, perceived stress, and physical activity. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square, one-way ANOVA, independent sample t-tests, Pearson's correlation, and multivariate linear regression.

RESULTS

Evidence of a correlation between poor diet quality and having a higher BMI (p = 0.040), higher alcohol consumption (p = <0.001), poorer sleep quality (p = 0.003), higher stress levels (p = 0.006) and smoking (p = 0.001) was found. Low fruit and vegetable consumption were associated with higher BMI (p = 0.013), higher alcohol consumption (p = <0.001), lower physical activity levels (p = 0.006), higher stress levels (p = <0.001), smoking (p = <0.001) and being male (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides data on the association between dietary quality and lifestyle behaviours among HE students and will inform healthy campus initiatives.

Quality of low-carbohydrate diets among Australian post-partum women: Cross-sectional analysis of a national population-based cohort study

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) are popular among people attempting weight loss and recommended for pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM), but they may increase health risks if nutritionally inadequate. We aimed to describe the dietary intake of post-partum women according to their relative carbohydrate intake, overall, and among women attempting weight loss or diagnosed with GDM in their recent pregnancy. This cross-sectional population-based cohort study included 2093 post-partum women aged 25-36 years who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Relative carbohydrate intake was determined using a previously developed LCD score. Data were weighted to account for oversampling of women from rural/remote areas. More than half of women (n[weighted] = 1362, 66.3%) were trying to lose weight, and 4.6% (n[weighted]=88) had GDM in their recent pregnancy. Women with the lowest relative carbohydrate intake (LCD score quartile 4) consumed 36.8% of total energy intake from carbohydrates, and had a lower intake of refined grains, whole grains, fruit and fruit juice, and a higher intake of red and processed meat, compared with women with the highest relative carbohydrate intake (quartile 1). Different food groups, both healthy and unhealthy, were restricted depending on whether women were attempting weight loss and had recent GDM. These findings may reflect a lack of knowledge among post-partum women on carbohydrates and dietary guidelines. Health professionals may have an important role in providing advice and support for post-partum women who wish to restrict their carbohydrate intake, to ensure optimal diet quality.

The Correlation between Social Media Addiction and Emotional Eating during the COVID-19 Quarantine Period

This study was conducted with 458 participants. The demographic and health information of the participants along with the Social Media Addiction, Emotional Eating Scale were obtained. The level of social media addiction in adults was moderate, and women were more interested in social media than men. As the average age of participants increased, the virtual tolerance, virtual communication, social media scores decreased (p < .05). The study found that 51.6% of individuals with emotional eating tendencies happened to be obese. The social media addiction scale scores of those with emotional eating tendencies were higher than those without emotional eating tendencies (p < .05).

Modeling Behavioral Economics Strategies in Social Marketing Messages to Promote Vegetable Consumption to Low-Resource Louisiana Residents: A Conjoint Analysis

BACKGROUND

Behavioral economics strategies implemented within social marketing campaigns improve eating behavior.

OBJECTIVE

To identify which behavioral economics strategies in social marketing messages particularly messengers, norms, and commitments will promote low-income Louisiana residents to add more vegetables to meals.

DESIGN

Full profile traditional conjoint analysis survey with single concept ratings.

PARTICIPANTS

Purposive sample of low-resource Louisiana residents (N = 213) SETTING: Online survey.

INTERVENTION

Participants rated randomized concepts that featured a messenger and a message.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Ratings (one to nine) of likelihood to add vegetables to meals.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

A model of ratings was generated using mixed-effects multiple regression, which accounted for repeated measurement of participants. Interactions of variables and covariates were modeled.

RESULTS

There was a significant main effect of the messenger variable (P = 0.02) and main effect of the message variable (P = 0.008). Pairwise comparisons demonstrated differences between friend (μ (predicted mean) = 6.80) and mother (μ = 7.06; P = 0.03) as well as friend and normal-weight doctor (μ = 7.03; P = 0.04). Pairwise comparisons demonstrated differences between descriptive norm (μ = 6.79) and grocery list precommitment (μ = 7.02; P = 0.05) along with descriptive norm and injunctive norm (μ = 6.98; P = 0.04). Covariate models demonstrated main effects of race (P = 0.006) and sex (P = 0.0001). There was significant variation in the message variable and frequency of vegetable intake interaction (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Both message and messenger variables predicted the likelihood to add vegetables to meals. Race and sex influenced ratings to add vegetables. As reported vegetable consumption increased, behavioral economics messages improved the likelihood to add vegetables to meals. Behavioral economic approaches are well suited to social marketing messages that aim to promote healthy eating behavior in low-income LA residents.

The influence of social norms on anticipated snacking: An experimental study comparing different types of social norms

Previous studies have found that social norms affect eating behavior for different types of social norm measures and manipulations as well as different types of eating behavior. The current study investigated the effects of descriptive, injunctive, and liking norms on intentions to consume healthy snacks and anticipated snack choice, compared to a no-norm control condition. Moreover, we distinguished between descriptive norms that stress the frequency versus the quantity of food consumption. An experiment was conducted among 189 young adults. It was hypothesized that participants who received a descriptive quantity or frequency norm would intend to consume, and make an anticipated selection of, more low-calorie snacks than participants who received a no-norm control message. Due to inconsistency or lacking evidence regarding the effects of the other types of norms on eating behavior, no hypotheses were formulated for the injunctive and liking norm conditions. The hypothesis was partly confirmed. Descriptive quantity and frequency norms did not result in a stronger intention to consume healthy snacks in the upcoming week, but they did result in lower-calorie snack choices when people were asked to select three snacks that they planned to eat on the following day. No other differences between the conditions were found. These findings show that emphasizing both how much and how often most other people consume healthy foods affects anticipated healthy food choices. This can provide health professionals more options to mobilize the power of descriptive social norms for affecting health behavior change.

Causal Modeling of Descriptive Social Norms from Twitter and the Physical World on Expressed Attitudes Change: A Case Study of COVID-19 Vaccination

The high infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 makes it urgent to promote vaccination among the public. Previous studies found that people tend to follow the behaviors desired in descriptive social norms, which exist in both social media (e.g., Twitter) and physical-world communities. However, it remains unclear whether and to what extent the descriptive social norms from the cyber and physical communities affect people's attitude change. This study, focusing on COVID-19 vaccination, developed a Directed Acyclic Graphs model to investigate the causal effects of the descriptive social norms of (i) Twitterverse and (ii) physical-world communities on people's attitude change as well as the temporal scales of the effects. It used a Long Short-Term Memory classifier to extract expressed attitudes and changes from relevant tweets posted by 843 sample users. We found that a people's attitude change toward the vaccination receives a more significant impact from Twitter-based descriptive social norms over the prior week, whereas the norms in the physical-world communities tend to be less influential but still notable with the time gap between 2 weeks and 1 month. The findings revealed the potential of using online social norm approaches to proactively motivate behavioral changes toward a culture of health.

The clean label trend: An ineffective heuristic that disserves both consumers and the food industry?

What started around the late 2000s as the "Clean Label" (CL) trend has now become a meaningful segment of the food market, appealing to consumers who want foods made of a limited number of simple and recognizable ingredients. However, this description and tentative definitions of CL foods are vague, subject to multiple interpretations, and CL remains an informal denomination for foods, making consumers' demands and food manufacturers' offerings hardly compatible. Therefore, rather than attempting an illusory definition of CL foods, this narrative review aims to (1) show how CL appears to be a heuristic used by consumers to attempt to make safe and healthful food choices, (2) discuss how this heuristic overlooks many critical aspect of food safety and healthfulness and is consequently ineffective to guide consumers' choices, and (3) discuss the implications of the CL trend on the food chain's stakeholders and their relationships.

The Effects of Acute Social Media Exposure on Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Behavior of Male and Female Students

Introduction: Experimental research has examined the effect of social media on body dissatisfaction, but little attention has been given to the impact on eating behavior. Across two studies, we tested the causal relationship between acute social media use, body dissatisfaction and eating behavior. Methods: In Study 1, 80 female participants (age: M = 20.75 years; BMI: M = 21.3) viewed their own Facebook account or a news website before completing a portion size selection task. In Study 2 (pre-registered), 148 participants (81 females; age: M = 20.92 years; BMI: M = 22.19), viewed their own or an experimenter-curated Instagram profile before consuming potato chips ad-libitum. Results: In Study 1, body dissatisfaction was significantly higher in participants who viewed Facebook (compared to a news website) and significantly mediated the effect of condition on portion size selection. In Study 2, regardless of condition females reported significantly smaller ideal body sizes and higher body dissatisfaction compared to males. When females reported a thinner body size as ideal, females in the personal Instagram consumed significantly less potato chips than those in the control Instagram condition. When males reported a smaller actual body size, males in the personal Instagram condition consumed significantly less potato chips than males in the control Instagram condition. Discussion: Findings suggest brief bouts of social media use may produce immediate disruptions to body image of both sexes, and restrained snack intake of females endorsing thin ideals.

Exploring the Linkages of Digital Food Communication and Analog Food Behavior: A Scoping Review

The linkages of digital food communication on social media platforms and analog food behavior of social media users are widely discussed in media and research, but less differentiated. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the research field, the scientific studies are characterized by great heterogeneity in approaching the role of communication and modelling of food behavior, and thus also the conclusions on how digital food communication might be linked to analog food behavior. There is still much uncertainty regarding the relationship and underlying assumptions between digital communication and analog action. The rationale of this scoping review is to systematically summarize the findings of this heterogeneous body of knowledge. The importance and originality of this review are that it focuses explicitly on studies that provide insights into the nexus of digital food communication and analog food behavior, be it in the theoretical foundation, the results, or their interpretation. It draws on a socio-ecological model of food behavior that depicts food behavior variables in different domains and uses a differentiated categorization of food behavior (food choice, dietary intake, and eating behavior) to synthesize the results. Using the Web of Science and PubMed databases, 267 abstracts were identified and screened, of which 20 articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for full-text analysis. The review offers some important insights on how different variables of the socio-ecological model of food behavior are related to digital food communication and different areas of analog food behavior. This review provides a more discerning understanding of which aspects of analog food behavior may be linked to social media food communication and in which ways. Implications are derived to reflect the role of communication in previous models of food behavior by adding a more nuanced and cross-cutting understanding of food communication.

Noor N, Mat Ludin AF, Shahar S, Abdul Manaf MR. The Challenges and Strategies towards Healthy Eating during COVID-19 Home Confinement Period among Working Adults with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 Enrolled in a Weight Loss Program: Qualitative Findings

The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting our lifestyles, such as work, living, and health. In Malaysia, the Restriction of Movement Order (RMO) was first announced in March 2020 to curb the spread of the virus. Since then, many Malaysians have been confined to their own home. This new lifestyle can cause a change of eating habits where healthy eating may be a challenge. Hence, our qualitative study explored the challenges and strategies for healthy eating during the first wave of the COVID-19 home confinement period among working adults overweight and obese in Malaysia. Eleven participants were individually interviewed through phone calls. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then coded with NVIVO 12 based on thematic analysis. We found that social pressure, changes in the social setting, more free time to access food, and extra stock of unhealthy foods at home were among the challenges to healthy eating. Some participants countered these perceived challenges by reducing unhealthy food stock, limiting kitchen visits, and utilizing self-monitoring apps to monitor their calorie intake. Social media was not consistently perceived to influence their eating behavior during this period. We conclude that COVID-19 home confinement has created challenges to healthy eating habits among overweight and obese adults with overweight and obesity. Our study provides evidence that vulnerable groups such as overweight and obese individuals require specific nutritional support during pandemic-related confinement to enhance eating self-efficacy.

Correlation between Eating Behavior and Use of Social Media with Energy-Dense Food Intake Based on Gender among Students in Semarang, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Eating behavior and the use of social media are believed to affect the intake of energy-dense foods. This study aimed to determine the relationship between eating behavior and use of social media with energy-dense food intake in students by gender. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional method. The subjects were 123 peoples from one of university in Semarang, Indonesia aged 18-24 years, taken using the consecutive sampling method. Energy-dense food intake was taken using the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire, eating behavior was using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire and social media use was using the Scale of Effects of Social Media on Eating Behavior and self-identity questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson's test, Spearman's rank test, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The intake of energy-dense foods was higher in men than women. This study showed that there was a relationship between emotional eating (p = 0.001; r = 0.408), external eating (p = 0.008; r = 0.338), and eating behavior due to social media (p = 0.001; r = 0.415) and energy-dense food intake. in women, and duration of social media use (p = 0.003; r = 0.377) with energy-dense food intake in men. Gender and eating behavior due to social media had an effect of 24.9% on energy-dense food intake. CONCLUSION: In women, emotional eating, external eating, and eating behavior due to social media were related to the intake of energy-dense foods. In men, the duration of social media use was related to the intake of energy-dense foods. Gender and eating behavior due to social media were the most influential variables on energy-dense food intake.

Public Awareness of a Plant-Based Diet Following the Release of "Game Changers" and "What The Health" Documentaries

BACKGROUND

Poor diet is a leading cause of premature death and thus diet and lifestyle changes are needed; yet, no consensus exists regarding diets that provide the greatest benefit. One of these diets gaining popularity around the world is a plant-based, vegan diet. Recently, Netflix documentaries What the Health (2017) and The Game Changers (2019) have attempted to improve public awareness of veganism and plant-based diets.

METHODS

We used Google Trends to obtain data for keywords specific to plant-based diets, veganism, and documentary-specific terms over a time period before and after the release of the Netflix documentaries. We then created a forecasted model for trended search terms using autoregressive integrated moving algorithms and compared the actual trends to the forecast model to determine the effect of the documentaries on each selected term.

RESULTS

Search interest for the term "plant-based diet" increased significantly-2.8 times the mean forecasted value for What the Health (t = 12.892, df = 30.012, P < .001) and 2 times the forecasted mean for The Game Changers (t = 19.826, df = 30.118, P < .001). Additionally, following the release of The Game Changers, mean search interest for "plant-based athlete" was 2.8 times higher than the forecasted values.

CONCLUSION

The documentaries What the Health (2017) and The Game Changers (2019) are associated with an increased interest in plant-based diets based on Google search trends, highlighting the need for continued research regarding plant-based diets and their health benefits related to chronic disease.

Strategies to Promote Healthy Eating Among University Students: A Qualitative Study Using the Nominal Group Technique

Introduction

The years spent at university are critical in terms of altering people's dietary patterns. This study aimed to: (1) understand the main dietary changes that students experience after starting university; (2) determine the personal and objective factors that hinder healthy eating, and (3) define possible strategies to facilitate healthier diets among university students.

Methods

The nominal group technique (NGT) was used to elicit ideas from 39 students from the University of Parma, Italy. The sample comprised 16 freshmen and 23 non-freshmen. Participants prioritized and weighed their top five ideas regarding dietary changes, barriers to healthy eating, and possible strategies to maintain a healthy diet. A thematic analysis was conducted to compare the priorities across groups.

Results

Forty-three themes were elected as the most significant changes related to diet, 39 themes related to personal barriers, 43 themes related to objective barriers, and 55 themes related to strategies. A lack of time for cooking, low financial availability, consumption of unvaried food or junk food, and gaining knowledge about food were identified as the main changes. Personal barriers to eating healthy were intrinsic (i.e., lack of willpower, personal gluttony, and little effort in cooking preparation), poor dietary information, and a busy lifestyle. Market and financial factors (i.e., the high price of healthy products and low financial availability), as well as social factors (i.e., the negative influence of social networks, childhood food education, and origin/tradition), emerged as objective barriers. Possible strategies that could encourage students to adopt a healthy diet include varying the food products offered in university canteens, including organizing spaces where students who prepare meals from home can warm up and eat their food. Student discounts at supermarkets and information on nutrition and a healthy diet were also identified as important ways of supporting students.

Conclusion and Implication for Practice

In order to make students part of the solution, the NGT provided them with the opportunity to equally contribute their ideas and opinions about having a healthy diet in a university context. This could potentially lead to tailor-made solutions for policymakers, educators, and foodservice providers in promoting healthy eating habits.

Are the Slimmer More Wasteful? The Correlation between Body Mass Index and Food Wastage among Chinese Youth

With the economic growth and living standard improvement, food waste has become increasingly common among Chinese youth. To test whether body size affects the food waste performance of youth, we examined university students as representative of the Chinese youth and conducted a large-sample survey in 29 universities across 29 provinces. Based on 9192 questionnaires collected from Chinese college canteens, we found that body size was correlated with food waste. The smaller the body mass index (BMI) value, the higher the likelihood of plate waste, the higher the amount of waste, and the higher the ratio of food waste. Heterogeneity analyses revealed that BMI exerted a more significant impact on males than females, as well as a more substantial impact on northerners than southerners. Robust tests using other proxies to measure body size, robust regressions based on the new adjusted samples, and robust tests with an instrumental variable to overcome the endogenous issue suggested that the slimmer participants tended to be more wasteful. Hence, this study confirms that the slimmer youth tend to leave plate waste and waste more food per capita per meal. This study is the first attempt to analyze food wastage from the perspective of BMI in China to our best knowledge, and it provides a unique viewpoint for understanding young people’s food wastage.

Improving the safety and security of fruits and vegetables during COVID-19 pandemic with postharvest handling

The COVID-19 pandemic has damaged the world's economy during 2020-2021, reduced the purchasing power of households, partially restricted international movements and trade (including food products) and damaged horticultural production. This resulted in uncertainty in the food business and caused food supply shocks. According to some scientists, business people, and politicians, this situation is a forerunner and warning for humanity to change its lifestyle by focusing on sustainable measures to prevent natural ecosystems damage. In line with this, the present review article focused on the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on horticultural production and some prevention measures. It has been scientifically confirmed that the postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables reach around 10-15% in developed countries and about 20-40% in developing countries, higher in some specific crops. It is believed that reducing these losses can help the world fight food supply shocks during the COVID-19 pandemic and customary conditions to reduce the pressure on natural resources. Therefore, the present paper aimed to highlight some critical handling practices against food supply shocks.

Associations between Perceived Social Eating Norms and Initiation and Maintenance of Changes in Dietary Habits during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in France

Changes in dietary habits of the French population have been reported during the national lockdown that was enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated whether perceived social eating norms were associated with the initiation and maintenance of dietary changes that took place as a result of lockdown. An online study collected information on (1) changes in consumption implemented during the lockdown and the maintenance of these changes, and (2) perceptions about changes in consumption implemented during lockdown by household members, relatives out of home, and the general population. The changes in consumption were classified as foods to increase or to decrease according to French national recommendations. The perception of changes to dietary habits by household members and relatives out of home was related to the changes made by individuals for each of the food categories (all p < 0.05) but not to the perception of changes made the general population. Increased consumption of foods to increase was more likely to be maintained when there was a positive perception of the changes made by household members (p = 0.03). These results highlight the influence of the perception of social eating norms, especially by household members and relatives, on the implementation of dietary changes during lockdown and suggest that social eating norms can have a lasting influence.

Adolescent Peer Influence on Eating Behaviors via Social Media: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The influence of social media among adolescent peer groups can be a powerful change agent.

OBJECTIVE

Our scoping review aimed to elucidate the ways in which social media use among adolescent peers influences eating behaviors.

METHODS

A scoping review of the literature of articles published from journal inception to 2019 was performed by searching PubMed (ie, MEDLINE), Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and other databases. The review was conducted in three steps: (1) identification of the research question and clarification of criteria using the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) framework; (2) selection of articles from the literature using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines; and (3) charting and summarizing information from selected articles. PubMed's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Embase's Emtree subject headings were reviewed along with specific keywords to construct a comprehensive search strategy. Subject headings and keywords were based on adolescent age groups, social media platforms, and eating behaviors. After screening 1387 peer-reviewed articles, 37 articles were assessed for eligibility. Participant age, gender, study location, social media channels utilized, user volume, and content themes related to findings were extracted from the articles.

RESULTS

Six articles met the final inclusion criteria. A final sample size of 1225 adolescents (aged 10 to 19 years) from the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Brazil, and Australia were included in controlled and qualitative studies. Instagram and Facebook were among the most popular social media platforms that influenced healthful eating behaviors (ie, fruit and vegetable intake) as well as unhealthful eating behaviors related to fast food advertising. Online forums served as accessible channels for eating disorder relapse prevention among youth. Social media influence converged around four central themes: (1) visual appeal, (2) content dissemination, (3) socialized digital connections, and (4) adolescent marketer influencers.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescent peer influence in social media environments spans the spectrum of healthy eating (ie, pathological) to eating disorders (ie, nonpathological). Strategic network-driven approaches should be considered for engaging adolescents in the promotion of positive dietary behaviors.

Does exposure to socially endorsed food images on social media influence food intake?

Social norms can influence the consumption of high and low energy-dense (HED/LED) snack foods. Such norms could be communicated via social media, however, there is little experimental research investigating this possibility. This laboratory study aimed to investigate the acute effect of socially endorsed social media posts on participants' eating behaviour. Healthy women students (n = 169; mean age = 20.9; mean BMI = 23.3) were assigned to either a HED, LED or control condition, where they viewed three types of images (HED foods, LED foods and interior design as control), but only one type was socially endorsed (e.g. in the control condition, only interior design images were socially endorsed). Participants completed questionnaires and were also provided a snack buffet of grapes and cookies. One-way ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of condition on participants' relative consumption of grapes (percentage of grapes consumed out of total food intake), for both grams and calories consumed (both ps < .05). Follow-up t-tests revealed that participants consumed a larger proportion of grapes (grams and calories) in the LED condition vs HED condition (all ps < .05), and a larger proportion of calories from grapes in the LED compared to control condition (p < .05). These findings suggest that exposure to socially endorsed images of LED food on social media could nudge people to consume more of, and derive more calories from these foods in place of HED foods. Further research is required to examine the potential application of these findings.

"I'll eat meat because that's what we do": The role of national norms and national social identification on meat eating

Through meat-eating choices, people are able to express their national social identification and adhere to broader cultural norms. The current research examines the relationship between people's perceptions of national descriptive and injunctive meat-eating norms and their national social identification, on the one hand, and their attitudes toward meat-eating and their intentions to eat meat, on the other hand. In a sample that includes American, British, and Australian participants, we observe that: (1) favorable attitudes toward meat eating are positively predicted by national injunctive but not descriptive norms, and (2) intentions to eat meat are positively predicted by national descriptive but not injunctive norms. National social identification positively predicts both attitudes and intentions. Intentions to eat meat were also predicted by a three-way interaction between descriptive and injunctive norms, and social identification. Alignment of relatively high descriptive and injunctive meat-eating norms predicted meat-eating intentions more than alignment of relatively low descriptive and injunctive norms. With normative misalignment, however, people began to rely on their national social identifications as a basis for meat-eating intentions. The data are discussed with reference to the impact of social factors in influencing meat consumption. Moreover, we consider the potential for national social identification to have a normative component of meat consumption independent of descriptive and injunctive norms. This work advances our understanding of meat consumption by revealing national-level normative and identity processes beyond more focused identities of, for example, an environmentalist, a health conscious person, or an animal rights activist.

Exploring the extent of digital food and beverage related content associated with a family-friendly event: a case study

Background

Exposure to unhealthy food and beverage content is a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. Youth are susceptible to unhealthy digital food marketing including content shared by their peers, which can be as influential as commercial marketing. Current Canadian regulations do not consider the threat digital food marketing poses to health. No research to date has examined the prevalence of food related posts on social media surrounding family-friendly events. The aim of this study was to explore the frequency of food related content (including food marketing) and the marketing techniques employed in social media posts related to a family-friendly event in Canada.

Methods

In this case study, a content analysis of social media posts related to a family-friendly event on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram was conducted between January to February 2019. Each post containing food related content was identified and categorized by source and food category using a coding manual. Marketing techniques found in each food related post were also assessed.

Results

A total of 732 food and beverage related posts were assessed. These posts were most commonly promoted through Instagram (n = 561, 76.6%) with significantly more individual users (61.5%; p < 0.05) generating food and beverage related content (n = 198, 27%) than other post sources. The top most featured food category was fast food (n = 328, 44.8%) followed by dine-in restaurants (n = 126, 17.2%). The most frequently observed marketing techniques included predominantly featuring a child in the post (n = 124, 16.9%; p < 0.0001), followed by products intended for children (n = 118, 16.1%; p < 0.05), and the presence of family (n = 57, 7.8%; p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The present study highlights the proliferation of unhealthy food and beverage content by individuals at a family-friendly event as well as the presence of food marketing. Due to the unfettered advertising found in digital spaces, and that they are largely unregulated, it is important for future policies looking to combat childhood obesity to consider incorporating social media into their regulations to safeguard family-friendly events. General awareness on the implications of peer to peer sharing of unhealthy food and beverage posts should also be considered.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10716-w.

Eating in the lockdown during the Covid 19 pandemic; self-reported changes in eating behaviour, and associations with BMI, eating style, coping and health anxiety

The global coronavirus pandemic (Covid 19) resulted in national lockdowns where individuals were asked to isolate in their homes to stop the spread of the disease. Using a cross-sectional survey, the current paper aimed to examine self-reported changes in eating patterns and behaviour during the lockdown in the UK, and associations with BMI, demographic variables, eating styles, health anxiety, food insecurity and coping strategies. Participants (N = 620) were recruited online through social media advertising. The results showed that there were self-reported changes to food consumption during the lockdown across the sample. Increases in consumption of HED (high energy density) snack foods during the lockdown was associated with sex, pre-lockdown eating behaviour (emotional eating and uncontrolled eating), and Covid-specific health anxiety. Increases in positive eating practices such as eating more home prepared foods, and fruits and vegetables, were associated with adaptive coping strategies. Higher emotional eating (EE) during the lockdown was associated with a higher BMI, higher pre-lockdown EE and maladaptive coping strategies. Maladaptive coping strategies moderated the relationship between BMI and EE during the lockdown. In particular a higher BMI was associated with higher EE during the lockdown if an individual also had higher maladaptive coping strategies. These findings suggest that changes to eating behaviour may be part of a wider style of maladaptive or adaptive coping, particularly in those with a history of EE or uncontrolled eating. Preparing individuals to adopt more adaptive coping strategies during lockdown situations may be crucial to improving health during subsequent the lockdown events.

Influence of the Socio-Cultural Environment and External Factors in Following Plant-Based Diets

A general transition to plant-based diets is recommended for improved human and planetary health. The information about why people opt for plant-based diets can be used to profile future health promotion initiatives. We studied the reasons that encouraged the adoption and maintenance of plant-based diets and the influence of the socio-cultural environment and other external factors. Through the use of a specifically designed questionnaire, we evaluated two different populations. Interpreting data from 229 participants, we observed the relevance of adapting strategies to motivate people to embrace plant-based diets according to their socio-cultural environment. External factors facilitating access to plant-based products appeared to be essential in both populations.

Carbohydrate knowledge, dietary guideline awareness, motivations and beliefs underlying low-carbohydrate dietary behaviours

To explore the factors (including knowledge and attitude) influencing the decision to follow a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) or not in a sample of the UK population. An online questionnaire was distributed electronically to adults who had either followed LCD or not (February-December 2019). Demographics and self-reported "LCD-status" (current, past and non-follower) were collected. Multivariable linear regression was used with carbohydrate knowledge, dietary guideline agreement and theory of planned behaviour (TPB) constructs (all as predictors) to explain the intention to follow a LCD (outcome). Respondents (n = 723, 71% women, median age 34; 85% white-ethnicity) were either following (n = 170, 24%) or had tried a LCD in the preceding 3 months (n = 184, 25%). Current followers had lower carbohydrate knowledge scores (1-2 point difference, scale - 11 to 11) than past and non-followers. A majority of current LCD followers disagreed with the EatWell guide recommendations "Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice and pasta, or other starchy carbohydrates. Choose whole grains where possible" (84%) and "Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts such as vegetable, rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils" (68%) compared to past (37%, 10%, respectively) and non-followers (16%, 8%, respectively). Weight-loss ranked first as a motivation, and the internet was the most influencial source of information about LCDs. Among LCD-followers, 71% reported ≥ 5% weight loss, and over 80% did not inform their doctor, nurse, or dietitian about following a diet. Approximately half of LCD followers incorporated supplements to their diets (10% used multivitamin/mineral supplements), despite the restrictive nature of the diet. TPB constructs, carbohydrate knowledge, and guideline agreement explained 60% of the variance for the intention to follow a LCD. Attitude (std-β = 0.60), perceived behavioural control (std-β = 0.24) and subjective norm (std-β = 0.14) were positively associated with the intention to follow a LCD, while higher knowledge of carbohydrate, and agreeing with national dietary guidelines were both inversely associated (std-β = - 0.09 and - 0.13). The strongest primary reason behind UK adults' following a LCD is to lose weight, facilitated by attitude, perceived behavioural control and subjective norm. Higher knowledge about carbohydrate and agreement with dietary guidelines are found among people who do not follow LCDs.

The Challenge of Maintaining Metabolic Health During a Global Pandemic

The ongoing global pandemic brought on by the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is having profound effects on human health and well-being. With no viable vaccine presently available and the virus being rapidly transmitted, governments and national health authorities have acted swiftly, recommending 'lockdown' policies and/or various levels of social restriction/isolation to attenuate the rate of infection. An immediate consequence of these strategies is reduced exposure to daylight, which can result in marked changes in patterns of daily living such as the timing of meals, and sleep. These disruptions to circadian biology have severe cardiometabolic health consequences for susceptible individuals. We discuss the consequences of reductions in patterns of daily physical activity and the resulting energy imbalance induced by periods of isolation, along with several home-based strategies to maintain cardiometabolic health in the forthcoming months.