Social Networks and Eating Behaviours

Background

Eating disorders (EDs) are influenced by factors like dietary restraint and body dissatisfaction, which are linked to social media exposure. Social media trends, particularly those promoting appearance ideals (e.g., “thinspiration” and “fitspiration”), contribute to body dissatisfaction and dieting behaviors. Recent trends focusing on eating and food, such as “mukbang” and “What I Eat in a Day” (WIEIAD), are gaining attention but have been less studied in relation to EDs. Some studies suggest these trends, especially those containing diet-promoting content, may influence body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint, though findings are lacking. Vulnerability factors like thin-ideal internalization, the degree to which individuals adopt societal standards of thinness, may moderate these effects, according to the theoretical proposals of the Tripartite Influence Model (Thompson et al., 1999)

Research Questions / Hypotheses

It was hypothesised that momentary exposure to eating-related trends will be associated with subsequent increases in body dissatisfaction (H1.1) and odds of reporting dietary restraint (H1.2). Likewise, momentary exposure to diet-promoting content within eating-related trends will be associated with subsequent increases in body dissatisfaction (H2.1) and odds of reporting dietary restraint (H2.2). Additionally, following exposure to eating-related trends, individuals with higher trait thin-ideal internalisation will experience higher body dissatisfaction (H3.1) and higher odds of dietary restraint (H3.2), compared to those with lower trait thin-ideal internalisation. Similarly, following exposure to diet-promoting content, individuals with higher trait thin-ideal internalisation will experience higher body dissatisfaction (H4.1) and higher odds of dietary restraint (H4.2) than those with lower trait thin-ideal internalisation.

Participants

The final sample consisted of 151 participants from the REP. Eligible participants were at least 18 years old and had access to an iPhone with iOS 8 or above. Due to incompatibility issues with SEMA3 (the platform used for collecting EMA data; Koval et al., 2019), individuals with Android-based devices were ineligible to participate (O’Brien et al., 2024).

Methods

Participants first completed a baseline survey assessing trait-based measures, including thin-ideal internalisation (Social Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4). Participants then used the smartphone application SEMA3 to respond to single-item measures assessing state body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint urges, exposure to eating-related trends and diet- promoting content, six times a day for seven consecutive days. Results from a series of multilevel models suggested that momentary exposure to eating-related trends predicted subsequent increases in dietary restraint, but not in body dissatisfaction.

Results

Results from a series of multilevel models suggested that momentary exposure to eating-related trends predicted subsequent increases in dietary restraint, but not in body dissatisfaction. Exposure to diet- promoting content did not predict changes in body dissatisfaction or dietary restraint. Thin- ideal internalisation did not moderate any of the relationships.The study supports the Tripartite Influence Model by showing that media exposure can influence body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint. However, it highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of how different types of media content (e.g., appearance-related vs. eating-related) impact body image and eating behaviors.

Implications

The study supports the Tripartite Influence Model by showing that media exposure can influence body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint. However, it highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of how different types of media content (e.g., appearance-related vs. eating-related) impact body image and eating behaviors. Based on the finding that exposure to eating-related trends is associated with increased dietary restraint, the study suggests that users should approach such content critically. Social media platforms should implement tools to help users manage their exposure to potentially harmful content, such as muting or unfollowing creators who frequently post eating-related trends or providing options to filter out certain content. Additionally, The study supports ongoing efforts by social media platforms, like TikTok, to mitigate the impact of eating-related trends by displaying body positivity messages and linking to ED support resources. However, further actions, such as adding labels that encourage critical engagement with content or providing mental health resources, could help protect vulnerable users. Platforms should also consider extending these protections to other eating-related trends beyond "What I Eat in a Day" videos.