Scientists from the Lebanese American University found that viewing unhealthy food images online can increase appetite and trigger eating disorders. Research results published In Appetite magazine.
63 people between the ages of 18 and 24 participated in the study. For 15 minutes, half of the participants had to look at images of food (mostly fast food) on the social network. The remaining volunteers looked at images of nature, buildings and various animals. After completing this phase, participants were asked to report their mood and rate the intensity of their hunger.
Volunteers who looked at photos of attractive foods reported feeling more hungry than people in the neutral photo group. In the later phase of the experiment, regarding product selection for the virtual lunch, they focused more on pizza, fries and burgers.
A week later, the study organizers repeated the experiment, changing the groups. Participants who had previously viewed food images were asked to scroll through a feed of neutral photos (nature, animals, architecture) on a social network. After completing the allotted 15-minute viewing time, volunteers opted more for salads and poultry when preparing virtual lunches.
Researchers noted that looking at images of food can increase hunger levels, no matter how full a person is. This phenomenon is called visual hunger. Scientists added that exposure to social media content about unhealthy foods negatively affects mood and increases cravings for fatty and high-calorie foods. This can lead to unhealthy eating behavior.
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