Social Media's Role in Normalizing Unhealthy Eating Habits

A recent analysis of social media posts has revealed that fast food restaurants and sugar-sweetened beverages dominate discussions about food and beverage products, with millions of posts reaching billions of users over the course of a year. Published in *PLOS Digital Health*, the study underscores the significant volume of content that normalizes unhealthy eating, suggesting an urgent need for policies to protect young people in the digital food environment.

The research, led by Monique Potvin Kent from the University of Ottawa, examined user-generated social media content in Canada during 2020. The team identified the 40 food brands with the highest market shares in the country and analyzed mentions of these brands across Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, and YouTube. Over the course of the year, the brands were mentioned a staggering 16,851,990 times, reaching an estimated 42,244,995,156 users.

The findings revealed that fast food restaurants accounted for 60.5% of the posts and 58.1% of total reach, while sugar-sweetened beverages made up 29.3% of posts and 37.9% of the total reach. Interestingly, more men than women engaged with and were exposed to these posts. Although the study did not specifically segment users by age, previous evidence indicates that young people are among the heaviest users of social media, experiencing high levels of exposure to content related to these unhealthy food categories.

Given the overwhelming prevalence of posts mentioning fast food and sugary drinks, the authors argue that the digital landscape contributes to the normalization of unhealthy eating behaviors among youth. They advocate for policies designed to safeguard this vulnerable demographic, emphasizing the need for regulations in the digital food environment as social media continues to shape food choices and public health.