Scrolling through an endless stream of ‘food porn’ may sound tempting. But be warned: research has shown that it can make you fat.
Sixty-three volunteers were asked to look at Instagram photos of juicy burgers, crispy fries and cheesy pizzas for 15 minutes.
Then Lebanese experts questioned them about their desires and mood.
The results showed that they were hungrier after seeing photos of junk food than when looking at animal, travel and nature photos.
In addition, they also had stronger cravings for salty, savory and fatty foods.
Volunteers were also asked to choose a meal from a virtual tray with options such as pizza and salads.
After seeing mouthwatering photos of food, some of which were posted under the hashtag #foodporn, they were more likely to choose the unhealthier options.
Academics from the Lebanese American University warned that their findings suggest that simply looking at food photos on social media could be “problematic” as they influence people’s food choices and make them more likely to choose high-calorie options.
Sixty-three volunteers were asked to look at Instagram photos of juicy burgers, crispy fries and fried mozzarella sticks for 15 minutes. After seeing mouth-watering photos of food, some posted under the hashtag #foodporn, they were more likely to choose the unhealthier options
Academics from the Lebanese American University warned that their findings suggest that simply looking at food photos on social media could be “problematic” as they influence people’s food choices and make them more likely to choose high-calorie options.
Studies have shown that exposure to social media can affect physical and mental well-being.
However, according to the researchers led by Dr Nadine Zeeni, associate professor of nutrition, its impact on appetite and food choice is ‘understudied’.
All participants were between 18 and 24 years old.
Half were shown an account feed full of photos of junk food, curated with the hashtags #foodporn, #food and #junkfood.
The others were shown a random mix of photos collected from the hashtags #travel, #architecture and #animals.
Volunteers then completed a questionnaire about their desires, mood and perception of their body image.
Researchers in Lebanon asked volunteers to look at photos under the hashtag #foodporn on Instagram and share their cravings, mood and food preferences
They were also asked to put together a virtual meal tray for their lunch from a selection of healthy products, such as chicken salad, fruit and nuts, and junk food, such as burgers, fries and pizza.
A week later, they looked at the opposite set of images and repeated the experiment and questionnaire.
The results were published in the journal Pull.
The researchers said their findings were due to ‘visual hunger’: the changes in behavior and brain responses brought about by just looking at images of food.
They noted that previous studies have shown that looking at images of food can increase hunger levels, regardless of how full a person is.
People were more vulnerable to visual hunger cues if they had poorer body image perception or higher levels of stress and sadness.
Participants were also more likely to choose junk food, such as mozzarella sticks and fizzy drinks, over healthy items, such as a whole-grain turkey bagel or granola bar, for their virtual tray after looking at photos of unhealthy foods.
The researchers wrote: ‘In conclusion, exposure to junk food-related content on social media negatively affects mood and food cravings, subsequently influencing food choices.’
However, social media can also be “part of the solution,” they say, as it can also feature images of healthy food and fitness-related content.