Poor dietary habits in youth linked to social media overuse

Poor dietary habits in youth linked to social media overuse

Poor eating habits in adolescence - lots of sweets, sugary drinks or skipping breakfast - are directly linked to social media overuse, University of Queensland research has found.

Associate Professor Asaduzzaman Khan from UQsSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences led a team that analyzed health behavior data in school-age children involving 222,865 youth from 41 countries.

This is the first multinational study to provide insight into how social media behavior influences adolescent dietary choices.

As social media usage continues to rise, it is important to be able to access the potential harm of using it to our children. “

Dr.Asaduzzaman Khan, Associate Professor, UQ School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

The study examined social media, which was defined as excessive (frequent or extended use) or problematic (mirroring addiction-like symptoms with compulsive and uncontrollable behavior).

Both types were associated with lower breakfast intake and higher consumption of sweets and sugary foods and drinks.

Dr. Khan said the findings reinforced the importance of reducing problematic and excessive social media usage to stop poor eating habits.

"These poor dietary habits are potential risk factors for obesity, weakened immune systems, mental well-being and chronic diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems later in life," he said.

“Topics such as cyberbullying, body foaming and negative body image are outside the scope of this particular work, but we know from other research that social media overuse certainly affects psychosocial health, academic performance, interpersonal and family relationships.

“The challenge is how we as a family, as a community, are going to deal with this so that we use the technology without letting our children harm themselves.

“We can’t easily live our lives without social media or without screens, but there is a need for education in the community.”

The research also analyzed fruit and vegetable consumption, and finding problematic social media use was associated with lower fruit and vegetable intake, with teens in this category possibly including mindless eating of unhealthy snacks while scrolling with limited time for meal preparation.

Conversely, overuse was associated with higher intake of fruits and vegetables, which may be due to the influence of health influencers, nutritionists and fitness enthusiasts, the study reported.

Dr. Khan said adolescence provided a unique opportunity to develop and promote healthy eating habits.

“This is a period characterized by the autonomy of eating behavior and the establishment of new personal habits,” he said.

The research is published in Pediatric Research.

Sources: