By John Salak –
There are lots of reasons Americans are chowing down too heavily on unhealthy foods, none of them good considering the potential dangers fast foods and sugary beverages present. Another reason is that the flood of social media posts promoting these foods is normalizing unhealthy eating.
These food and beverage posts on fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages deliver millions of harmful messages that reach billions of users annually, according to research published in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health. The author argues that policies are needed to protect individuals, particularly young people, in the digital food environment.
The health risks associated with fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages are significant. Excessive consumption is contributing to the U.S. and global obesity surge, which is contributing to heart disease, strokes and other dangerous issues.
Americans, not surprisingly, are at the forefront of the rise of obesity and poor eating patterns. It is estimated that only about 10 of Americans eat a healthy diet based on fruit and vegetable consumption. Beyond this, about 25 percent don’t do any exercise outside of work activity.
While not all these poor eating habits are tied exclusively to fast foods and sugary beverages, these offerings certainly contribute to the problem.
Globally, the fast-food market reached a milestone of almost $750 billion with sales in 2022. Growth is expected to remain robust through at least 2031, with the United States leading fast food consumption. Americans currently indulge in these products between one to three times per week and account for more the 20 percent of global sales annually, according to World Population Review.
A Canadian review of social media posts tied to fast foods and sugary beverages in 2020. A team led by Monique Potvin Kent of the University of Ottawa identified the 40 food brands with the highest brand shares in Canada and then searched for mentions of them on Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr and YouTube. During the year, these brands were mentioned almost 17 million times and reached more than 42 million users.
Within this outreach, the food categories with the most posts and reach were fast food restaurants with about 60 percent of posts and total reach. Sugar-sweetened beverages registered about 30 percent of posts and almost 40 percent of total reach. More men mentioned and were reached by the posts compared to women.
The volume of posts in Canada is believed to be indicative of what is seen in other Western countries, such as the U.S. With so many posts mentioning these food categories and certain brands worldwide, the researchers warn that the digital environment is contributing to the normalization of unhealthy food and beverage, particularly among the young. They argue for formal policies to protect this vulnerable group.
