A negative perception of body image amplifies the odds of unhealthy dietary patterns and disordered eating. In this systematic review by Rounsefell et al. (2020), the authors investigated the effect of social media engagement or exposure to photographic content on the body image and food choices of healthy young adults (between 18 to 30 years of age). Through a search of six databases focused on observational literature reporting on social media engagement (posting, liking, commenting) and viewing content related to body image, investigating outcomes like food choices (healthy eating, dieting/restricting, overeating/binging), and attitudes towards body image (satisfaction or dissatisfaction). 30 studies were included with a total of 11125 participants. Quantitative analysis (26 studies) demonstrated that social media engagement and viewing content related to body image leads to higher dissatisfaction, overeating, dieting, restricting, or choosing healthy foods. Qualitative analysis (4 studies) recognized five main themes: Firstly, that social media inspires comparison between individuals, and that these comparisons inflame how we feel about our bodies. Secondly, that young adults tend to alter their appearance in order to conform to a perceived ideal body image, and that young adults are not oblivious to how social media influences their body image and dietary choices. Finally, this study found that young adults chase after the external validation social media provides. The authors conclude that social media engagement and exposure to content related to body image could negatively influence the perception of body image and food choices in healthy young adults, and highlights the necessity of promoting health-driven social media campaigns that recognize the impact on body image and avoid eliciting body dissatisfaction.
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