Viral Diets & Deeply Held Beliefs: How Social media Fuels Nutrition Misinformation & Identity
A surge in online searches for restrictive diets, coupled with increasingly polarized debates around food, points to a growing problem: social media is not just a platform for sharing nutrition information, but a breeding ground for misinformation that taps into personal identity. Recent data from Google Trends reveals a important uptick in searches related to various diets,highlighting public interest – and vulnerability – to unverified claims. (See Figure 1)
[Figure 1: Image of Google Trends graph showing search interest in diets – as provided in original text]
The quality of online nutrition content is a serious concern. A 2022 study reviewing over 60 articles found that roughly half contained low-quality information.But the issue extends beyond simply what is being said; it’s how people react. Experts are observing a fervent, frequently enough combative response to nutrition discussions online, suggesting a deeper connection between food choices and self-perception.What we eat, and what we believe about food, can become integral to who we are.Food as Identity & the Appeal of community
Food is a powerful socio-cultural force, shaping individual and collective identities. However, certain personality traits – including a strong reliance on intuition and a tendency towards antagonism – can make individuals more susceptible to nutrition-related misinformation. These individuals may encounter unverified claims online and become deeply committed to a specific diet and lifestyle.
The appeal of fad diets often extends beyond dietary restrictions; they offer a sense of community and belonging.It’s not solely about following a perceived expert, but about finding validation and shared experiences within a network of peers. This creates an echo chamber, reinforcing existing beliefs and shielding individuals from dissenting viewpoints – a phenomenon supported by research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
moralizing food & the Sacredness of Diet
The language surrounding fad diets frequently borrows from religious frameworks. As Alan Levinovitz, a professor of religion at James Madison University, observed in a 2015 Slate article: “Evil foods harm you, but they are sinfully delicious, guilty pleasures. Good foods, on the other hand, are real and clean. These are religious mantras, helpfully dividing up foods according to moralistic dichotomies… Yet it is precisely such categories, largely unquestioned, that determine most people’s supposedly scientific decisions about what and how to eat.”
This elevation of dietary claims to a moral or sacred level explains why criticism of a diet can feel like a personal attack. This identity-driven attachment is a key driver of the spread of fad diets on social media, offering individuals not just a plan for eating, but a sense of moral clarity and purpose, as explored in Asterisk Magazine.
When evaluating nutrition information online, it’s crucial to assess the source. Look for evidence-based advice presented in a balanced and composed manner.Overly passionate, alarmist, or rigidly held views should raise a red flag.
Sources:
Google Trends (data as of late 2023)
Study: https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980023000873
Food & Identity: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/foodstudies/chapter/food-culture-personal-identity/
Personality Traits & Misinformation: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/bul0000392
Misinformation & Action: https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism-facts/misinformation-belief-action
Echo Chambers: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023301118
slate Article: https://slate.com/technology/2015/04/food-fad-evidence-logic-and-science-can-fight-misperceptions-about-nutrition.html
Moral Clarity & Purpose: https://asteriskmag.com/issues/02/read-this-not-that-the-hidden-cost-of-nutrition-misinformation
