Until a few months ago, my internet search history was sprinkled with curious questions such as “how much protein is there in a guava?” or “nutrients in broccoli”. When my social feeds were filled with health and food influencers constantly talking about making recipes healthier, I also jumped on the bandwagon.

Proteinmaxxing and fibremaxxing became real goals. Soon, realisation dawned that I was not alone. Like with most other aspects of our lives, social media has also had a significant influence on our eating habits – in both good and bad ways.

A study published in Mental Health Science, which surveyed over a thousand people, found that more than half of the participants had altered their dietary habits due to social media. It also showed that nearly 75% of the participants were inspired to make healthy choices because of watching content depicting healthy food.   

But there is a flip side as well. Studies show that a larger number of people are lured into binging on junk food by the same social media. So, you could say that how social media influences you depends largely on the algorithm.

The bright side

Rosemary Chettupuzha, a food vlogger from @hoggers.in, talked about how the trend has actually helped her understand what exactly she is eating. “There’s been an increase in influencers and even doctors talking about a health-conscious approach to food. When they break down the ingredients in some of our favourite snacks, we realise what we are actually consuming. It has helped me cut down on some foods,” she says.

Eating healthy

Social media is an everyday part of our society now, and it definitely influences multiple aspects of how society works and has evolved over time. You see an Instagram story or tweet by your friend flexing in a gym mirror with a protein shake in hand. Unsatisfied with your lifestyle choices, you delete food delivery apps and start counting your calories.

“ Midnight cravings were never this big previously, but now munching on something while scrolling reels late at night is a very common sight.”Rosemary ChettupuzhaFood vlogger

Is this a familiar pattern? You are not alone there. A study published in the International Journal for Research Trends and Innovation showed that around 40% of its participants were following content on nutrition and being actively influenced by health influencers on social media. 

“There’s a lot of different kinds of content online meant for different goals. A lot of my clients, too, are often confused because of the variety of options being pushed forward by influencers,” says Arya, a Kerala-based health coach.

Kanal Gupta, an 11th-standard student from Siliguri, talks about how she found easier, time-saving and healthy recipes for snacking through such influencer videos on social media. “It can of course cause harm to people who do not fact-check the things said in reels,” she added.

Dietary choice influences

Is this a new trend or have our dietary choices always been influenced by the content we consume? In the 2000s, there was a popular trend which villainised carbohydrates. Low-carb diets and carb-phobia hit the market and had a huge impact on the size zero obsession of the era. Ten years later, clean eating became the trend, with plant-based diets and wellness-style products becoming popular.

Information overload

And now, in the 2020s, fibre, protein and gut health, along with slow living patterns, became the trend. While it has made people conscious of what is on our plates, the flip is an overload of information and fads. Food content on social media is getting more saturated every day, with such trends becoming regular. “We were one of the first people to start a food-related account in our city, but now the field is so saturated,” Rosemary adds.

Nutrientsjournal, 51.6% of the group followed food content creators on social media, and 54% of the participants felt like they wanted to order food after watching food content. Almost 50.3% said that they feel so hungry that they order food right away.

It was in August 2023 that the Advertising Standards Council of India said influencers must disclose their qualifications and registration or certification details properly before sharing or promoting any health-related content, products or services. However, the influence put by such accounts — good or bad — is still going strong.

“I think the audience knows, though, which would be good and bad because I see people approaching certain Instagram accounts which they know do not spam-post every other eatery outlet saying it’s amazing. Quality content is still appreciated,” she adds.

While social media has definitely played an important role in creating such trends, our dietary habits have always been influenced by multiple sources — cookbooks, chefs, radio, TV, ads and marketing.

A study in the

Journal of Research in Health Sciencesexamining television advertisements reported that a total of 69.6% of adolescents stated that they were influenced by television food advertisements, and 66.4% of them purchased these foods.#### Balance is key

While some are influenced to eat more, the flip side of the coin is equally dangerous. Food content connects to the ‘what I eat in a day’ trend and various diet plans made without any actual professional intervention often push viewers into a battle against body image issues and eating disorders.

“What we should understand and teach our younger generation is that there is no one super food which will fix everything. The importance of a balanced diet should be portrayed more rather than obsession towards any one nutrient,” added Arya, a health coach.

Published - July 28, 2026 04:34 pm IST