Teen Food Choices and Who Tells Them

Social media is full of food ads that aren’t healthy. Teenagers see a lot of these posts every day, and the more they watch them, the more likely they are to like or eat junk food. Researchers asked 1, 002 teens how often they saw food messages from different people: friends, popular online personalities, famous stars, brands, and health groups. The teens said they saw junk‑food posts from friends, celebrities, influencers, and brands far more often than healthy‑food ones.When teens saw many of these unhealthy posts, they also liked junk food more and ate it more often. Only the healthy messages from official health organizations were linked to teens actually eating good food. This shows that who shares a message matters a lot. If kids see junk food promoted by their peers or popular online figures, they are more likely to follow suit. Regulating how these influencers and brands talk about food could help protect teens’ diets.