Study Highlights the Prevalence of Social Media Mentions for Fast Food and Sugary Drinks

A study published in PLOS Digital Health has highlighted the extensive reach and frequency of social media posts mentioning food and beverage brands in Canada, raising concerns about the potential normalization of unhealthy eating habits. The research, conducted by Monique Potvin Kent of the University of Ottawa and her team, analyzed data from Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, and YouTube during 2020, focusing on 40 food brands with the largest market share in Canada.

The study identified 16.85 million mentions of these brands, with an estimated reach of 42.24 billion users. Fast food restaurants accounted for the majority of posts, representing 60.5% of mentions and 58.1% of total reach, followed by sugar-sweetened beverages, which made up 29.3% of posts and 37.9% of reach. The analysis also found that men were more likely than women to engage with or be exposed to these posts.

The most frequently mentioned brands included a prominent fast food chain responsible for 26.5% of posts and a soft drink brand accounting for 18.1% of the total reach. The findings suggest that the digital food environment plays a significant role in promoting unhealthy food and beverage consumption, particularly among youth, who are frequent social media users and are considered more vulnerable to marketing influences.

The authors argue that this exposure contributes to the normalization of unhealthy dietary habits and emphasize the need for policies to address the impact of social media on public health. They call for measures to protect younger audiences from the pervasive influence of digital marketing, which they view as a critical step in improving dietary behaviors and health outcomes.