An unhealthy social media diet

Children and young people are being constantly exposed to videos and images promoting unhealthy food, particularly when shared by influencers.

That’s the warning from Cancer Research UK, who surveyed 4,000 children and young people aged 11 to 21 across the UK. The findings raise fresh concerns about the impact of persuasive social media content on children’s health.

Key findings:

52% of those surveyed had seen unhealthy food and drink products from either businesses or influencers on social media in the last month.

Almost 4 out of 10 said they had engaged in such posts with comments, likes or shares.

Children and young people are more likely to interact with a post from an influencer than a business.

Many described feeling hungry or tempted by the constant stream of junk-food content. One 11-year-old told the charity: “There is a giant cookie bowl that keeps popping up. When I see it, I feel like ordering dessert and I feel really hungry.”

A 15-year-old said: “I’d say at least every two minutes that I’m on Instagram I’d see at least one food-related post”

The study found that while young people are aware of the promotions, it doesn’t necessarily stop them engaging.

Influencers are also present junk food in a relatable, conversational way, somewhat disguising the marketing and advertising.

Charities are pointing out that there is a constant stream of exposure that is having a profound impact on the nation’s health. Liv Cheek, prevention policy manager at Cancer Research UK, points to obesity and being overweight as “the second biggest cause of cancer in the UK after smoking, and rates among young people are rising.” She added:

“Planned restrictions on junk food advertising online are a vital step to protect young people’s health.

However, these measures must be properly enforced and strengthened by closing any remaining gaps in the online marketing rules.

We urge the UK Government and regulators to take bold action to shield young people from harmful marketing that could increase their risk of obesity and cancer in the future.”

You can find the study findings here.