60 second summary:
- It’s common for people, particularly teens, to have food rules and beliefs, often discovered on social media
- These can lead them to consume a restricted diet
- This can be lacking in certain nutrients or low in calories
- Encourage a healthier relationship with food via relaxed and flexible eating
- Foster eating without judgement, in tune with appetite and needs
- Avoid labelling food as good or bad
- Discuss food rules gently
Social media is full of images and information that do not promote a healthy relationship with food or body. Both boys and girls are under huge pressure to look and behave a certain way. They will often feel compelled to follow online trends posted by individuals who appear perfect, even though the messages they share are unrealistic and unhealthy. Girls may be lured by the message that looking slim and restricting their food intake to achieve this is aspirational, while boys may learn that the lean, muscular aesthetic is the only way to be accepted. There are, of course, nuances and different food- and body-image messages that spread among teens. Still, they can all be incredibly destructive to their relationship with their body and with food.
Children are influenced on their food intake and bodies from an early age
Posts on social media often consist of a few snack foods on a plate; they are designed as quick, convenient meals for one, but are often low in calories and nutritionally imbalanced. Trends may come and go, but they tend to share one thing in common: restricting food intake and achieving thinness (with or without muscularity) is portrayed as aspirational for teens, and this belief frequently carries over into adulthood.
Once these posts are viewed, the social media algorithms continue to highlight reels and posts of this type, perpetuating this ‘ideal’, in teens’ social feeds
The earlier children interact with such content, the greater the chance that these messages will negatively impact the emerging relationship with the body and food. There are healthier and more balanced posts to follow and view online.
Unhealthy food beliefs and rules
What and why we eat are not only driven by physiological needs. We might eat because we are bored, sad, stressed or needing comfort. But our decisions about whether to honour our hunger with nourishing, balanced food are also influenced by beliefs about food and body image, as well as by how our peers behave.
Teens often copy one another’s eating behaviours, which may, in turn, have been inspired by a social media influencer. It’s not unusual in schools to see a friendship group all choosing plain pasta for lunch, or selecting several protein portions and excluding carbohydrate foods, for example. Common food beliefs tend to be all-or-nothing. You should avoid carbs, go vegan, avoid sugar, fruit, dairy or grains or eat only animal foods.
Eating for sports performance can mask unhealthy eating habits because very active children may eat a great deal of seemingly healthy foods. However, the amount of discipline around food (such as counting calories and macronutrients) combined with the calorie needs to fuel growth AND performance can still lead to inflexible, controlling thoughts around food, which can lead to eating and body image concerns.
Here are some tips for challenging unhealthy beliefs and rules around food.
Encourage relaxed eating
- Discuss diet culture by encouraging teens to eat in tune with their hunger and fullness, recognising their appetite as their bodies grow and develop, without judgement.
- Encourage eating through a lens of self-acceptance and self-care.
- Try to challenge the judgement that comes with eating more, less or differently. It is normal for appetite to vary depending on activity levels, growth, stress or illness for example.
- Convey that it is alright to eat differently in tune with routine, mood or physical need.
- Above all, encourage a more relaxed, non-judgemental approach to both eating and body image.
- Identify responsible sources of guidance for nutrition and wellbeing based on your needs
How to think about food more flexibly
We all have beliefs about food and our bodies, but it’s important to be mindful of how we talk about food and our bodies around young adults and children.
- Avoid labelling foods as good, bad, junk, healthy or anything that creates a hierarchy of foods and, thereby, judgement
- Challenge food rules and beliefs if you hear them being discussed. Go gently and ask questions to understand why these beliefs exist
- Encourage teens to trust their body and honour hunger when it arises
- Foster flexible thinking about eating
- It’s normal to sometimes eat more than others
- Occasionally eating differently won’t affect long-term health
- If a preferred food choice is not available, it’s OK to choose an alternative
- Accept opportunities to eat spontaneously and see them as a positive experience
How to explain what balanced eating really means
It’s not just about eating a range of food groups (carbohydrate, protein, vegetables, fruits and dairy) in a balanced plate. It’s not just about consuming enough calories to grow and develop at a critical life stage. Balanced eating is also flexible eating. It’s not eating whatever you want, when you want. It’s eating foods you enjoy, foods that fuel you, foods that nourish and foods that are varied. It’s not a cycle of restriction and bingeing, and it’s not rules and regulations.
Eating mindfully and slowly, away from distractions, can help to ease judgement and manage appetite. It can also help to improve the relationship with food in the long term.
The bottom line is that eating should not come with a side order of judgement. Eating should be fun and should fuel growth, activity and joy in equal measure.
Claire Baseley – Consultant Nutritionist
