Being a part of a group offers many positive benefits. A recent study out of Florida University suggests that having a sense of belonging to a social group may also significantly affect our food choices, which could push us towards more nutritious options.

Professor Eva Kemps, from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, notes, "Social groups, such as one's nationality or university, provide group members with a shared social identity, or a sense of belonging, and can influence their behavior.”

She states, "Accordingly, when someone sees themselves as part of a group and feels that their membership to the group is an important part of their identity, they are more likely to bring their behavior in line with what is perceived as the 'norm' for that group.

"This has shown to be true in influencing what we eat and the food choices we make, and could have implications for the development of health campaigns and interventions that aim to promote healthier food choices," she says.

Choosing healthier food is vital according to researchers as 65 percent of Australians aged 15 and over are overweight or obese. In addition, 92 percent of adults don’t meet the recommended five to six servings of vegetables daily and 49 percent don’t consume the recommendation of two servings of fruit per day.

A diet full of non-nutritious foods is a big contributor to chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which are the main causes of mortality worldwide.

The recent research evaluated the theory that individuals are more likely to pick up healthy food choices if they feel as though they belong to the same community or group who are encouraging healthy eating habits.

Study subjects included undergraduate students. Their affiliation with their university was used as an example of group inclusion, suggesting they were either the in-group (part of the same university) or the out-group (not part of the university).

The study recipients were undergraduate students. Their university affiliation was used as the example of their valued group membership, meaning that they were either part of the same university group (in-group) or not (out-group).

The research used Facebook groups due to its popularity with university students. Students felt a connection or no connection to a group and were then.

Conducted using Facebook groups -- a popular platform for university community pages -- students either felt an affinity to, or indifference to, a group and were then presented with healthy and less healthy food options and assessed on their choices.

Professor Kemps, "When people are exposed to social norms on Facebook, such as what others eat, they are more likely to be influenced by someone in the same group with them than by someone who isn't. This builds on the age-old adage of the 'herd mentality'".

"This is because people are more likely to identify with and internalize the behaviors of someone who shares a common group interest or affiliation with them, which can lead to changes in their own behavior.

Her group discovered that when people felt a sense of belonging or connection to a group, they were likely to be swayed in either direction. She notes, "This builds on the growing literature that shared group membership can affect someone's behavior, particularly when it is applied to food choices.”

Even though the results are promising, more research is needed to evaluate the connection between social influence and how it can modify people’s behavior, particularly when it comes to making healthier food choices.

Study lead author Juliana Gleaves states, "Our study demonstrates that people within a 'group' are more likely to view the behavior of other perceived group members as an appropriate or relevant guide. Therefore, seeing fellow group members make healthy choices -- or receiving a healthy food recommendation from them -- may promote healthier eating habits".

She hopes that the outcomes of their research will increase studies in this field to improve communication and support the development of materials for health campaigns and interventions that encourage better food choices using social media settings and other outlets.

How can we influence food choices in young adults?

·         Be a role model. If you want your kids to eat fruits and vegetables, model the behavior.

·         Serve water or milk in place of soda and sugary beverages.

·         Limit fast food consumption. Save this for road trips or special occasions.

·         Replace chips and other salty snacks with veggies and dip or nut-based trail mix.

·         Ask your teens to help with shopping and food preparation. This gets them interested in food and nutrition.

·         Don’t focus on weight issues. Encourage healthy eating habits without focusing on the number on the scale.

·         Pay attention to your teens’ social media usage. Discuss health influencers and the messages they’re putting out.

·         Talk to young adults about the groups they belong to and what their eating habits are.

·         Learn more about campaigns for better health through the US Dietary Guidelines and CDC.

Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD

Reference:

1.    Juliana Marie Gleaves, Eva Kemps, Ivanka Prichard, Marika Tiggemann. I'll have what She's having (but not what They're having): The moderating role of group membership in the effect of social norms on food choice in an online environment. Appetite, 2024; 198: 107374 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107374