What I Eat in A Day- and how it impacts you

Have you ever compared your own eating habits to others on social media…?

Here’s how the popular ‘What I Eat in a Day’ videos may be negatively impacting your mental health…

'What I Eat in A Day' and related social media content can actually be quite impactful on your mental health. While you might start the video with a genuine curiosity on what others eat or looking for inspiration on recipes and food choices , these videos often start with a body check.

By starting the video with this body check, the implicit message is created that in order to look like this person, I have to eat like them. However, there is a plethora of factors that have contributed to this appearance that cannot be dictated by diet alone.

Additionally, these videos focus on one day in someone's life. Eating will look different for everyone and everyday will look slightly different. Particularly when creating content, there is more focus on appearance and less presentation of real life. Often the visuals are unrealistic and may not even represent what the person is eating.

The assumption we can follow a unofficial meal plan given by a person we don't know and look like them is unrealistic. Setting such unrealistic expectations can seriously impact our mental health. You might find that the more you watch these vides you feel insecure or scared of your food choices, which can be very damaging in the long run and even result in disordered eating behaviours.

If any of these feel familiar or should you wish to discuss your thoughts surrounding food and body image, get in touch for a free consultation today.