Social media, body image and food choices in healthy young adults: A mixed methods systematic review

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• Negative body image increases the risk of engaging in unhealthy dieting and disordered eating patterns

• social media engagement or exposure to image-related content was associated with higher body dissatisfaction, dieting/restricting food, overeating, and choosing healthy foods.

• social media encourages comparison between users, (ii) comparisons heighten feelings about the body, (iii) young adults modify their appearance to portray a perceived ideal image, (iv) young adults are aware of social media's impact on body image and food choices, however, (v) external validation via social media is pursued

• Social media engagement or exposure to image-related content may negatively impact body image and food choice in some healthy young adults.