In laboratory studies, exposure to social norm messages conveying the typical eating behaviour of others has influenced participants' own consumption of food. Given the widespread use of social media, it is plausible that we are implicitly exposed to norms in our wider social circles, and that these influence our eating behaviour, and potentially, Body Mass Index (BMI). This study examined whether four perceived norms (perceived descriptive, injunctive, liking and frequency norms) about Facebook users' eating habits and preferences predicted participants' own food consumption and BMI. In a cross-sectional survey, men and women university students (n = 369; mean age = 22.1 years; mean BMI = 23.7) were asked to report their perceptions of Facebook users' consumption of, and preferences for, fruit, vegetables, energy-dense snacks and sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), their own consumption of and preferences for these foods, and their BMI. Multiple linear regression revealed that perceived descriptive norms and perceived frequency norms about Facebook users' fruit and vegetable consumption were significant positive predictors of participants' own fruit and vegetable consumption (both ps < .01). Conversely, perceived injunctive norms about Facebook users' energy-dense snack and SSB consumption were significant positive predictors of participants' own snack and SSB consumption (both ps < .05). However, perceived norms did not significantly predict BMI (all ps > .05). These findings suggest that perceived norms concerning actual consumption (descriptive and frequency) and norms related to approval (injunctive) may guide consumption of low and high energy-dense foods and beverages differently. Further work is required to establish whether these perceived norms also affect dietary behaviour over time.

中文翻译：

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社交媒体用户的饮食习惯和偏好的感知规范是否可以预测我们自己的食物消费和 BMI？

在实验室研究中，暴露于传达他人典型饮食行为的社会规范信息影响了参与者自己的食物消费。鉴于社交媒体的广泛使用，我们有可能隐含地接触到更广泛社交圈中的规范，而这些规范会影响我们的饮食行为，并可能影响体重指数 (BMI)。这项研究检验了关于 Facebook 用户饮食习惯和偏好的四种感知规范（感知描述性、禁令性、喜好和频率规范）是否能预测参与者自己的食物消费和 BMI。在一项横断面调查中，男女大学生（n = 369；平均年龄 = 22.1 岁；平均 BMI = 23.7）被要求报告他们对 Facebook 用户对水果、蔬菜、高能量零食和含糖饮料 (SSB)，他们自己对这些食物的消费和偏好，以及他们的 BMI。多元线性回归显示，关于 Facebook 用户水果和蔬菜消费的感知描述规范和感知频率规范是参与者自身水果和蔬菜消费的显着正预测因子（均 ps < .01）。相反，关于 Facebook 用户的高能量零食和 SSB 消费的感知禁令规范是参与者自己的零食和 SSB 消费的显着正预测因子（均 ps < .05）。然而，感知规范并没有显着预测 BMI（所有 ps > .05）。这些发现表明，关于实际消费的感知规范（描述性和频率）和与批准相关的规范（禁令）可能会以不同的方式指导低和高能量密度食品和饮料的消费。需要进一步的工作来确定这些感知到的规范是否也会随着时间的推移影响饮食行为。