Research from the University of Washington found benefits of Instagram users utilizing food photography as an approach to achieving and maintaining a healthful lifestyle. It promotes mindful eating among Instagram users, emphasizing the importance of eating with all five senses to create awareness towards positively nurturing your body. Food photography allows Instagram users to track and log their meals while going about their everyday lives, and has held Instagram users accountable for what, and how much, they eat.
There is an artistic element to photographing your food. It is an art in which anyone with a smartphone can succeed. The editing tools available create a world full of professional photographers. Enhancing the color, or changing the angle at which the photo is being taken, improves the creativity and quality of the photo.
Food photography creates a scene that endorses feelings around food by creating detailed imagery, such as the juice oozing from an orange, or even the crispness of your favorite apple. A picture of your mom’s casserole is so much more than just the actual casserole; it allows other Instagram followers to reflect on their favorite childhood dish. A picture is worth a thousand words, and Instagram followers are able to build off of other users to recreate old memories and experiences.
Achieving a healthful diet is one thing, but maintaining it is a completely different story. Many diet and weight loss programs fail, in regards to maintenance. However, Instagram’s visual inspiration is an effective approach towards achieving and maintaining a healthful lifestyle. It is a support program without the hassle of various program costs and unwanted public exposure. Using a variety of hashtags, such as #fooddiary or #foodjournal, draws like-minded followers together and promotes a supportive community, free of judgment. These communities support, encourage, and mentor each other to achieve one’s goals.
Instagram provides users with the opportunity to achieve and maintain a healthful lifestyle, in a way that is both artistic and enjoyable. Reflect on your current lifestyle and consider how Instagram and other social media sites may help to further improve it.
Written by Nicole Lindel ~ Nutrition Education Master’s Student at Columbia University