Social network influence and fashionable diet in adults: a descriptive study

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is characterized by a high body fat index, while overweight means that the person has a weight higher than recommended for his/her age, gender, or size. The Internet has facilitated the search for diets, but most of them have no scientific basis, and some people start a diet just because they believe that weight loss will be easy and fast. Among the trendy diets, the most popular are the ketogenic, low carb, soup, and intermittent fasting diets, because they are low in carbohydrates and calories. Objective: To evaluate the health impacts of fad diets performed by individuals without professional monitoring. Materials and Methods: The research is qualitative and quantitative, and initially a reading of scientific articles and magazines with reference to the theme was carried out, in order to improve knowledge and prepare the field research in order to obtain information about which diets are the most researched and used. Results and discussion: the sample was made up of 127 people, 92 of whom followed some fashionable diet, where the female gender prevailed. There were results in the diets followed, but they were not maintained for a long time. Conclusion: It is evident the importance of social networks as a means of disseminating health information, however, there is a relevant concern, because following any diet without proper monitoring increases the risk of health damage.