Welcome to the Cultural Clinic, Page Med todaycollaboration with Northwell Health to offer a healthcare professional’s perspective on the latest viral medical topics.
A trend that sees most women sharing dinners consisting of an assortment of snacks has become an online sensation, and experts say it illustrates the positive and negative potential of health messages on social media.
Known as “girls’ dinner,” the trend started in May when a TikTok user posted a video explaining that his dinner consisted of bread, cheese, grapes and pickles. The post received over 200,000 likes and was generated a series of copied and satirical messages on TikTok.
Today, the trend has taken hold in the real world, with morning talk show hosts discussing the topic and even a fast food restaurant creating a “girls’ dinner” menu article.
However, some experts fear that these posts may promote unhealthy lifestyle and food choices. In particular, one of Most popular TikTok Posts with the hashtag “girls dinner” feature a woman skipping dinner and taking a nap.
“The Internet and social media have brought many benefits in terms of spreading information and connecting people for a variety of reasons,” said Victor Fornari, MD, MS, of Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York. Page Med today. “However, we know that both the Internet and social media have dark sides.”
“So while this type of conversation on social media can be practical and humorous, it can also, for the vulnerable individual, be an opportunity to engage in truly unhealthy and maladaptive behaviors, such as those leading to disorder. of food,” he said. .
“Girls’ Dinner” and Mental Health
These posts would likely not have a negative effect on healthy people, but those who are more vulnerable to messages about body image issues could be influenced, Fornari noted.
“Adolescent girls are more vulnerable to this because they often feel a sense of inadequacy and seek perfection, which of course doesn’t exist,” he said. “So this is a population that I think is more at risk.”
Ideally, this trend would be seen as a positive discussion around healthy eating, a balanced diet and creativity in meal planning, he noted. He said it’s good to prioritize simple, easy-to-prepare recipes, but people shouldn’t eat “girls’ dinner” because they’re worried about being overweight.
He also noted that healthcare providers can use these types of social media posts to talk with patients about their diet and overall health.
“It’s not unreasonable today for primary care physicians to say, tell me what your habits are in terms of social media use,” Fornari said. “I think doctors need to be aware of the trends.”
He advised providers to try to understand their patients’ social media habits — what sites they visit, whether they’ve been victims of cyberbullying — to determine whether a patient might benefit from additional mental health care.
“Young children may be more vulnerable to some of the dark sides of social media,” he said.
Not All “Girls’ Dinners” Are Created Equal
The concern around “girls’ dinner” also extends to potential negativity around gender stereotypes, according to Natalie Ricondo, RD, a clinical dietitian at North Shore University Hospital in Manhassett, New York.
“What concerns me most is the actual title: ‘girls’ dinner,'” Ricodo said. Page Med today. “I think sometimes the word ‘girl’ can fuel these stereotypes that girls or women are supposed to eat smaller portions, eat lower calorie foods, which can sometimes exacerbate those stereotypes.”
Social media trends that reinforce stereotypes can be particularly harmful to adolescent girls, adding that “girls’ dinner” can be seen as promoting lighter meals at the expense of good nutrition, Ricodo pointed out. However, not all “girls’ dinners” are created equal, she noted.
“I don’t see this trend as something overtly problematic,” Ricodo said. “There’s something to be said about being real, about real life, and sometimes it’s okay to not have those perfect dinners at night, when you’re just exhausted from work, childcare children or simply too much time.
As long as people keep their pantries and refrigerators stocked with healthy foods, “girls dinner” can be a fun and healthy alternative to cooking a full meal, Ricodo said. The best foods to keep on hand for a good “girls dinner” would be whole grain foods like bread or crackers, hummus, peanut butter and easy-to-eat fruits and vegetables, she said. note.
“‘Girls’ dinner,’ even though the term is new, it’s not something new,” she added. “It also happens in other cultures, like mezze platters and Spanish tapas. People all over the world eat like this.”
“Girls’ dinner” can be a nutritious meal that doesn’t require cooking or excessive meal prep, Ricodo said.
“I’d rather see people eating something rather than skipping dinner or gathering some odds and ends in their fridge rather than going to a fast food place and getting a quick burger and fries,” a- she noted. “Some of these ‘girls’ dinners’ can be quite balanced and healthy, so I think it’s not a terrible alternative.”
