Associations of body- and food-related instagram content with body image and eating behavior in a self-selected sample of young adults in Germany

Aim This study investigates how different types of Instagram content—fitspiration, body positivity, and healthy eating trends—are associated with body image and eating behavior in a self-selected sample of young adults living in Germany. Subject and methods An online survey was conducted with 110 participants aged 18–30 years (male n = 34, female n = 75, diverse n = 1). The frequency of viewing fitspiration, body positivity, and healthy eating trend content was assessed via self-report. Body image was measured using the Body Image Questionnaire (FKB-20), and eating behavior with the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q8) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26D). Linear regression analyses were performed to explore associations between viewing frequency of the three content types and body image and eating behavior. Results Fitspiration content was viewed occasionally by men and frequently by women. Body positivity content was rarely viewed, while healthy eating trend content was frequently viewed by all participants. Among women, frequent fitspiration viewing was associated with more disordered eating and more negative body image. Among men, more frequent viewing of both fitspiration and healthy eating trend content was associated with more disordered eating. No significant associations were found for body positivity content. Conclusion Different Instagram content types show distinct associations between body image and eating behavior in this self-selected sample. Fitspiration and healthy eating trend content were linked to more disordered eating patterns, highlighting the importance of considering the type of content consumed, not just overall time on social media.