Social Media Food Ads Hype and Adolescent Obesity Upsurge in Nigeria

Abstract

The devastating effect of obesity on humanity transcends race, regional barriers and national developmental status. This has become a global dilemma; as nations figures-out better ways of ensuring safe consumption pattern amongst all age brackets. The situation has become very complex due to the expanding effect of non-regulated social media ads on availability of all forms of eatable items in all facets of human endeavour. The aim of this research is to evaluate the pernicious effect of social media ads hype on obesity increase amongst adolescents and adults in in three (3) selected districts in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The underlying issues to be unravelled by this study includes: the prevailing effect of un-regulated social network activities, the changing urban lifestyle of obese persons and the increased availability of low cost processed foods occasioned by global competitiveness and economic liberalization. The study covered a period of four years (2017-2021) by selecting medical centres from each of the three districts under study in which, relevant information was obtained to affirm obese person; We observed a steady annual percentage increase of (2018-2019 -20%, 2019 – 2020- 37% and 2020 -2021 – 32%), based om average Body Mass Index(BMI) of each individual that is above 30kg/m2. The conceptual framework adopted for the study is a combination of how social interaction affect consumption behavior through the interchange between; Personal consumption decision, interpersonal consumption decision, institutional influence on consumption pattern, neighborhood influence, and health regulatory processes/procedures. The study adopted descriptive research technique whereby questionnaires were administered to identify respondents, and comprehensive interviews were also conducted to obtain detail facts from respondents on areas that was not fully covered by the questionnaire, based on Systematic review of literature. The outcome revealed a significance interrelationship between the variables of the construct. The outcome of the study revealed an interrelationship between social media ads on food items and obesity amongst adolescence and adults in study area. The implication of the study, creates a pathway for future research to expand the age bracket to include children, and encourage health regulatory authorities to step up the process of control on unwholesome food advertising. The study recommended a policy framework that will regulate social food item to mitigate the health effect of obesity amongst the categories of persons under study.