Influencer Marketing’s Impact on Minors’ Eating Habits and Body Image: An Overview of Prior Studies and Future Research Directions

The extensive exposure of minors (aged 3 to 18) to influencer marketing has raised concerns about potential unintended consequences for their health and mental well-being. In particular, influencers targeting minors often promote unhealthy foods and present an idealized body image in their content. These portrayals can lead minors to compare their bodies and eating habits to those of influencers, potentially resulting in body dissatisfaction. While influencer marketing's negative impact on eating habits and body image has received the most attention in academic research, some researchers argue for influencers’ potential to positively affect minors' mental and physical health. This chapter discusses prior research on influencer marketing and its effect on minors' eating habits and body image. Since research in this matter is still scarce, the chapter concludes with four proposed shifts in future research concerning the commercialized portrayal of food and body among minors.