Looking at Your Friends' Food Pics Could Ruin Your Appetite

(Image source: Instagram / gabz_nichole) BY JASMINE BAILEY You know those friends on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter who continually post photos of their food? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Well, a new study says looking at those snapshots can ruin your appetite. "The researchers had study participants look at 60 photos of various foods then fed them peanuts afterward. Well, the ones who looked at a lot of pictures of salty food were less likely to enjoy the salty snack." (Via WCBD) Assuming all the participants liked peanuts in the first place. (Via Wikimedia Commons / Texnik) The study's coauthor, a professor at Brigham Young University, explains the results. "In a way, you're becoming tired of that taste without even eating the food. It's sensory boredom — you've kind of moved on. You don't want that taste experience anymore." The Salt Lake Tribune points out this doesn't only apply to salty snacks. For instance, if you look at a lot of photos of sweet foods, you're less likely to enjoy eating those, too. (Via Flickr / Whitney) Hmm, new diet fad? But before you accuse your friends of spoiling your appetite, a study released back in August claims the food photo shoots might actually benefit the person taking the photo. (Via The Huffington Post) That's because "performing some sort of ritual before eating your food puts you 'in the moment,' heightening your perception of the food and how it tastes." (Via Uproxx) Who knew social media could play such a big role in appetite?