Author:

• Jasilaine Andrade Passos - Passos, J.A - <jasilainepassos@yahoo.com.br>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9595-7822

Co-author(s):

• Paulo Roberto Vasconcellos-Silva - Vasconcellos-Silva, Paulo Roberto - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - <bioeticaunirio@yahoo.com.br> +
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4646-3580
• Ligia Amparo da Silva Santos - Santos, L.A.S - <amparo@ufba.br>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6925-6421

Abstract:

The objective of this paper was to describe and analyse news content associated Google search cycles linked to 8 types of diet: Ketogenic; Moon; Protein; Soup; Detox; Flavor Point; Paleo and Dukan. The diets were ed for being high lighted by Google Trends (GT) as most frequently associated with the term “Diet”. The content of sites which received the highest peak search traffic indicated by Google News were used in the analysis. The search volumes of the sites were estimated by GT with filters of region (Brazil) and theme (Health) in the period between 01/01/2012 to 01/01/2017.
Results: The patterns of site access demonstrate ephemeral cycles, including hundreds of peaks and falls in interest for the 8 fad diets. Content emphasis concentrates on rapid weight loss as a method of attaining ideal health through the proxy of an ideal aesthetic. Risks associated with the most restrictive diets are frequently cited and validated by informationspecialists. It is worth notingthe the influence of celebrity opinion caused through the referencing of their personal dietary experiences. In contrast to the ideal of variety and equilibrium, fad diets portray a philosophy of pressure towards self-control as a way to lead to the construction of an idealised body that is typified by images of celebrities.

Keywords:

Diet fads; Social Media; Consumer health information; Internet

Content:

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