Pinterest’s Influence on Nutrition and Dietetics

Jill Richter, Ruth Blackburn and Kristin Gunderson

HISTORY OF PINTEREST

• Ben Silbermann started designing own iPhone apps, worked with google and came up with idea of Pinterest in 2009• Silbermann calls it a "visual

discovery tool… it allows you to discover things you didn't know you were looking for.”

• Launched Pinterest in 2010 by encouraging close friends and family to sign up

• 85% of users are female and belong to the younger generation

PURPOSE OF PINTEREST

• Pinterest is a visual social bookmarking site that allows people to collect and organize photos, articles, and other forms of content according to specific areas of interest.

• Personalized media platform where users can upload, save, sort and manage images known as “pins”

• Pins are grouped by key words, topics or themes of content

• Allows user to create a “board” of favorite pins to return to for later use

• Enables one to share ideas or gain new creative ideas from around the world

APPLICATION OF PINTEREST

• Businesses use Pinterest to promote a company or launch new products

• Engage your audience by introducing them to your brand, sharing your brand with users who have indicated an interest in your product or service, and create original content relevant to your target market.

• Used to gain insights about new products you are considering launching by pinning images of prototypes on boards and soliciting feedback.

• Engages consumers who have already indicated a likelihood to purchase a product

• Many use Pinterest to increase sales of product

• Individuals use Pinterest to find new ideas and creative solutions in various topics• Examples include: birthday party, wedding

planning, fitness routines, fashionable outfits, house remodeling, etc.

• Encourages sharing of ideas between friends, communities, and countries

• Keeps people up to data on new, trending ideas and products

APPLICATION IN NUTRITION

• Allows individuals to collect healthy meal plans, recipes and new cooking methods to add to their lifestyles

• Quick access to new meals based on key words and appetizing images linked to external webpages of recipes

• Able to specifically search an ingredient and find several recipes based on that item

• Promotes new ways to use uncommon foods such as quinoa, kale or beets and incorporate them into delicious, healthy meals

• Allows users to tailor their searches based on diet needs, food allergies, restrictions and goals for their own life

PINTEREST FOR A DIETICIAN

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics uses Pinterest to run their own page which provides healthy recipes, a list of nutritionists, encourages activity and promotes overall well-being

• https://www.pinterest.com/clc7/academy-of-nutrition-dietetics/

• Liz Spittler, editor of Food and Nutrition Magazine, states that “We’ve had great success [with Pinterest] not only in engaging our readers in a visually creative environment but also promoting their expertise to consumers through highlighted recipes and articles by [RD’s]”

• Dietician's use Pinterest to promote their own practices, individual recipes and healthy habits/tips to clients• Kait Fortunato, dietician based in Washington, D.C., says that

“her clients successfully use Pinterest to organize recipes, follow her circuit workout board and create their own boards with motivational quotes”• https://www.pinterest.com/rbantrnexperts/

USING PINTEREST SUCCESSFULLY

• Allrecipes.com added the “PinIT” button on each recipe page, causing a 900% increase in shared videos and recipes from their website

• EatSmarter’s healthy food company created unique images to include a before and after visuals of recipes to appeal to inexperienced cooks, showing ingredients laid out before cooking process

ADVANTAGES

• Easy access to new, healthy ideas through creative recipes and meal plans

• Provides step by step instructions for inexperienced cooks• Allows individuals to connect with other like-minded health

advocates for constant support and ideas

• Domain in which dieticians can spread the word about healthy meal planning

• Link attractive images of meals to dietician blogs for a client to seek for professional recommendations

• Promote new healthy foods or products from credible sources and certified professionals

• Offer opposing views against fad dieting while providing healthy alternatives

DISADVANTAGES

• Promote fad dieting trends such as fasting, cleanses, detoxes, gluten elimination, extreme low calorie meal plans

• Provide unhealthy and unrealistic images of health and wellness shown by elite athletes, body builders and photo shop use

• Encourage dieting without help of professionals• Posts may be from any source, thus leading to

unreliable or false information