'Food porn' obsession may be fuelling Britain's obesity crisis, scientists warn

Posting images of mouth-watering meals on social media could be playing havoc with people's waistlines, new study says

So-called 'food porn' could be helping make us fatter, scientists have warned.

The practice of glamourising food by posting pictures of mouth-watering meals on Instagram or other social meida sites may well be playing havoc with people's waistlines, according to a new study, because the sight of appealing food is "a powerful cue" to the brain.

Researchers at Oxford University highlighted that even amid Britain's obesity crisis, "it feels as though we are being exposed to ever more appetising (and typically high calorie) images of food" everyday.

A quick look on Twitter shows exactly what they mean:

The study, published in the journal Brain and Cognition, noted that people are "bombarded with gastroporn" via social media, books on food, advertising and cookery shows.

"It has been suggested that those of us currently living in the Western world are watching more cookery shows on TV than ever before," the researchers said.

They noted that sight is one of the most important senses when it comes to seeking out food, traditionally helping humans know what to eat and what to avoid.