Is Social Support Beneficial for Dietary Change? A Review of the Literature

It is often assumed that support from others in the environment is beneficial for persons attempting to make health behavior changes, including dietary change. However, many questions remain unanswered about the actual effects of social support on people's abilities to change their diets and the best methods for increasing support for dietary change. This review outlines the possible ways that social support may have an effect on dietary change, identifies which groups benefit from what types or sources of support, and assesses whether negative effects are associated with support provided for dietary change. Strategies for increasing social support, as well as guidelines for the inclusion of support in dietary change interventions, are also presented.