Cross-Platform Analysis of Diet Discourse: Scientific Research, News Media, and Social Media Compared

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Abstract

Abstract This study investigates how eight popular diets (DASH, Flexitarian, Intermittent Fasting, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Mediterranean, Paleo, and Vegan) are perceived across the modern communication ecosystem. We analyze discourse from academic literature (Web of Science, 1975–2024), mainstream news (The New York Times, 2000–2024), and social media (Reddit, 2005–2022) to understand information flow in a fragmented media landscape. Using time series, engagement, and sentiment analysis on nearly 800,000 documents, we map how diet narratives are constructed and disseminated. Our findings reveal distinct agendas on each platform. Academic and news sources prioritized established diets, while Reddit amplified newer, trend-driven ones. The Mediterranean diet, for instance, dominated scholarly and news coverage but was minimally discussed on Reddit. Intermittent Fasting stood out with synchronized attention across platforms. Monthly bidirectional Granger causality tests on over 200 data points with lags up to 24 months reveal complex, multidirectional predictive relationships. After applying Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, Intermittent Fasting exhibits a strong bottom-up dynamic where social media activity predicts both news coverage and scientific literature volume. Conversely, for the Mediterranean diet, traditional news coverage significantly predicts social media discussion, while for the Vegan diet, both social media and scientific literature predict news coverage at different time lags. Sentiment also diverged significantly; scientific discourse was generally positive, while user-generated content was often mixed or negative. For example, the discourse surrounding Veganism on Reddit was notably more negative. This study reveals a fragmented information ecology where scientific consensus does not uniformly dictate public discourse, highlighting the complexity of information flow beyond traditional, top-down models. Our novel, cross-platform framework provides an empirical model for tracking how health topics are constructed and disseminated, revealing the complex, networked interplay between scientific authority, media logic, and user-driven communication
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Cross-Platform Analysis of Diet Discourse: Scientific Research, News Media, and Social Media Compared | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Cross-Platform Analysis of Diet Discourse: Scientific Research, News Media, and Social Media Compared Csaba Kiss, İmren Ece Titiz, Gwen Billy, Roland Molontay This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8552039/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study investigates how eight popular diets (DASH, Flexitarian, Intermittent Fasting, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Mediterranean, Paleo, and Vegan) are perceived across the modern communication ecosystem. We analyze discourse from academic literature (Web of Science, 1975–2024), mainstream news (The New York Times, 2000–2024), and social media (Reddit, 2005–2022) to understand information flow in a fragmented media landscape. Using time series, engagement, and sentiment analysis on nearly 800,000 documents, we map how diet narratives are constructed and disseminated. Our findings reveal distinct agendas on each platform. Academic and news sources prioritized established diets, while Reddit amplified newer, trend-driven ones. The Mediterranean diet, for instance, dominated scholarly and news coverage but was minimally discussed on Reddit. Intermittent Fasting stood out with synchronized attention across platforms. Monthly bidirectional Granger causality tests on over 200 data points with lags up to 24 months reveal complex, multidirectional predictive relationships. After applying Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, Intermittent Fasting exhibits a strong bottom-up dynamic where social media activity predicts both news coverage and scientific literature volume. Conversely, for the Mediterranean diet, traditional news coverage significantly predicts social media discussion, while for the Vegan diet, both social media and scientific literature predict news coverage at different time lags. Sentiment also diverged significantly; scientific discourse was generally positive, while user-generated content was often mixed or negative. For example, the discourse surrounding Veganism on Reddit was notably more negative. This study reveals a fragmented information ecology where scientific consensus does not uniformly dictate public discourse, highlighting the complexity of information flow beyond traditional, top-down models. Our novel, cross-platform framework provides an empirical model for tracking how health topics are constructed and disseminated, revealing the complex, networked interplay between scientific authority, media logic, and user-driven communication diet discourse health communication agenda-setting framing information diffusion cross-platform analysis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 09 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 22 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 20 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 11 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 09 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 08 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8552039","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":577696110,"identity":"2f55040a-d8cd-4ac5-b9cd-e79a62d27c22","order_by":0,"name":"Csaba Kiss","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Budapest University of Technology and Economics","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Csaba","middleName":"","lastName":"Kiss","suffix":""},{"id":577696111,"identity":"692012dc-b8fe-434e-9b49-f581b940fef3","order_by":1,"name":"İmren Ece Titiz","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"İzmir University of 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Mining","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"diet discourse, health communication, agenda-setting, framing, information diffusion, cross-platform analysis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8552039/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8552039/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study investigates how eight popular diets (DASH, Flexitarian, Intermittent Fasting, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Mediterranean, Paleo, and Vegan) are perceived across the modern communication ecosystem. We analyze discourse from academic literature (Web of Science, 1975–2024), mainstream news (The New York Times, 2000–2024), and social media (Reddit, 2005–2022) to understand information flow in a fragmented media landscape. Using time series, engagement, and sentiment analysis on nearly 800,000 documents, we map how diet narratives are constructed and disseminated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur findings reveal distinct agendas on each platform. Academic and news sources prioritized established diets, while Reddit amplified newer, trend-driven ones. The Mediterranean diet, for instance, dominated scholarly and news coverage but was minimally discussed on Reddit. Intermittent Fasting stood out with synchronized attention across platforms. Monthly bidirectional Granger causality tests on over 200 data points with lags up to 24 months reveal complex, multidirectional predictive relationships. After applying Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, Intermittent Fasting exhibits a strong bottom-up dynamic where social media activity predicts both news coverage and scientific literature volume. Conversely, for the Mediterranean diet, traditional news coverage significantly predicts social media discussion, while for the Vegan diet, both social media and scientific literature predict news coverage at different time lags. Sentiment also diverged significantly; scientific discourse was generally positive, while user-generated content was often mixed or negative. For example, the discourse surrounding Veganism on Reddit was notably more negative.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study reveals a fragmented information ecology where scientific consensus does not uniformly dictate public discourse, highlighting the complexity of information flow beyond traditional, top-down models. Our novel, cross-platform framework provides an empirical model for tracking how health topics are constructed and disseminated, revealing the complex, networked interplay between scientific authority, media logic, and user-driven communication\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Cross-Platform Analysis of Diet Discourse: Scientific Research, News Media, and Social Media Compared","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-21 18:58:19","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8552039/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-04-09T20:46:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-22T15:27:30+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"124515434885245498365326516781434788306","date":"2026-01-22T07:14:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-20T06:21:58+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-11T19:40:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-09T07:44:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Social Network Analysis and Mining","date":"2026-01-08T12:40:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"social-network-analysis-and-mining","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"snam","sideBox":"Learn more about [Social Network Analysis and Mining](http://link.springer.com/journal/13278)","snPcode":"13278","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/13278/3","title":"Social Network Analysis and Mining","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"1a592f46-3ff0-4e8e-a0ad-48d0b76c392a","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 21st, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-19T09:54:11+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-21 18:58:19","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8552039","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8552039","identity":"rs-8552039","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}

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