As the name suggests, the community is all about giving bad publicity to horrible-looking snapshots of random dishes. And you’re about to see why.
Taking food photos became a hot trend when social media platforms like Instagram took off. From then on, people flooded timelines with the “This is what I’m eating” type of posts.
However, a study by Brigham Young University found that viewing too many food photos may make these dishes less appetizing.
Researchers referred to it as a “sensory boredom,” where you essentially grow tired of the taste just by seeing a picture of a particular dish. They also noted that the over-exposure to food images increases satiation, or the drop in satisfaction from repeated consumption.
However, the authors of the study also clarified that sensory boredom may only happen if you look at a “decent number of photos” at a given time.
Presentation of dishes can also have a profound effect on our food choices. According to a 2023 study published in Food Quality and Preference, messy food presentations in photos lead to unhealthy dietary habits.
As researchers explain, neatly presented food photos reduce the person’s need for instant gratification, ultimately leading to healthier eating.
Dishes that are considered unappetizing aren’t all bad, and that’s all thanks to the Ugly Food Movement. In a nutshell, it’s a global effort to combat food waste by selling and promoting “imperfect” but edible fruits and vegetables.
According to food waste nonprofit ReFED, the United States had 240 million tons of food supply go unsold or uneaten in 2024. The organization also estimated that the 63 million tons of food in the country end up as waste.
We will now turn the conversation over to you, dear reader. Which of these photos threw you off the most? More controversially, which ones would you actually consider eating? Let us know in the comments!
