Social support is just as crucial as willpower in reducing meat consumption, researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School have found.
In a paper published in the journal Appetite, researchers said that dietary change depended on the social environments in which people eat and live, as well as personal motivation.
The study, which was conducted in partnership with Meat Free Monday, followed MFM participants over a period of one month, examining what influences the number of meat-free days people achieve.
While MFM continued to be effective in reducing meat intake, the study found participants were more likely to have meat-free days when living with people who did not eat meat regularly.
The authors said the findings underlined the importance of recognising eating as a shared, social activity and suggested behaviour change initiatives should look beyond individual decision-making.
They recommended that future public health and sustainability campaigns could benefit from placing greater emphasis on peer support, social networks and community building.
Richard de Visser, professor of health psychology at BSMS’ Department of Primary Care and Public Health, who led the study, insisted “eating habits do not develop in isolation”.
“Our findings show that the people around us can have an important influence on our ability to make dietary change.”
The academic, who has also studied initiatives like Dry January, added: “This suggests there is real value in creating supportive communities that make it easier for people to adopt and maintain healthier and more sustainable diets.”
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