The Role of Social Media in Eating Disorders
By: Michael Pertschuk, MD
The internet has become a staple in most of our lives. We use it to find recipes,
directions, and to stay connected with family and friends. But did you also know
that the internet may be contributing to a rise in eating disorders?
“Thinspiration” or “Thinspo” for short, is an internet trend featuring images or
videos of unnaturally skinny individuals, often with encouraging quotes such as
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” or “Hunger Hurts, but Starving Works.”
These images pop up anywhere from Facebook to Pintrest and reveal an alarming
internet phenomenon promoting eating disorders.
Pro-Eating Disorder websites have been around since the internet began, but
they are even more readily available with the boom of social networking websites.
While social media may not directly cause an eating disorder, it provides a means
of reinforcing the disease. The networking aspect of social media offers
individuals with an eating disorder a pseudo-community of like-minded
individuals also caught up in symptoms. The networks are a source of tips on
camouflaging weight loss from family, sabotaging treatment and achieving even
more extreme weight loss. These pro-eating disorder websites are particularly
appealing to individuals already isolated by their disease from their normal
weight peers. Implicit in these networks is a dangerous underlying assumption
that eating disorders are a life-style choice rather than a mental illness. They can
get in the way of life-saving treatment and discredit the whole idea of recovery.
The good news is that the internet and social media have made efforts to respond.
Many social networking sites such as Facebook and Pinterest consider promotion
of eating disorders to be against their terms of service and are monitoring and
shutting down relevant content. This however, doesn’t stop the continual
comparison many individuals make on these sites to the images they see. They
are comparing their own self-image with not only images of friends, but
unrealistic and airbrushed photos of celebrities.
There are recovery sites and online support groups available, though these should
be used with a face-to-face recovery program. Individuals can also find resources
on how to approach someone suspected of having an eating disorder and
treatment options. While this information is readily available for those looking
for it, those deep in their disorder are generally searching the internet to confirm
their own belief. In many cases, the positive support available online falls on
blind eyes.
The best way to protect your loved ones is to monitor them and be aware of the
symptoms of an eating disorder: Significant weight fluctuations; Fatigue &
weakness; Abnormal menstrual cycles; Excessive exercise; Poor healing; Failure
to gain weight as expected for someone still growing. Monitor your child’s
internet activity and don’t ignore comments about their body or weight. Social
Media doesn’t cause an eating disorder, but it can enable them and discourage
individuals from seeking help. Be aware of your children’s online activities and
seek help when necessary.
Michael Pertschuk, MD is the director of the Eating Disorders Program at
Brandywine Hospital. Dr. Pertschuk has more than two decades of experience
managing inpatient, residential and partial hospital treatment programs for
eating disorders. Dr. Pertschuk is a member of the medical staff at Brandywine
Hospital. Learn more at BrandywineEatingDisorders.com.