Social Media and Eating Disorders

 

The flourishing of social media has become a double-edged sword for those with eating disorders. Online communities can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

The growing availability of helpful and healing online information on eating disorders has blossomed; this helps to reduce the stigma and shame for those seeking therapy. But everyday use of social media can often worsen feelings of loneliness and isolation as users tend to “compare and despair,” concluding that others are more popular, have a thinner body and more fulfilling lives. There are also damaging and dangerous online communities promoting eating disorder behaviors, low self-esteem, and stimulating FOMO (the fear of missing out).

The American Association of Pediatrics now warns that too much social media use can lead to depression and anxiety. Social media has become the centerpiece of many young people’s lives which often prevents connecting authentically with others. Girls sleep with their phones and react to every notification. As they create more interesting, supposedly happier virtual personas for themselves, their real selves diminish. Girls collect “likes” instead of making friends. Vulnerable girls can be devastated by a cruel text or a lukewarm reaction to a selfie.

Social Media, Eating Disorders, and Body Dysmorphia

The digital world can be alluring, enthralling, captivating, and maybe even addicting. And the relationship between social media and the development of eating disorders and body dysmorphia disorders (BDD) is significant. BDD refers to a preoccupation with one’s perceived defects or flaws in appearance—flaws that are generally minor or imagined. People with this disorder often feel so ashamed and anxious about their looks that they spend a great deal of time checking the mirror, avoiding social situations, and experiencing considerable inner distress.

In a cyber world that bombards women and girls constantly with images of beauty and perfection, females become convinced that their lovability depends on how they look. The tyranny of thinness reigns in these images, and airbrushed cyber images of models with perfect bodies leads girls and women to feel they are not measuring up and need to improve their looks as soon as possible no matter what the risk.

The Dark Side of Social Media

The destructive and dark side of social media includes cyberbullying and cyberstalking which has subjected many teens to humiliation about their weight, appearance, and popularity.

The Journal of the American Medical Association has identified a new disorder: Snapchat dysphoria. This syndrome describes how people—particularly young women or men—use apps on Snapchat and Instagram to “enhance” their own appearance. With these apps and filters, they can make their their lips plumper, their skin smoother, and their bodies more toned. Some even seek out plastic surgery to turn themselves into this enhanced version and strive to match their real-life self to their idealized image.

Some Sites Encourage Eating Disorders

The pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia movement consists of blogs, Web sites, and chat forums in which people with anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders support each other to achieve extreme weight loss no matter how unhealthy the methods may be.

For people devoted to these sites, weight loss is considered the holy grail and the true meaning of life. They believe anorexia and bulimia are lifestyle choices and not mental illnesses. Eating disordered individuals encourage others to maintain unhealthy behaviors and provide “thinspiration.” Unwittingly, Kate Moss created the rallying cry for this movement with her popular thinspirational motto: “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”

Psychotherapists and other health care professionals are concerned about the proliferation of these sites which promote self-harming eating behaviors. Strong efforts have been made to eradicate these pro-eating disorder sites although they keep sprouting up.

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders states that these sites can pose a serious threat to some individuals, not simply because they promote eating disorder behaviors, but because they build a sense of community that is unhealthy. They lure the impressionable and persuade them that the pro-eating disorder community is providing caring and nurturing advice.

The Academy for Eating Disorders states that “websites that glorify anorexia as a lifestyle choice play directly to the psychology of its victims, provide support and encouragement to engage in health threatening behaviors, and neglect the serious consequences of starvation.”

It has been said that “comparison is the thief of happiness,” and especially people with eating disorders and body image insecurity—are hungry for “likes” on their Facebook page and jealous of friends who have more “traffic” to their site. And the more time on Facebook, say the researchers, the more time to compare oneself unfavorably to people you know.

This anxiety about not measuring up may then lead to the question, “What can I do to fix myself, lose weight quickly, and change my looks?” Those questions are the gateway to body image dysphoria as well as unhealthy eating behaviors.

Parents need to be alert to the online world of their children and offer them guidance about moderate use. And therapists hope that when at-risk individuals develop an empathic connection to a real live therapist, they will not be drawn down the rabbit hole of a toxic online world. The connection with a therapist can be energizing and enlivening and provide a warm atmosphere to counteract the pull of the damaging online world. We want our clients to absorb our genuine wish for their health, healing, and wholeness.

The Upside of Social Media

Despite toxic communities promoting anorexia and bulimia and body image dissatisfaction, social media also provides pro-recovery communities and support. Body positivity posts, the Health at Every Size movement, intuitive eating groups, online chat rooms, treatment referrals, as well as e-books, podcasts, self-monitoring apps, YouTube videos, Facebook sites, Instagram posts with hashtag communities like #edrecovery, and other online recovery groups have increased people’s access to helpful and healing resources for eating disorders. Celebrities have shared their personal struggles online, which may help break through the isolation felt by so many sufferers.

This is the positive side of social media, and directing our clients to these pro-recovery web sites can enhance eating disorder healing and increase body positivity.

If you would like support on your eating, weight, body image journey, please feel free to reach out to The Mindful Eating Project.

WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO
• Custom tailor an individual approach for your unique needs.
• Help you get control of your eating back.
• Develop and maintain healthy eating patterns.
• Regain body confidence.
• Unlock what may be keeping you from healthy eating.

Schedule an initial assessment with The Mindful Eating Project, and we’ll help you determine if you can benefit from treatment. To start a confidential conversation about your eating, please contact us. Contact is absolutely confidential.

Please feel free to call (718) 336-MEND. The Mindful Eating Project is a division of The SAFE Foundation.

Mary Anne Cohen LCSW, BCD

Mary Anne Cohen, LCSW, BCD has been Director of The New York Center for Eating Disorders since 1982. She is also author of French Toast for Breakfast: Declaring Peace with Emotional Eating and Lasagna for Lunch: Declaring Peace with Emotional Eating. She has hosted her own radio show on eating disorders, appears frequently on national television, and is the professional book reviewer for EDReferral.com, the largest international resource for eating disorders.

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