How SkinnyTok TikTok trend and others glorifying thinness can spark eating disorders
Young women and girls are far more likely to suffer from illnesses like anorexia and bulimia as social media pushes thinness, experts say
Social media can push vulnerable young people towards developing eating disorders by glorifying thinness and promoting fake, dangerous advice about diet and nutrition, experts warn.
Young women and girls are much more likely to suffer from illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder, though rates among men have been increasing.
Research has shown the percentage of people worldwide who have had some kind of eating disorder during their lives rose from 3.5 per cent in 2000 to 7.8 per cent in 2018, a timeframe that captures the rise of social media.
For the professionals trying to help teenagers recover from these disorders, misinformation from influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is a huge problem.
“We no longer treat an eating disorder without also addressing social media use,” French dietitian and nutritionist Carole Copti says.
“It has become a trigger, definitely an accelerator and an obstacle to recovery.”