Is social media to blame for eating disorders?

A staggering one in five young people have a mental illness, whilst one in a hundred have anorexia nervosa. This poses questions to the experts, what is causing this?

Social media is accessible to almost every teenager in the United Kingdom and most revolve their lives around their smartphones and tablets. But perhaps we should worry about how the next generation having unlimited access of diet plans and an internet full of unrealistic photos of the ‘perfect body’. With many shops such as Victoria’s Secret using size 4 models to advertise, no wonder young people are made to feel uncomfortable in their own skin.

Devastatingly, young people become obsessed with their weight and appearance, leading to drastic changes within their lifestyle. Extreme dieting can change how the brain and metabolism work, and it can stress the body. Because of this, the body becomes more likely to develop an eating disorder.

As many as one in every hundred young people have anorexia nervosa. The definition of anorexia literally is ‘loss of appetite’ however this is misleading because many people who suffer with anorexia feel hungry but refuse to eat anyway. The disorder can be diagnosed if the person is 15% less than the ideal body weight for them.

However, the exact cause of anorexia is unknown therefore pinning all the blame on the media is unfair and unjust. Research into what causes anorexia suggests that it can be due to a combination of personality traits or certain thinking patterns. It can also have strong links to genetics because people who have family histories of eating disorders are far more likely to get a disorder.

A recent report by WebMD states that social and cultural pressures can play a part in anorexia. Proving that the media have a strong influence on the minds of young. But without a doubt the media alone cannot take the blame for an increase in eating disorders.