Impact of Social Media on Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Emerging Therapies: A Review

Abstract

The saying goes ‘You are what you eat’. This is in reference to a healthy and balanced diet which gives a boost to one’s mental and physical health. But in recent times, Eating Disorders (ED) are seen to increase among adolescents. These result from several factors, including prevalence of unhealthy dieting behaviours and unrealistic beauty images. Advertising has popularised a thin body ideal. Social media is influencing the young minds in their food choices. Constant use of pictures, advertisements, videos by celebrities and other social media influencers have caused an increase in body dissatisfaction especially among adolescents. The ideal body portrayed by media for women is a very thin body, perfect in shape, and for men it is a muscular and tall body image. The adolescent brain has increased levels of ‘neuroplasticity’ and hence is malleable that is it is highly responsive to being shaped and re-wired by the environment- which also includes diet and body images. Hence, the need of the hour is to set in place healthy dietary habits and exercise routine along with will power for lifelong healthy living.