Researchers: Social media fuels eating disorders

Social media platforms are increasingly contributing to the development and persistence of eating disorders among young people, according to Ata Ghaderi, a professor of clinical psychology at the Karolinska Institute. Ghaderi, who specializes in treating eating disorders, observes how healthcare providers struggle with the consequences of social media, including constant comparison with others, unrealistic expectations, and negative body image.

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Patients can partly remain in their eating disorder by making the eating disorder and also the treatment process content on their social media, which creates a lot of attention.

Ghaderi notes that patients sometimes prolong their eating disorders by making the illness and treatment process content for their social media, thereby attracting significant attention. Many Swedish clinics are reporting an increase in younger individuals seeking help for eating disorders. It remains unclear whether this reflects a genuine rise in cases or greater willingness among parents and children to seek assistance.

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Under all circumstances, the trends we are seeing are worrying and indicate a need for greater resources to be devoted to prevention and treatment.

Regardless, Ghaderi describes the observed trends as worrying and indicative of a need for increased resources dedicated to prevention and treatment. He places significant responsibility on influencers and fashion companies to avoid triggering eating disorders. Ghaderi argues that with current knowledge, these entities should be mindful of their messaging, imagery, and the advice they give, especially to young audiences.

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With the knowledge that exists today, one should be able to take responsibility and think through how one formulates oneself, which images and videos one posts, and what one encourages other people, especially young people, to think and do.

Social media platforms themselves bear an equally significant responsibility, Ghaderi believes. He suggests implementing age restrictions and incentives for more constructive content. The economic incentives driving these platforms could be a controlling factor. In Sweden, a government inquiry has proposed a 15-year age limit for social media use to protect young people, with the Minister for Education and Integration describing it as a fight against algorithms. The consequences, she notes, include increased mental health issues, body anxiety, sleep deprivation, and poorer academic results.

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The consequences we see are increased mental health problems, body anxiety, sleep deprivation, and deteriorating school results.