Running head: EATING DISORDERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA 1

Eating Disorders and Social Media

Amanda C. Birowski

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR340 Nursing Research

October 6, 2019
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Abstract

Social media sites and applications are a part of everyone’s everyday life. They are a

quick and convenient way to share content with everyone all over the world. However, they can

lead to unhealthy habits. Young, adolescent girls constantly seeing images that suggest they

need to be a certain dress size to fit in can be detrimental to both their physical and mental

health. Research suggests social media plays a significant role in influencing eating disorders.

As nurses, we are bound to have a patient suffering from one of these disorders. It is important

to know how we can help and if there are any preventative methods to take.
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Eating Disorders and Social Media

Introduction

Eating disorders are a group of mental illness revolved around negative, persistent eating

behaviors. Individuals effected focus on their weight, body shape, and intake of food.

Adolescent girls are the major demographic that is affected. The three most common eating

disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is

characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted

perceptions of body image. Those with anorexia often use extreme measures to control their

weight. Examples include restricting calorie intake, excessively exercising, and using diet aides.

Individuals with bulimia nervosa are often of normal weight or even a little overweight. They

repeat a binge-purge cycle; a large amount of food is eaten over a short period of time and then

the individual needs to vomit or use laxatives due to fear of gaining weight or guilt related to the

over consumption. Binge-eating disorder is characterized by overeating. However, those

effected do not attempt to compensate for this behavior. Individuals may be normal weight,

slightly overweight, or even obese. They feel an intense amount of guilt and shame after each

binging episode. Each individual suffering from an eating disorder has their own individual

experience – some may exhibit behaviors from more than one (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

Social media is used to share information and content quickly. It can be websites or

applications. Popular examples are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Today, social

media is a large part of most people’s everyday lives (Hudson, 2019).

Statement of the Problem

Social media might not be the sole cause of someone’s eating disorder, but it definitely

fuels an individual’s negative thoughts and patterns. Research has shown that “media is a casual
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risk factor for the development of eating disorders” and has “a strong influence on a person’s

body dissatisfaction, eating patterns, and poor self-concept” (Gleissner, 2017). In the United

States, it is estimated that up to 30 million people suffer from an eating disorder. This number

could be even higher – it’s hard to put an exact statistic with this issue because many sufferers do

not come forward (Farrar, 2014). Since these disorders are so prevalent, as nurses we are bound

to have patients who are affected. My final research topic is – how social media effects eating

disorders and what nurses can do to help.

Literature Review

There have been several studies researching this exact topic. One article I found

describes several detrimental effects social media can have on an adolescents physical and

psychological well-being. It states that social media use has been linked to body image

dissatisfaction – going on and describing the ways teens use and obsess over sites like

Facebook and Instagram. This poor body image can contribute to eating disorders developing

because the adolescent is desperately trying to recreate what’s seen on the internet. The ar ticle

uses several different studies of adolescent boys and girls to emphasize this point (Zeeni,

2018). I stumbled upon a study that examined postings on Twitter. When an individual posts on

Twitter, it is referred to as a tweet. In those tweets keywords can be added in order for users to

find similar postings – these are called hashtags. This study focused on tweets with hashtags

related to eating disorder symptoms as outline by the DSM-V. The researchers created a total of

23 different search terms to be used. From there researchers were able to collect and analyze

over 30,000 tweets fitting this criterion. The purpose of this study was to provide a deeper

understanding of eating disorders and social media influence in order to maybe target and create

prevention methods (Cavazos-Rehg PA et al, 2019). In another article, two variables were
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examined – eating concerns and the amount of time and frequency spent on social media

networks. Participants were asked to respond to a survey with questions regarding these

variables. Of the 1,765 volunteers it was discovered that there was a strong and consistent

association between eating concerns and time spent on social media (Sidani et al, 2016).

Research has suggested that cognitive behavioral therapy is the best practice to treat bulimia

nervosa and binge eating disorders in adolescents, while family-based treatment works best for

those with anorexia nervosa. However, studies show these therapies are best received in the

outpatient setting. Patients treated for an eating disorder are more likely to relapse if their

treatment was in the inpatient setting. In this study of 196 participants, individuals received the

individualized care and treatment they needed for their eating disorders on an outpatient basis.

The program was referred to as a day program, taking place Monday through Thursday. Results

of the study showed that after 13.6 weeks of treatment, patients showed substantial improvement

in their disorders (Schaffner, 2010).

Analysis

The available research suggests that social media does in fact influence a negative

thought pattern. These thoughts then can lead to an individual taking action. Once this happens

it results in the individual developing an eating disorder. Adolescent girls see images and posts

that suggest they have to be a certain dress size on a daily basis. Over time, that can take a toll

on both their physical and mental health. Many qualitative and quantitative studies regarding

this topic are out there. However, there is no real studies as to how nurses can help.

Recommendations

I feel strongly that there has to be a way for nurses to help prevent this behavior. I

believe that education is the key. Individuals might not realize the early warning signs of an
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eating disorder. They also might not really understand that their everyday browsing on social

media applications could be fueling their negative thoughts and behaviors. I know these mental

health issues are seldom talked about due to stigma. It’s important for everyone, especially

young girls, to feel comfortable in talking about their feelings regarding this matter. I also feel

that education on what to do if an individual is exhibiting signs of an eating disorder would be

important – make resources readily and easily available. I feel that a qualitative survey would be

beneficial to further research this potential solution. See people’s thoughts on if there’s been

enough teaching, or how the public could be more educated.

Conclusion

Social media does have influence over individuals developing eating disorders. It aides

body dissatisfaction and negative behaviors. Research has shown this. More education could be

one way to help prevent this cycle from starting for an individual. I feel that it is important for

nursing research to explore this.

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References

Cavazos-Rehg, Krassus, Costello, Kaiser, Cahn, Fittsimmons-Craft, & Wifley. (2019). "I just

want to be skinny.": A content analysis of tweets expressing eating disorder

symptoms. Plos One, 14. Retrieved from

http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=19&sid=f300aa98-a095-4bae-9e30-

5f28e3471bb5@pdc-v-

sessmgr04&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==#AN=30650072&db=cmedm

Farrar, T. (2014, May). Eating Disorders Statistics and Information. Retrieved from

https://www.mirror-mirror.org/eating-disorders-statistics.htm.

Gleissner, G. (2017, May). Social Media and its Effect on Eating Disorders. Retrieved from

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/social-media-and-its-effect-on-eating-

disorders_b_591343bce4b0e3bb894d5caa.

Hudson, M. (2019, May). What Is Social Media and Why Is It Important? Retrieved from

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-social-media-2890301.

Mayo Clinic. (2018, February). Eating Disorders. Retrieved from

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-

20353603.

Schaffner, A. D. (2010). Evidence-Based Practices in Outpatient Treatment for Eating

Disorders. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 6(1).

Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2010-18459-004.html

Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., & Primack, B. A. (2016). The Association Between Social Media Use

and Eating Concerns Among U.S. Young Adults. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition

and Dietetics. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles

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Zeeni, N., Doumit, R., Abi Kharma, J., & Sanchez, R. M. (2018). Media, Technology Use,

and Attitudes: Associations with Physical and Mental Well-Being in Youth with

Implications for Evidence-Based Practice. Worldviews on Evidence-Based

Nursing, 15(4), 304–312. https://doi-org.libproxy.dtcc.edu/10.1111/wvn.12298