Social Media causes

teens to diet
 2

Many teenagers have

struggled with their
self-esteem,
confidence,
comparison, and not
being able to love
themselves.
 3

Social Media is a known cause

of comparison among many
females, teenagers, and adults
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There are many different reasons why teens

develop eating disorders and start dieting
According to the article “Eating Disorders: Why
do they happen?” They stated some of the
reasons teens turned to dieting are: Genetics,
biochemistry, psychology, culture, environment,
and social media
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6-9 hours
From the article “Social Media and
Adolescent Body Image” stated that
an average teen speeds 6-9 hours a
day on social media
 6

Social media is filled with negative posts, body

shaming, and models showing off their physique.
Spending that much time on your device can’t be good
for your self-worth.
 7

Ideal Body Image

Social Media has created an idealistic body
image, that is almost impossible to
maintain.
✖ Hourglass Figure
✖ Flat stomach
✖ Thin thighs
✖ No muscle
 8

“These social media posts can intimidate

and ruin people’s self-esteem to make them
look like what they see on the internet”
-Social Media and Adolescent Body Image
 9

Not only does social media play a part on your physical health, it can
also cause mental health issues.
 10

Marketing
You may notice when you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed that
majority of brands only hire models that are a size 0 to show off their
products. There’s a small amount of businesses that promote all body
types, but not enough for teens to feel that they are beautiful no matter
what size they are.
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Marketing
From the article “Dieting: Information for teens” they shared a

wonderful quote about how social media promotes dieting.

“Images and words in the media tell you that being thin means

you’re beautiful, happy and in control of your life. But in real life,

people who are happy and successful come in all shapes and

sizes.”
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Social Media promotes

-Diet pills
-trainers
-workout programs
-restrictive diets
 13

Social Media Has Led To An Increase In Eating Disorders

According to the article “The Association

Between Body Image, Body Mass Index, and

Social Media Addiction Among Female Students

at a Saudi Arabia Public University”, the author

shared how social media is affecting all body

types and creating a bigger issue. “In recent

years, the number of eating disorders in young

women has increased as a consequence of body

image dissatisfaction.”
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Saudi Arabia University Study

A University located in Saudi Arabia performed a study to evaluate how their

female students feel about their body-image, confidence, and how social

media has played a role in their self-esteem. They sent out a survey and

their results were shocking. The results stated that 73% of the female

students had body image issues due to social media.

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The Dangers of Eating Disorders & Common Eating Disorders

The most common
Eating Disorders are eating disorders caused
extremely dangerous to by social media are
the body. They deny the - Anorexia Nervosa
nutrients, energy, - Bulimia Nervosa
vitamins, minerals, and - Binge Eating
basic necessities that Disorder
humans need to survive - Pica
and thrive. - Rumination Disorder
 Rise in Eating Disorders
In the article “Research Review: What We Have Learned About

The Causes of Eating Disorders of Eating disorders”, stated

that eating disorders have been on the rise during the 20th

century. Since this is when social media started to gain

popularity.
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Signs & Symptoms of Eating Disorders

Sometimes eating Common Signs &
disorders seem hidden, Symptoms of having an
you may not notice a eating disorder
loved one is struggling -Weight Concern
with their relationship
-Increase in exercise
with food.
-Started meal prepping
-Control over food
Be on the lookout for
signs and symptoms. -Mood swings
-Odd behaviors before
and after meals
18
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Social Media can be a wonderful tool, if

used in the right way. It can create
relationships, keep you in touch with old
friends, educate you, and spread
information. But the negative effects out
way the good. Many people have been
negatively impacted by social media, and
struggle with their self-esteem. The posts,
ads, and stories we see everyday has led
many people to develop eating disorders,
live an unhealthy lifestyle, and restrictive
themselves from their favorite foods.
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Sources
Culbert, Kristen M., et al. “Research Review: What We Have Learned about the Causes of Eating Disorders - a Synthesis of Sociocultural,

Psychological, and Biological Research.” Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, vol. 56, no. 11, Nov. 2015, pp. 1141–1164. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1111/jcpp.12441.

Dieting: Information for teens. (2004, September). Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2720872/

Eating disorders: Why do they happen? (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2021, from

http://www.ulifeline.org/articles/400-eating-disorders-why-do-they-happen

Michael Rich, M. (2017, August 28). Social media and adolescent body image: What to know. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from

https://notes.childrenshospital.org/social-media-adolescent-body-image/

Saud, Deemah F.Al, et al. “The Association Between Body Image, Body Mass Index and Social Media Addiction Among Female Students at a Saudi

Arabia Public University.” Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences, vol. 15, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 16–22. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=134413943&site=ehost-live&scope=site.