Social Media and Children Teenagers promotes extreme dieting 2025
Health experts are raising new concerns about how social media impacts the mental and physical well-being of adolescents. They caution that platforms like TikTok and Instagram significantly contribute to a surge in eating disorders, especially among girls and young women.
Specialists acknowledge that social media may not directly cause eating disorders, but they emphasize that it serves as a strong trigger and intensifier, encouraging at-risk individuals to engage in harmful behaviors linked to conditions like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
Social Media
These cautions arise amid growing evidence of a global rise in eating disorders alongside the expansion of social media use.”We no longer treat eating disorders without also examining social media habits,” said French dietitian and nutritionist Carole Copti in an interview with AFP. “It has clearly become a trigger, a significant accelerant, and a barrier to recovery.”
Statistics reveal that the percentage of individuals who have dealt with an eating disorder at some point in their lives has nearly doubled globally, rising from 3.5% in 2000 to 7.8% in 2018-a time frame that aligns with the rapid expansion of social media use.
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France’s Student Health Foundation
Although eating disorders are multifaceted and shaped by psychological, genetic, environmental, and social influences, medical experts warn that digital platforms are increasing the dangers by idealizing thinness and spreading harmful, inaccurate diet information.
Dr. Nathalie Godart, a psychiatrist with France’s Student Health Foundation, described social media as often
being “the final straw” for those already at risk. She cautioned that the online spread of strict dieting, extreme workout routines, and unattainable body ideals “further undermines vulnerable individuals and increases the risk to their health.
Dangerous Trends
A troubling trend identified by specialists is the rise of the #skinnytok hashtag on TikTok, which is saturated with videos promoting extreme dieting and unhealthy weight-loss behaviors.
Medical professionals have strongly criticized this type of content, deeming it dangerous and reckless. Charlyne Buigues, a French nurse specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, noted that social media often makes harmful habits appear normal.
Videos featuring young girls with anorexia displaying their emaciated bodies or others with bulimia demonstrating purging techniques are incredibly alarming,” she stated.
National Health Insurance Agency
“Using laxatives or inducing vomiting is portrayed as an acceptable method for weight loss when, in reality, these actions significantly raise the risk of cardiac arrest,” Buigues warned. France’s national health insurance agency reports that eating disorders are the second most common cause of early death among individuals aged 15 to 24. Anorexia, specifically, has the highest death rate among psychiatric illnesses, highlighting the seriousness of the issue.
A Vicious Cycle
Copti explained the existence of a harmful cycle in which social media approval-via likes, comments, and follower counts-encourages destructive behavior. People affected by eating disorders frequently experience low self-esteem. When they receive online praise for being extremely thin, it reinforces their condition and deepens their denial,
she said. In certain instances, this cycle becomes a source of income. Buigues mentioned a case involving a young woman who broadcasted herself vomiting during live TikTok streams.
She said the platform compensated her, and she used the money to buy food,” the nurse reported.
Obstacles to Recovery
Medical experts warn that the overwhelming amount of false information circulating online makes recovery even more challenging. Many patients are more swayed by social media influencers than by trained healthcare professionals.
Copti shared that her sessions with teenage patients often feel like legal arguments. “I’m constantly defending my position, explaining why a 1,000-calorie diet is harmful or why missing meals poses serious risks,” she said.
They’re deeply influenced, and my 45-minute appointment can’t compete with the countless hours they spend each day on TikTok.”
Godart voiced alarm about the rising presence of “pseudo-coaches” on social media who dispense unverified-and at times illegal-nutrition guidance. “These influencers often have more impact than official health organizations,” she said. “It’s an ongoing battle just to convey fundamental nutritional truths.
Calls for Regulation
Although healthcare professionals continue to report harmful content, many believe social media platforms are slow to respond. Buigues, who frequently reports troubling posts on Instagram, noted that “it’s often pointless.
The content remains accessible, and accounts are rarely taken down-it’s incredibly frustrating.” In more severe cases, Buigues has even recommended that some patients completely remove their social media accounts, particularly TikTok.
