The influence of social media on eating disorders
Almost every teenager today has a smartphone and many use social media. «Girls often follow very slim models or fitness influencers,» says child and adolescent psychiatrist Dagmar Pauli. «They often share tips on how to stay slim through diet and exercise and post photos of themselves looking underweight.» Boys often model themselves on role models who emphasise muscles and a sporty, healthy lifestyle.
If parents notice something that worries them, they should bring it up.
But online beauty ideals are unrealistic in most cases - and therefore unattainable. This is because photos and videos can be easily manipulated with filters. They are also available around the clock. «This can put a lot of pressure on young people,» says psychologist Felicitas Forrer.
Prepare children at an early stage
The topic of media education is therefore very important for parents - and they should start early. «This also applies to the topics of body image and eating disorders,» emphasises Dagmar Pauli. Parents should prepare their children for the use of smartphones and social media from around the age of 8 or 9. «Up to the age of 12 or 13, they should set clear rules - for example, that mobile phones should only be used for a certain amount of time each day,» says the child and adolescent psychiatrist. «They also need to keep an eye on the content that the kids are engaging with and instil a critical view of it. This is only possible if parents take an interest in their children's world, including social media.»
From around the age of 15 to 16, parents no longer have as much influence, but they are still the most important caregivers for young people. «That's when an accompanying interest is important. For example, to see what content a young person is using and to stay in dialogue about it,» says Pauli. For example, parents can ask: «Who do you follow? What do you like about it? Is it good for you?» Or they can look at manipulated images together with the young people and scrutinise them critically.
«Parents can also recommend social media channels that provide good information on nutrition,» says nutritionist Christine Jordi Bärtschi. And the same applies to smartphones and social media: if parents notice something that worries them, they should talk about it.
The most important facts about eating disorders
A warning sign is when a child or adolescent is underweight or has lost a lot of weight. Those affected are very aware of calories, are picky eaters, exercise excessively and often still believe they are too fat. Eating binges with very large amounts of food and deliberate vomiting are also warning signs. How common are eating disorders and which ones are there? Around three to five per cent of people will develop an eating disorder in their lifetime. There are three main forms:
- In anorexia, sufferers deliberately eat little and low-calorie food and lose a lot of weight. Some exercise excessively or vomit.
- Bulimia is typically characterised by binge eating, in which sufferers eat very large quantities at once in an uncontrolled manner. They then try to get rid of the calories by vomiting, taking laxatives or exercising excessively.
- Binge eating disorder also involves binge eating, but without any countermeasures.
Important points of contact are
- Paediatrician or family doctor
- Child and adolescent psychiatrists or child and adolescent psychotherapists in private practice
- Counselling centres for eating disorders
- Outpatient child and adolescent psychiatry centres
- Clinics for eating disorders
