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- Psychiatrists have warned that the amount of content posted on Instagram that encourages eating disorders is "out of control".
- Although the social network does not officially authorize publications promoting disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, people are bypbading it by creating new hashtags.
- Some people team up with an "ana buddy" to help them reach a dangerously low weight.
- An approved nutritionist specializing in eating disorders told INSIDER that she had noticed an increase in the number of customers whose difficulties had been exacerbated by Instagram.
- A spokesperson for the platform told INSIDER that Instagram expects to "make some changes to the application of our policy," and she pointed out that Instagram was also used to encourage recovery from a eating disorder.
Psychiatrists have warned that the amount of content posted on Instagram that encourages eating disorders is "out of control".
Although Instagram does not officially authorize these posts and deletes them when they are posted, many images, videos, hashtags and comments promoting eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia on the social network.
According to a BBC survey, messages range from emaciated body photos to instructions on how to conceal and hide your eating disorder from parents.
People often team up and make "ana buddies" to help them reach their goal (usually dangerously low).
In response to the survey, Tara Hopkins, Public Policy Officer for Instagram, told INSIDER: "We do not allow and have never allowed content that encourages or promotes disorders of the world. and will delete it as soon as we are informed. "
However, psychiatrists have warned that vulnerable people find these communities online with harmful consequences.
"This is deeply disturbing and, to some extent, the situation is getting out of control," said Dr. Goldin, vice president of the Royal College of Children's and Teens' faculty at the BBC. Psychiatrists.
"He glorifies eating disorders."
He continued: "Young people with eating disorders are quite vulnerable, they are often socially isolated, they do not have friends and they are looking for a peer group."
Read More: One-third of adults do not recognize the common symptoms of eating disorders – and this could prevent people from getting help
Research suggests that eating disorders are on the rise, NHS Digital figures obtained by the BBC revealing an increase of more than 130% in the number of English under 20 admitted to the 39, hospital for eating disorders since 2011.
And experts are worried about the role that sites like Instagram play.
"It's no wonder that today's young people are turning to social media," said INSIDER Rhiannon Lambert, BSc MSc RNutr, Nutritionist and Spokesperson for The Association for Nutrition .
"We now have research that suggests that 21% of young people, adolescents, would now go to social media and influencers to get their health advice rather than consulting a health professional," said Lambert, a specialist in mental health disorders. l & # 39; diet.
"It's really worrying for me as a nutritionist and health professional with an online platform, because I see that it's very confusing to know who to trust. And of course, people who eat in a messy way can have bad relationships with Instagram's food. does not reflect the real world ".
Read more: Preventing eating disorders could become an obligatory grade in high school. Here is why I would have liked to take this course in adolescence.
Lambert thinks it's essential to teach young people how to manage their social media.
"I think what we need for mental health is to start teaching people how to control the content they consume, as well as to regulate the people who broadcast the content," he said. she said.
"I've definitely seen an increase in my clinic [of people struggling with disordered eating] over the years and almost always, this refers to social media and in particular to the use of Instagram.
The social network, which belongs to Facebook, has formally adopted a regulation banning hashtags related to eating disorders in 2012, and said last year that it "was repressing the community of the # 1. 39; anorexia ".
However, this apparently would have caused people to create different hash tags.
In addition, the algorithm means that Internet users are suggested to publications similar to those that they have already liked, which means that they can fall into a pit of harmful content.
More: Instagram influencers recruit life coaches to help them cope with platform pressures
Instagram is putting more and more pressure on the public to make it more responsive to messages related to eating disorders and its contents.
"Due to the ongoing expert review in our approach to all content related to self harm, including eating disorders, we plan to bring some changes to the application of our policies, including ranking more content in the promotion category, in order to remove more, "Hopkins said. INSIDER.
She also pointed out that many people also use the platform to emphasize their recovery from eating disorders and help others to do the same.
Nurse Victoria Spence, 24, based in Manchester, regularly publishes articles on her recovery from anorexia.
"Repeat after me: I have not been put on this earth to shrink!", She wrote in a recent article.
"I was the girl who was obsessed with the perfect one who thought that sharing my problems meant that I was weak, who fell into the idea that a smaller body equals more It could all be what society is trying to transform, but it's really self-destructive.
"With the abandonment of perfection, a richer and happier life has appeared, the more my openness and vulnerability have become my true goal and my true pbadion." "Unconditional self-love, no matter what someone offers me, he will always continue to grow."
If you or someone around you is struggling with a eating disorder, you can call NEDA's hotline (1-800-931-2237) on weekdays to get help. Help, resources and information on treatment options. In crisis situations, NEDA offers 24/7 support – just send "NEDA" to 741-741.
For more information about Eating Recovery Center, call 877-789-5758, send an email to [email protected] or visit eatingrecoverycenter.com to speak to a master level clinician.
And if you or someone around you has had the idea of hurting yourself or committing suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255.
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