Social Networking Sites Responsible for Eating Disorders in Teen Girls

Social networking websites influence teen girls to eat less and become stick thin, a latest research reveals.

"The issue of focusing on a particular body part is very common," Claire Mysko, who oversees teen outreach and digital media for the National Eating Disorders Association, told The Associated Press. "What is new is these things have taken on a life of their own because of the Internet and social media."

A 2011 study done by researchers at the University of Haifa stated that teen girls who spend more time on social media were at higher risk of developing eating disorders, reported the Associated Press.

"Eating disorders are not lifestyle choices, they are mental disorders that if left untreated can cause serious health problems or could even be life-threatening," a nationaleatingdisorder.org statement on  Pinterest reads.

Images posted on social networking websites have a huge impact on teens to look thin. This leaves them shunning food and go for dieting.

"We really need education to increase the sophistication of young people about media images and how the images are manipulated," Scott Crow, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and specialist in eating disorders had earlier said in a blog. "Better utilization of media awareness programs could go a long way."

Womenshealth.gov states that women generally develop eating disorder during their teenage years compared with men. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder are some of the eating disorders that affect women's health.