The Influence of Eating Disorder Web sites

The incidence of eating disorders is increasing among youth. Websites—specifically social media—cater to young people’s curiosity, peer networks, and their use of the Internet for information gathering. A proliferation of pro-eating disorder websites promote unhealthy eating habits and fad diets, and encourage maladaptive behaviors and thoughts that perpetuate self-consciousness and a drive that leads toward starvation. Such websites concern many experts in the mental health and primary care communities. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre and the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders present current information on the influence of these types of websites on young people.

http://www.nedic.ca/know-facts/pro-eating-disorder-websites

http://www.anad.org/get-information/eating-disorders-and-the-internet/

After reading the information on the NEDIC and ANAD sites consider the questions below. Then submit your responses.

Question 1

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Which of the following is NOT a reason someone may create a pro-eating disorder Web site?

Question 2

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Pro-eating disorder Web sites present eating disorders as:

Question 3

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A recent study in 2010 by researchers at John Hopkins found what percentage of Internet sites geared toward eating disordered populations to have pro-eating-disorder language?

Question 4

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How can parents get involved and reduce the effects of these pro-eating disorder sites?
Answers will vary. One possibility: Parents should open up a dialogue with their teens and present appropriate resources and information that would provide an accurate idea of the risks of eating disorders.

Question 5

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 A study mentioned on the ANAD site (published in European Eating Disorders Review) reported that when healthy college females, with no previous history of eating-disordered behaviors, were exposed to 1.5 hours of pro-eating disorder Web sites they subsequently exhibited reduced caloric intake over the following week. Why do you think this happened?
Answers will vary. One possibility: Exposure to these Web sites brought attention to the students’ flaws and made them feel self-conscious. So they engaged in eating-disordered behavior to reduce anxiety about their body image.

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