Emily Kendidinger, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, notes that social media can influence the development of anorexia and bulimia and shape unhealthy beauty standards in adolescents.
Her observations align with a breadth of research suggesting that beauty ideals portrayed in films, TV shows, and magazines contribute to mental health struggles, including dissatisfaction with appearance and disordered eating. Social media mirrors these effects and can intensify them among young users.
Kendidinger describes social platforms as fertile ground for eating disorders to take root. The ongoing use of these networks often correlates with lower self-esteem, constant social comparison, and diminished emotional regulation. Many users feel pressure to present an idealized self, a pressure that can negatively affect body image and mental well-being.
She also highlights a clear link between the amount of time spent on social networks and the emergence of new concerns or complexes. Citing United States data, she points to greater at-home time during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to increased social media engagement among youth and a heightened emphasis on an unattainable body ideal, further impacting their psyche.
Importantly, the expert notes that social networks are not the direct cause of eating disorders. Rather, they can contribute indirectly by circulating harmful nutritional guidance and distorted beauty standards that young people may internalize.
The discussion also touches on early life factors, including the association between higher birth weight and childhood obesity, which may intersect with later health trajectories and weight-related concerns.