2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
It can be difficult for many to navigate social media without comparing themselves to others. The perfect photos, the retouched bodies and the idyllic content of the various influencers on the web can make some people complex.
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which will take place from February 1 to 7, will address this issue this year. The theme “Don't let social media content influence your weight. Weight obsession can lead to an eating disorder. was not chosen at random. "The content found on social networks can have a direct influence on the way we perceive our body," explains Myriam Lafortune of the organization Anorexia and bulimia Quebec (ANEB). The speakers involved in this event want to raise public awareness of the impact that social networks have on the risk of developing an eating disorder. “We tend to compare ourselves and be dissatisfied with our bodies,” explains Ms. Lafortune. We then put pressure on ourselves to achieve unrealistic objectives, tousing methods that can be dangerous to he alth. »
Retouched content
When browsing the internet, it is important to develop a critical eye and ask the right questions. Has the photo been retouched? Are there filters, modifications? “Some influencers work with photographers,” explains Ms. Lafortune. The light, the angle of the photo, the retouching; everything is thought out so that the photo is perfect. This quest for perfection, however, leads some young people to develop eating disorders. An increase in diagnosed cases has also been noted in recent years.
Only negative?
Not everything is bad on social media and the aim of the awareness campaign is certainly not to demonize this phenomenon. “There is more and more diversity and some groups value differences,” explains Ms. Lafortune. The important thing is to follow groups that make us feel good about ourselves, especially not people who complex us! Since the trend is to compare ourselves to what we see on social networks, Myriam Lafortune suggests following people who look like us and who share our values! She offers to do the exercise at home and unsubscribe from people who make you question yourself!
One of several risk factors
The use of social networks is one of the risk factors that can lead to an eating disorder. Other risk factors exist. dissatisfactionrelated to body image and the use of weight-loss diets are two important risk factors for the development of an eating disorder. It is therefore important to talk about it with your young people and to equip them so that they manage their social networks properly. To know everything about Eating Disorders Week: www.semainetroublesalimentaires.com
