Overview

• Social media’s promotion of ultra-controlled diets and relentless thinness is identified as a major trigger and barrier to recovery by nutritionists and psychiatrists.
• Almost one million people in France, chiefly women aged 17 to 25, suffer from anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, which ranks as the second leading cause of premature death among 15-24-year-olds.
• Healthcare providers report that trendy hashtags like #skinnytok and false diet tips are indoctrinating patients, making standard weekly consultations insufficient to counter harmful content.
• Nurse Charlyne Buigues notes that some users monetise self-harm behaviors online, with livestreams of purging used to fund participants’ food purchases and further entrench disorders.
• The Fédération Française Anorexie Boulimie will host an awareness week from June 2 to 8 to mobilise efforts against misleading and damaging social media content.