Female Facebook Users Prone to Eating Disorders

Introduction

Eating disorders include a broad spectrum of abnormal mental and behavioral conducts related to food and body weight, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This study, conducted by Prof. Yael Latzer, Prof. Ruth Katz, and Zohar Spivak of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences at the University of Haifa, set out to examine the effects of two factors on the development of eating disorders in young girls: exposure to the media and self-empowerment.

Main Item

A group of 248 girls aged 12-19 (average age: 14.8) took part in the survey. These girls were asked to provide information on their Internet and television viewing habits. Regarding the latter, they were asked to give the number of popular shows related to extreme standards of physical image (the "Barbie" model) that they watched.

The girls also filled out questionnaires that examined their approach to slimming, bulimia, physical satisfaction or dissatisfaction, their general outlook on eating, and their sense of personal empowerment.

The results showed that the more time girls spend on Facebook, the more they suffer conditions of bulimia, anorexia, physical dissatisfaction, negative physical self-image, negative approach to eating, and more of an urge to be on a weight-loss diet.

Extensive online exposure to fashion and music content showed similar tendencies but manifested in fewer types of eating disorders. As such, the more the exposure to fashion content on the Internet, the higher a girl's chances of developing anorexia.

A similar direct link was found between viewing gossip- and leisure-related television programs (the likes of "Gossip Girl") and eating disorders in adolescent girls. The study also revealed that these girls' level of personal empowerment is negatively linked to eating disorders. The higher the level of empowerment, the more positive the physical self-image and the lower the chances of developing an eating disorder.

In this study, exposure to the media and a powerful sense of personal empowerment was associated with parenting practices. Girls whose parents were involved in their media usage; who knew what they were viewing and reading and where they were surfing on the web; who watched, surfed, or read along with them; and who conducted cooperative and critical discussions with their daughters about the content of their surfing habits, showed more personal empowerment, forming a protective shield against eating disorders.

On the other hand, parents who were not involved in their media exposure were unaware of the content that their daughters were consuming. Instead of sharing and becoming familiar with that content, they limited or prohibited exposure, which led to lower self-empowerment in their daughters. This, in turn, has a positive link to various eating problems and negative body image.

"Significant potential for future research and application of eating disorder prevention lies in an understanding of how parenting decisions can have an effect on an adolescent girl's sense of empowerment and that enforcing a girl's sense of empowerment is a means to strengthening body image. This study has shown that a parent can potentially prevent dangerous behavioral disorders and negative eating behavior in particular," the researchers stated.

Attribution/Source(s):

This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its significant relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by University of Haifa, and published on 2011/02/07 (Edit Update: 2022/06/15), the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, University of Haifa can be contacted at haifa.ac.il/?lang=en. NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.

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Cite This Page (APA): University of Haifa. (2011, February 7 - Last revised: 2022, June 15). Female Facebook Users Prone to Eating Disorders. Disabled World. Retrieved December 5, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/health/eating-disorders/facebook.php

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