Does Social Media Cause Eating Disorders?

Is it possible that social media is not the only fuel being poured into the widespread development of Eating Disorders? Today, Society itself blames social media and America's culture for the cause of an eating disorder. Leaving little rooms for facts, Society glamorizes the media for being the only cause of the Disorder, making it seem as if a person suffering from an eating disorder only developed the Disorder in hopes to conform to a “Thin Ideology.” When in actuality the victim of this Disorder more than likely already had underlying causes other than the media. Having an eating disorder is not a personal choice, a victim suffering with an eating disorder has a mental illness. Society has been well informed on the characteristics …show more content…
Cassandra Taverna, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker- Associate working with adolescents and young adults diagnosed with eating disorders at the Chrysalis Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, states that the causation of eating disorders can include body dissatisfaction, negative affect, dieting, thin-ideal internalization and maladaptive coping. Anorexia Nervosa is the state of forcibly not consuming any food for long periods of time. Victims with Anorexia tend to be perfectionists, they need a sense of control in their life and food is the only way they feel they can successfully control an aspect of their life (“Eating Disorders”). Bulimia Nervosa, a disorder in which a the victim consumes large amounts of food, or a normal meal, and afterwards begins to purge. Purging is known as vacating the …show more content…
A Risk Factor is defined as a condition, behavior or other factor that may increase risk. This can include Biological Factors, Psychological Factors, Social Factors and Interpersonal Factors (Taverna). Scientist are still researching into the Biological risk factors that partake in the development of an eating disorder. However Studies have shown that DNA samples taken from siblings with and without eating disorders show that the siblings are at higher risk for developing eating disorders when another siblings had or has an eating disorder. In fact, Anorexia is twelve times more likely to develop in someone whose sibling suffered from an eating disorder and Bulimia is four times more likely to develop under these same circumstances, Genetic factors contribute to fifty-six percent of the development of eating disorders (Engel, Riess, and Domback). There are chemicals in the brain that control hunger, weight, happiness, etc. Brain Scans of victims suffering from eating disorders show these chemicals in their brain are unbalanced (“Factors”). These brain scans showed Anorexics have higher levels of serotonin levels, which can cause acute stress and anxiety. When a victim of Anorexia starves themselves it can reduce their high levels of serotonin and can give them a sense of calmness. Anorexics also have altered levels of Dopamine: A neurotransmitter which regulates