It’s common to assign much of the blame of America’s obesity problem on supersized servings of fast food. Likewise, the current in-your-face finger- pointing over eating disorders is directed at social media; namely, Instagram.
In reality, however, the cause of eating disorders is far from that simple.
Question: Is Instagram to blame for the increase in eating disorders?
Answer: Eating disorders were increasing before social media was available to provide reinforcement to the problem. However, Instagram and other social media platforms capitalize on and reinforce societal pressure to conform to a specific body image.
Q: If it’s not Instagram’s fault, then how can we tackle eating disorders?
A: The 1989 book “Decisions Traps,” by J. Edward Russo and Paul J.H. Schoemaker, provides insight into how we should approach the rise in eating disorders. Their decision-trap concepts seem appropriate to tackling the growing problem in America.
The authors define “plunging in” as their first decision trap. By that they mean: Before spending considerable time and effort gathering data from a social media platform to draw conclusions, think first about the potential triggers of eating disorders.
People battling such a disorder often remember a particular comment from someone that triggered their initial dive down into the eating disorder abyss. It may have been something as simple as noticing a family member’s obsession with losing weight. Even a comment about their weight from a coach or other influential adult, sibling, friend or health professional can be a powerful trigger.
Setting out to solve the wrong problem is all too common. This is especially true when a villain has been identified. Unfortunately, solving the Instagram algorithm is not getting to the root of the problem. The issue parallels what happened when all focus on tackling obesity was placed on supersized meals. That prevented consideration of the many other issues that cause weight gain. Decreasing supersized fast food didn’t eliminate obesity, just as citing Instagram as the leading cause of eating disorders won’t prevent negative body-image triggers.
Q: What can help decrease vulnerability to triggers?
A: For youth, understanding how to fit in with peers and finding their way is part of the growing process. Research shows that dieting can become a focus as early as age 10. It’s difficult to pinpoint the age at which a child becomes vulnerable to extreme weight and image concerns, but it is clear that self-esteem and body-image issues are often related, especially in youth. Instagram certainly helps to magnify these common challenges.
Changing laws regulating internet privacy and Instagram algorithms will take considerable time. However, nurturing a young person’s curiosity and helping them find their passion can be the first step to neutralizing social media’s influence in triggering eating disorders.
Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.
