When one thinks of eating disorders, the relationship with food is the first thing that comes to mind. People often fail to consider how deeply engraved food is in culture and socialization, which leads to the most dangerous part of eating disorders, the isolation. This is, in part, due to the competitive nature of most eating disorders, the insatiable desire to have the most disordered behaviors. However, the competitive nature of eating disorders is not the only factor of isolation. The stigma attached to disordered eating is harmful, especially considering the lack of public knowledge on the subject. Social media is a useful tool to give stigmatized groups refuge from public perception, and eating disorders are no exception.
There are treatment centers available for those in eating disorder recovery. However, the harsh reality of these disorders is that not everyone wants to heal. So where do people go when they don’t want help? The answer is simple, those struggling with eating disorders make their own communities. These communities are most prevalent online, and they are not limited to one specific social media platform. Even seemingly innocent platforms like Pinterest have some form of eating disorder communities. The platform used often dictates the behavior associated with these communities. For instance, on Tumblr, the majority of the content in these eating disorder communities are “pro-ana,” meaning the promotion of anorexic behavior. These promoters believe that their self-destructive behaviors are a lifestyle choice, and they often glamorize it. On the other hand, the eating disorder community on X, formerly known as Twitter, is far more focused on the individual’s experience, and is often used as a space to vent.
Despite the intent of the content creators, these online spaces at best enable eating disorders and at worst actively encourage them. The spaces serve as echo chambers for those struggling, because they’re surrounded with similarly impacted people and it normalizes their disordered behaviors. The communities serve as a tool to exchange tips on how to worsen behaviors, despite the incorporation of aspects of recovery. For instance, in eating disorder spaces, particularly on X, one can find an extremely triggering diet right below a post about harm reduction. Of course, these eating disorder communities are not entirely inclusive. Although you can find a variety of different eating disorders, the majority are restrictive eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. Ultimately, these spaces are communities with different factors that develop their social norms. A good example is the existence of pro-anorexia spaces. Although pro-anorexia spaces are common, they’re generally frowned upon in the communities.
One of the more easily accessible platforms for eating disorder communities is X. Due to X’s relatively low moderation and lack of censorship, there are several eating disorder communities on the platform. In X’s “community” feature, where one can create separate groups to post about particular topics, there are eating disorder communities with upwards of 40K members.
A large factor of the allure of these communities is the short-term gratification. Through interactions and relationships formed in these communities, short-term social needs are met. People build real relationships, and they form group chats and friendships. These relationships aren’t entirely toxic, and they often provide support in areas where one might be lacking it. However, this need for connection and support often leads to a dependency on the community. Without it, it may feel like those social needs won’t be met. It’s part of the reason why even those in recovery will remain in eating disorder communities. There is a guaranteed sense of safety, along with the aspect of harm reduction, a way of participating in less harmful behaviors. Many in the community will attempt to support and encourage less harmful behaviors. This is especially important when recognizing that many of those struggling with eating disorder-related health consequences are hesitant to see a professional.
The harm caused by these communities is undeniable. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. These spaces have a high chance of decreasing self-esteem and body-image. Of course, the audience of these communities also needs to be taken into consideration. 2.7% of 13-17 year olds in America have an eating disorder. Furthermore, patients with anorexia have a risk of suicide 18 times higher than those without an eating disorder. So it’s no surprise that many who participate in eating disorder communities are adolescents. Validation from other struggling individuals, combined with the dopamine released by eating disorder behaviors often feeds into these negative feedback loops. Additionally, the internet is a vast space, so these communities may be found by those who weren’t actively searching for them.
It’s important to get the perspective of those who have lived through such experiences. Therefore, I interviewed several members of eating disorder social media communities to see their perspective on the communities that they actively engage in.
All of the participants interviewed were minors, so their usernames will not be disclosed. All of the participants had been active in eating disorder communities for several years. All of them accepted that their connection to these communities exacerbated their symptoms. When asked to elaborate, one participant admitted that “[The community] romanticized [my eating disorder] for me so I didn’t see anything wrong with what I was doing.”
Another participant was asked if there were any particular aspects they believe caused this increase of symptoms. “I think that having such a big community of a lot of mentally ill teenagers and young adults is a set up for lots of toxicity…when young impressionable people are exposed to the community for the first time, it can motivate them to get worse,” the participant said. Despite the repeated acknowledgement of the harm these communities cause, many participants defended the existence of these communities. A 15-year-old interviewee gave further insight on what made these communities so understanding to him. He wrote, “Not every part of these communities encourages eds (eating disorders). They can be helpful in some ways like giving people a space where they can talk about the reality of having an ed without having to fit into a narrative of recovery.”
This raises important subjects of discussion. The stigma attached to having an eating disorder shapes the way people can speak about them. People are often expected to be either fully committed to recovery where it’s frowned upon being open about any struggles, or extremely ill. These restricting narratives create boxes in which the reality of mental illness does not fit. The prevailing stigma and demonization of eating disorders further pushes those struggling towards these communities, essentially becoming reliant on them.
It is important that when speaking about these communities and the harm they cause that one considers the societally made necessity of them. Ultimately, these communities were born out of a pressing urge to find support in dealing with eating disorders. Humans crave connection, approval from peers, and wish to be understood . People who are struggling should not be demonized for how they choose to cope with their mental illness. When a behavior is harmful it is important to talk about resolutions in a compassionate manner. When we fail to have empathy for people in these positions, we guarantee that the undesired behavior will increase. Rather, it’s crucial to slowly eradicate the need for these communities.
By destigmatizing eating disorders and the behavior that follows, the need for these communities can be eliminated. It will be easier to provide a safe space that supplies understanding without enabling and motivating. A community that helps meet social needs without forcing unrealistic expectations upon those who are struggling. More research needs to be conducted on how these communities impact people, but it’s important to recognize that by spreading awareness and opening neutral conversations about these issues can help plenty.
By destigmatizing eating disorders and the behavior that follows, the need for these communities can be eliminated. It will be easier to provide a safe space that supplies understanding without enabling and motivating