Signature Video

Transcript

00:00

A quick warning: Eating Disorders are the primary topic of this video.

00:04

If the discussion of eating disorders is uncomfortable to you, do not watch this video.

00:10

According to the Eating Disorder Association, one person dies as a direct result of an eating disorder every hour.

00:15

Every hour, every day, week, and month of the year. That’s more than 8 thousand innocent lives, every single year.

00:21

Eating disorders have been an issue for decades, but recently they have been getting more attention, and for good reason.

00:28

From 2000-2018, eating disorder prevalence has doubled from 3.4% to 7.8% of the population globally.

00:35

With the turn of the century, we’ve seen a change in how content is consumed around the world.

00:40

From newspapers and TV to social media, now anyone can use the internet to spread misinformation, including about eating disorders, which we are exposed to constantly due to constantly being connected.

00:48

The average teenager spends about 7 hours a day on their phone. Kids who use social media are more likely to develop eating disorders as a result.

00:56

Exposure to not all content on social media, just that promoting eating disorders, often causes a negative body image, which can lead to an eating disorder.

01:03

Yet this type of content goes unregulated on social media, rarely being taken down due to the fine like between fitness content and that which promotes eating disorders.

01:11

On social media, a common way that people with eating disorders are motivated to continue is through ‘thinspiration’ accounts.

01:17

These accounts are full of extremely underweight bodies and low calorie food advice, actively encouraging anyone who finds this type of post to eat as little as possible.

01:25

Eating disorders are highly competitive, so this type of content is very effective, causing body image issues in many of teenagers who view it.