Constant Facebook use can lead to eating disorders, a latest study shows.
Researchers at Florida State University (FSU) conducted the study on 960 college women. They found that women who sought more 'likes,' untagged themselves from photos and compared themselves to friends’ pictures had higher chances of developing eating disorders.
"Facebook provides a fun way to stay connected with friends, but it also presents women with a new medium through which they are confronted by a thin ideal that impacts their risk for eating disorders," study lead researcher and FSU's psychology professor, Pamela K Keel, said in a press release.
The researchers said that spending just 20 minutes on Facebook pressurises women to maintain their weight, get into shape, which in turn increases their anxiety.
The study results were disturbing as over 95 percent of the participating women used Facebook and said that they visited their account several times a day and spent at least 20 minutes each time.
"Now it's not the case that the only place you're seeing thin and idealised images of women in bathing suits is on magazine covers," Keel said.
"Now your friends are posting carefully curated photos of themselves on their Facebook page that you're being exposed to constantly. It represents a very unique merging of two things that we already knew could increase risk for eating disorders," Keel said.
The researchers said that the findings were important as it may lead to intervention to reduce risk factors for eating disorders. They explained that the condition was a severe form of mental illness and had higher rates of mortality compared to other psychiatric illnesses.
Past studies have shown that frequent usage of social media leads to eating disorders but this is the first research that showed even 20 minutes on Facebook might increase the chances of the condition.
Ironically, Facebook might also be a medium for encouraging the women to stop discussing the so-called "fat talk," researchers said.
The findings were published in the International 'Journal of Eating Disorders.'
