Eating disorders
The internet itself is not without its pitfalls, and one particularly damaging one which has sprung up recently is the rash of ‘‘triggering websites’’ which actively encourage eating disorders as a lifestyle choice, providing tips and advice on how best to continue in and conceal these behaviour patterns.
Abstract
Eating disorders are becoming an increasing cause for concern in today’s society. Irrespective of race, class, age or gender, there are thousands of people suffering due to issues such as low self-esteem, body image, guilt and an obsession with food intake. As stated on the Eating Disorders UK website, the number of people suffering from an eating disorder at any one time in the UK is approximately 1.5 million. As with so many issues and problems in the 21st century, many sufferers, their friends and family will turn to the internet for easily accessible (and anonymous) help, guidance and advice. There are several sites which can offer this, from personal sites set up by survivors, support pages with practical advice and information, and national campaign and health sites which look into the medical, media and political side of things. I have included a crosssection of these in this review. The internet itself is not without its pitfalls, and one particularly damaging one which has sprung up recently is the rash of ‘‘triggering websites’’ which actively encourage eating disorders as a lifestyle choice, providing tips and advice on how best to continue in and conceal these behaviour patterns. This phenomenon is bad enough for the owner of the excellent Something Fishy website to post a very clear warning on the subject: