Eating disorders impact approximately 30 million Americans, and that doesn’t take into account the ones who struggle but don’t meet the clinical criteria for the disorder.
The latest AI technology and social media fads seem to be feeding the problem. But how do ChatGPT and TikTok impact those already struggling with body issues?
“I was eating maybe like 200 calories a day. I did not feel deserving of food, but I also did not feel deserving of life,” said 22-year-old Harper Hanssen.
Hanssen’s relationship with food has been complicated, stemming from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“I was so anxious, I wasn’t eating; therefore, I was exhausted all the time,” she said.
Social media fueled her pursuit of the perfect body. It’s stories like Hanssen’s that prompted the U.S. Surgeon General to declare social media a public health concern for young people.
“It is leading to increased body image concerns,” said Emily Hemendinger, a Clinical Social Worker at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus.
Hemendinger warned of the unhealthy connections being made on TikTok.
“People are bonding around that identity of having an eating disorder. There are also some really unhelpful dieting tips or exercising tips on there that aren’t really tips,” Hemendinger said.
In one recent study, 80% of TikTok users said the app hindered their eating disorder recovery.
A Wall Street Journal investigation created a dozen automated accounts registered to 13-year-olds. Within two months, over 32,000 weight loss videos, including tips on how to consume less than 300 calories a day, were served to the accounts, many specifically targeting teenage girls.
And AI is under fire as well. The National Eating Disorders Association recently removed its chatbot from its help hotline after the bot told someone that her eating disorder recovery and weight loss goals could co-exist and then recommended counting calories and regular weigh-ins.
“It was a disaster,” Hemendinger said.
Harper now uses art to help her heal.
“It is showing the process of the pain I have been through, but the beauty growing from the pain,” she said.
In a bid to promote better mental health, China is the first country to limit teenagers’ smartphone use to a maximum of two hours a day, and users under the age of 16 are limited to just one hour a day.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, you can contact the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 800-931-2237.