Eating behavior disorders: the influence of social networks, the difficulty in finding the right professional, the solitude of those who suffer from it. What can be done?

THE’81% of those who suffer from a Eating behavior disorder believes that social media they had a crucial role in shaping your relationship with food and body. A fact that photographs The pervasive impact of the digital platforms on mental health and that emerges frominvestigation conducted by Lilac-Centro DCA on the occasion of the National Fiocchetto Day Lillascheduled for March 15. But the problem does not end here: between prejudices, minimization of symptoms and difficulties in finding specialistsaccess to care for those suffering from DCA still remains an obstacle course. Let’s find out more.

Social and eating disorders: a dangerous link

With over 42 million Italians active on social networks and an average time of two hours a day spent on the platforms, The link between digital world and eating disorders is increasingly evident. The investigation conducted by Lilac-Centro DCA on a sample of 600 people With an average age of 30 confirms that 81% of interviewersi attributes to social networks a significant influence on their own Body and food perception. Among the contents deemed more harmful, the Physical transformations “Before & After” (34%), which enhance the aesthetic change as the only metric of success and happiness, Posts that normalize extreme restrictions (24%) and videos “What I Eat in A Day” (17%), which impose often unrealistic and dysfunctional food standards. “Reducing eating disorders to a side effect of social networks would be reductive », comment Giuseppe Magistale, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilac-Centro DCA. “However, it is undeniable that certain contents can aggravate vulnerability of those who are prepared and hinder recovery ».

Difficulty of care: prejudices and limited access to specialists for those suffering from DCA

If the influence of social networks is strong, equally relevant are the obstacles that prevent those who suffer from receiving adequate care. According to the research, in fact, the 63% of the interviewees declare that The people around them do not understand their disorderwhile 40% felt addressing, “It’s just a matter of will”. Hard prejudices to die, who are joined by a health system still lacking: 80% had difficulty finding a specialized professional and, once identified, 67% saw their minimized problem with statements such as “Your weight is normal, so you don’t have a problem”. “This data is emblematic ofimportance of specific training for healthcare professionals, “he comments Filippo Perotto, Lilac-Centro DCA Co-Founder. «Many people delay the search for help For fear of not being “quite sick”, aggravating one’s condition ». Among the major obstacles to access to care also emerge the high cost of therapies (19%) and the fear of not being taken seriously (26%). In light of these data, the Lilac Fiocchetto Day a fundamental opportunity is confirmed for raise public awarenessconcretely promote prevention e request targeted interventions: from the training of professionals to the regulation of digital content, with the aim of protect those who are more vulnerable from potentially harmful messages.