Urgent warning to parents over sick TikTok & Instagram pages that 'coach' kids into having eating disorders | The Sun
AN URGENT warning has been issued to parents over sick TikTok and Instagram pages that coach kids into having eating disorders.
Social media pages are teaching teenagers how to develop unhealthy relationships with food, using a technique called “meanspo”.
Deluded strangers are purposely making young people feel bad and lose all confidence so that they don't eat – and lose weight.
The online freaks rally together to torment children by calling them fat and disgusting – among other jibes, according to the Mirror.
Some social media accounts will leave advice such as: “Look how fat your thighs are… stuff those chubby fingers down your throat and purge for me.”
Eating disorders come in many different forms and it's thought that around 1.25 million Brits suffer with one.
READ MORE HEALTH NEWS
From Apple Watch to Oura Ring – the 6 best health trackers to buy this Christmas
Boy, 16, referred for hospital checks given NHS appointment in June 2025
Parents are told to look out for signs in their kids such as making rules about what they eat, picking a restricted range of foods or having negative self-image.
The feral online abuse has triggered complaints to eating disorder charity Beat.
The charity’s Tom Quinn said: “It’s shocking meanspo coaching and distressing pro-eating disorder content is so readily available.
"We know from the people we support that urging them to engage in extreme weight loss techniques and eating disorder behaviours can worsen symptoms for somebody who is unwell and make recovery more difficult.
Most read in The Sun
Fuming I'm A Celebrity fans blast 'toxic' campmate after drama last night
Jac Jossa's husband held on suspicion of GBH after brawl at birthday bash
Mum-of-22 Sue Radford starts Christmas shopping & she shares boot of goodies
Angry I’m a Celeb viewers blast campmate for ‘patronising’ comments
“It can also contribute to an eating disorder developing for someone who is already vulnerable.”
A record number of youngsters are receiving treatment for eating disorders, recent NHS figures have revealed.
Nearly 10,000 under-18s started being helped between April and December 2021 — a jump of a quarter on the year before.
Tanith Carey, author of 'What’s My Teenager Thinking? Practical Child Psychology for Modern Parents' said one way to help your child is to eat with them.
Read More on The Sun
Fans all say same thing about awful World Cup fan zone food including £9 salad
I’m a teacher – I go from a 5 to a 10 when I strip off my work outfit
She explained: "Research has found that kids are more likely to have a healthy attitude to eating if they have family mealtimes together at least three times a week.
"Encourage them to cook with you too. This gives kids a chance to see food as a pleasure to be shared."
Source: Read Full Article