Teen Activists Fighting Negative Body Image Using Online Tools
As reported in Utah’s Desert News, Mary Streech was in the seventh grade when she developed an eating disorder. When she entered treatment four years later, she was one of the oldest patients at the center. Streech soon learned that a number of the other patients had developed their disorders while viewing online content that encouraged unhealthy behaviors. As the oldest of the group, she decided to become a positive role model and when she left treatment, she started a nonprofit website promoting positive body images to counter the unhealthy online content.
As the decades-long fight against the objectification of women continues, a new generation of activists has arrived on the scene, ready to spread positivity with popular online tools. Teens are using the same resources that enable the spread of extreme weight loss messages and unhealthy body images to try to change the way women view themselves by posting positive content.
Another online activist making an impact, Alice Wilder, a 17-year-old from Charlotte, N.C., blogs and also works closely with SPARK, a coalition dedicated to empowering teen girls to become their own advocates. Her blog has gained international attention.
“Though unhealthy “thinspiration” websites are dangerous, some of the communities that spring up to promote unhealthy behaviors can also have positive effects on users, since people with eating disorders often feel very isolated and are really looking for connections,” said Claire Mysko, an activist and author who runs online teen outreach programs for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
NEDA very much supports the building of positive online communities to drown out the negative messages including the Proud2BMe initiative that Mysko oversees. However, Wilder said, “such messages are far more effective when coming directly from teens themselves.”
As Eating Disorder specialists, we understand how lonely and isolating this disease can be for people who are not in treatment and facing their struggles alone. MBHA Eating Disorders Centers treats patients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders using a comprehensive team approach by creating a unique personalized therapeutic treatment plan for each patient.
If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, contact us today at (914) 723-6242 or info@mbhany.com and speak with one of our eating disorders professionals. All information is strictly confidential.
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