Social Media and Eating Disorders
What is an eating disorder?
Links & further support
Here you can find resources focussing on various aspects of living with eating difficulties, as well as self-help materials.
Online support
| BEAT charity | A UK charity that provides information and advice about eating diffciulties. |
| BEAT Helpline | Helplines open from 3pm to 8pm, 7 days a week, all year. Web chat and email support also available. Follow the link for details or call 0808 801 0677. |
| Overcoming Bulimia | An evidence-based online self-help programme for bulimia. |
| NHS information | An overview of eating difficulties and first steps to take in order to find support. |
| Diabetics with Eating Disorders (DWED) | An information archive and active Facebook community for diabetics with Eating Difficulties. |
| Talkworks | An NHS Psychological Therapies service offering CBT-informed support to non-underweight patients with eating disorders and other common mental health problems. |
Online Self-Directed Support
| Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) | Website offers a range of evidence-based, accessible self-help resources and handouts. |
| Eating with Confidence | Information on dietetics. |
| Clean Eating | Making sure a healthy eating plan is thought-out and safe for you. |
| The Brain and Eating Disorders | The mental aspects of eating difficulties. |
| Preparing for University | What to know and what to consider before starting university. |
| Social Media and Apps | A guide to using social media and apps in a positive way. |
| Emerging Adulthood | What psychologists know about young adulthood and the experiences of young adults. |
| Resources for patients and carers (FREED) | A collection of resources from FREED covering all aspects of eating difficulties. |
Online handouts
| What is starvation syndrome? | Starvation syndrome refers to the physiological and psychological effects of prolonged dietary restriction. |
| The Real Food Pyramid | The Recovery from Eating Disorders for Life Food Pyramid has been created as a meal planning guide for individuals with eating disorders. |
| Set Point Theory | Research suggests that each human body has a weight range that it is genetically predisposed to maintain. This natural weight range is called your “set point”. Set point will vary for every individual regardless of other factors such as their height and gender. Set point is a particularly important concept to understand if you have an eating disorder. |
| Eating Disorders in Men | There is often a misconception that eating difficulties only affect girls and women, however they are serious mental illnesses that can affect all people, regardless of their sex or gender. |
| Vomiting and Your Health | For many people, vomiting starts as part of an attempt to regain control after breaking dietary rules or eating more than planned. This can often lead to a vicious cycle of eating and vomiting. When vomiting occurs regularly, it can affect health in a number of ways. |
| Laxative Misuse | Many people with eating disorders misuse laxatives. This is often due to the strongly held (but false) belief that laxatives help with weight loss/prevent weight gain by preventing the absorption of food. |
| Eating with Confidence | A dietetics guide to eating for good health. |
Books
| Beating Your Eating Disorder: A Cognitive Behavioural Self-Help Guide for Adult Sufferers and Their Carers | Glenn Waller et al (Cambridge University Press, 2010) |
| Overcoming Binge Eating | Christopher Fairburn (Guildford Press, 2013) |
| Skills-based Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder | Janet Treasure et al (Routledge, 2017, ISBN 978-1-138-82663-2) |