Filtered beauty perception triggers anorexia: Expert issues warning!

Social media distorts the perception of beauty, and young people are losing their health to dangerous trends! Anti-aging and wellness physician Dr. Asel Seda Bal pointed out that the filtered beauty perception spreading on social media triggers deadly eating disorders like anorexia nervosa in young people. The recent death of Nihal Candan due to anorexia has once again highlighted the scale of the danger.

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Filtered beauty perception triggers anorexia: Expert issues warning!

The obsession with thinness and the filtered body image spreading on social media are causing a rise in serious eating disorders like anorexia nervosa among young people. Dr. Asel Seda Bal emphasized that this problem has not only physical but also psychological and social dimensions, stating, “Anorexia is not just about food; it is also about the bonds a person forms with life, themselves, and society.”

THE PAINFUL CONSEQUENCE OF PRESSURE TO BE THIN

The recent death of Nihal Candan due to anorexia has deeply shaken the public. Passing away at a young age, Candan painfully revealed how looking thin has become a dangerous norm in society. Dr. Bal stated that this incident is a crisis not just of an individual, but of a social perception: “Looking thin is not the same as being healthy. If beauty standards in this country are resulting in death, it is time to question this culture.”

“THINNESS IS NOT A MEASURE OF SUCCESS”

Filtered images shared on social media platforms and the praise of the ‘perfect body’ increase aesthetic pressure on young people. Thinness is equated with beauty, success, and even happiness. This triggers unhealthy behavioral patterns:

"Eating is not just a biological necessity, but also a pleasure and a positive bond formed with life. However, some individuals stop eating because they have lost the taste for life. This is not just physical; it is also a sign of deep emotional disconnection.”

Bal makes the following observations regarding the causes of anorexia:

Emotional deprivation
Lack of self-worth and self-esteem
Peer pressure
Comparison culture on social media

The combination of these factors leaves individuals, especially those in adolescence, psychologically vulnerable and predisposed to eating disorders.

“PARENTS BEAR A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY”

There has been a dramatic increase in anorexia nervosa cases in Turkey in recent years. Striking data shared by health authorities are as follows:

The number of patients receiving treatment for anorexia has increased by 70% in the last 5 years
One in every 10 patients loses their life if not treated
The average age of diagnosis was recorded as 14.9
Experts state that early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary treatment approach are of vital importance.

DANGEROUS SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS: SKINNYTOK AND CLING FILM DIET

Trends that have emerged recently, especially on platforms like TikTok, such as “SkinnyTok” and the “Cling Film Diet,” encourage young people to lose weight rapidly. This content creates a digital culture that distorts body image and normalizes eating disorders.

Dr. Bal states that these trends invite serious health problems and issues this warning: “Such content can have devastating consequences that disrupt not only physical health but all of an individual's life functions. Therefore, conscious digital awareness education must now become an inseparable part of child development.”

HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN APPEARANCE

Anorexia nervosa is not an aesthetic problem, but a serious health issue. “As a society, we need to redefine beauty by focusing not on outward appearance, but on the integrity of a healthy body and mind.”

News Source: 12punto