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The relationship between social media and disordered eating in college-aged female gymnasts
Several studies investigated the links between social media, eating disorders, and disordered eating behaviors in college-aged females. However, the body of evidence on women college athletes, particularly those who practice aesthetic sports like gymnastics, remains insufficient. Of note, aesthetic sports that subject female athletes to scoring by panels of judges and that place emphasis on leanness, thinness, and aesthetic skills, are known to harbor the highest odds of individuals who suffer from disordered eating behaviors. Ausmus et al. (2021) conducted their study to investigate the relationship between college gymnasts’ experience of body image, disordered eating, and the perception of athletic bodies portrayed in social media. In addition, the authors aimed to investigate the relationship between criticism expressed on social media and the symptoms of disordered eating. 72 female gymnasts (recently or currently competing, 18-25 years old) completed an online survey, revealing the existence of a substantial relationship between the harshness of physically critical comments, the emotional response to such criticism, and disordered eating behavior, in the setting of comments not made on social media. However, the authors did not find substantial links between harshness, emotional response, and disordered eating in the setting of comments made on social media. [NPID: Twitter, facebook, snapchat, instagram, eating disorders, athletes, criticism]
Year: 2021
