by Natalie Matthews
CHARLESTON, S.C. - For young college women, scrolling through Instagram feeds means looking at a barrage of photos featuring nothing but perfect skin, skinny-toned bodies, and beautiful hair.
It all seems so impossible to achieve without shortcuts.
And it usually is.
Those common feelings of despair among college-age women are a major contributor to the growing epidemic of eating disorders.
For many young adults, especially college students, these feelings of self-doubt are not just fleeting; they can spiral into deeper emotional struggles.
Eating disorders are becoming more common than ever before, especially among young adults, particularly college students.
A major reason for the increase is the constant inundation in the media portraying unrealistic beauty standards.
Women grow up in a world flooded with media – from magazine ads to television commercials to social media influencers – that take a toll on their mental health and self-image.
Ninety percent of women say they follow at least one social media account that makes them feel less confident about their appearance.
College students struggle not to compare themselves to those they see online on social media.
Exposure to media can contribute to body dissatisfaction, heightening the risk of disordered eating and contributing to the development of eating disorders.
This continuous exposure to unreachable beauty standards creates a toxic environment for comparison, making it challenging for girls in their teens to their 30s and beyond to establish a healthy relationship with food.
Because of such relentless media focus on an unattainable body, college women are developing harmful ways of dealing with their insecurities to achieve these physiques.
Many people assume that eating disorders are a choice.
In reality, eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that can often be fatal and relate to thoughts and emotions.
Individuals who have disordered eating have an intense focus on food and body weight.
Eating disorders have detrimental impacts on a person’s life and result in serious medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial consequences.
These disorders not only affect physical health but also have harmful impacts on mental well-being.
The diagnosis of eating disorders has significantly risen from 2000 to 2018, with prevalence rates more than doubling during this period.
Negative impact of eating disorders
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that involve persistent disturbances in eating behaviors, as well as a preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape.
These disorders are not just about food; they are deeply rooted in psychological struggles that manifest in unhealthy behaviors toward eating.
The most common eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia.
Anorexia is a serious eating disorder where people have a concerningly low body weight based on personal weight history.
People with bulimia often eat large amounts of food in one sitting then try to get rid of the food in an unhealthy way, such as vomiting.
Katie Drees, licensed professional counselor and supervisor at the counseling center at the College of Charleston, notes that college is the ripe age for eating disorders to begin.
"What the research shows is that 18 to 21 is kind of just the age in general, and like, full-blown eating disorders kind of develop," said Drees.
College students are especially vulnerable to eating disorders during this time as they navigate the pressures of independence and self-identity.
The consequences of these disorders can be devastating.
Physically, individuals may experience severe weight loss heart, and organ damage, with some cases even leading to life-threatening conditions like heart failure.
Psychologically, the impacts are just as severe—eating disorders often bring individuals intense feelings of shame, loneliness, and sadness.
This mental toll leaves individuals feeling trapped in a cycle of obsessive thoughts about their weight and food.
“I feel like I missed out on so much because I was so depressed and unable to think about anything other than my weight,” stated Jordan (not her real name), a College of Charleston senior.
Eating disorders often begin gradually but can quickly escalate.
“I knew we would be taking a lot of pictures, and I wanted to look good. I noticed eating less made me look so skinny and toned, and I just couldn't stop reducing the calories until it was basically nothing,” said Nicole (not her real name), a sophomore at Penn State University.
The rise in eating disorders can be directly linked to the growing amount of screen time, especially with the widespread use of smartphones and social media.
Studies have shown that female college students spend an average of 2.1 hours a day on social media.
"And I think this is one of the first generations that has had phones for so long and has screens available, and it's a little bit scary to see how many eating disorders are popping up,” said Mackenzie Harrell, a registered dietitian at Simply Nutrition who specializes in eating disorders.
With the rise of screen time, avoiding social media has become nearly impossible.
"There was a study that came out, and it said one in eight people who spend time on social media every day are at higher risk for eating disorders," said Kasey Strouse, a registered dietitian at Peachy Nutrition that specializes in eating disorders.
Social media platforms, especially those like Instagram, often promote unrealistic beauty standards, which can fuel insecurities and unhealthy comparisons.
Jordan noted that her eating disorder peaked her sophomore and junior year of college.
“I think going from high school to college was a big adjustment for me. I wasn't really working out and eating healthy and nutritious foods, and I put on some weight,” Jordan stated.
Transitioning from high school to college can be especially challenging for young women.
“I immediately started comparing myself to those around me and became very depressed,” Jordan added.
The constant exposure to perfectly curated images on social media can make girls feel as though they will never measure up.
“I think if I would have limited social media, I wouldn’t have gone through what I did. Feeling the pressure to look skinny and toned was definitely born from what I saw on Instagram,” Jordan stated.
Media's influence on body image
Modern media has been influencing the way girls view their bodies for decades.
“I think in the last five years here, and, even at my last position, we're seeing a rise in just eating disorders in general,” Drees states.
Social media has made these pressures even stronger, especially for younger people.
“I think the media has always played a role in eating and body image in the sense and even like magazines and advertising and with a kind of like body ideal, that like people tend to, strive for, what just isn't really accurate," said Drees.
However, the shift from traditional media to digital platforms in recent years has amplified these pressures.
“We see that, you know, primarily TikTok and Instagram tend to be those outlets where eating disorders are more glamorized and disordered eating patterns and behaviors are more promoted through those platforms," Strouse states.
This constant exposure to influencers showcasing unhealthy eating habits can create a dangerous cycle of comparison for many young people.
“I would watch these girls have an egg for breakfast, then a smoothie for lunch, and a salad for dinner and just wish that those foods would sustain me all day, I would even calculate the calories of these influencers' food, and it would be like 500-1,000,” Nicole said.
The trend of "What I eat in a day" posts, along with society's praise of unrealistic body standards, makes the problem worse.
"Glorification of body standards and media with TV shows and Tiktok and social media and models and all of those different things, but there's also the side of, like, what I eat in a day, and stuff, which has really allowed everyone to have their own platform to share," Harrell states.
Social media shows unrealistic body images and unhealthy eating habits, which makes it easy for college students to compare themselves.
“When I was at the peak of my eating disorder, I was taking more pictures than ever, I felt proud of how tiny I got even,” Nicole stated.
Role of peer pressure
The influence of social media partnered with peer dynamics can also play a huge factor in college students developing or worsening an eating disorder.
“Eating disorders are really competitive. And so I think if it's two peers that have disordered eating, I think they compare their bodies," Harrell states.
The dynamics within college friend groups can be a large factor in encouraging harmful eating patterns.
"I feel like it depends on the friend group that you're in college, because some, there are a lot of healthy friend groups in college, but there are some that say things like, I haven’t eaten all day, or we're going out tonight, so like, I'm not going to eat,” Harrell states.
This living environment can lead to unhealthy comparisons among friend groups, as Jordan experienced.
“Living with a bunch of roommates is hard because you compare yourself directly to them, like what they eat in a day, what they do for exercise, what size jeans they wear, and stuff like that that you wouldn't usually have such a direct relationship with,” she said.
College roommates can heighten insecurities and unhealthy comparisons.
“My friends were all very health conscious at the time, so I would constantly compare my food and the calories in it to what they were eating, and I thought that if my friends were eating an apple for lunch, that must be okay and normal for teenagers,” stated Nicole.
This can significantly impact how college students view themselves.
“If you're surrounding yourself with a bunch of people who are only really talking about, ‘I want to look this way,’ or ‘I'm fat’ coming out of their mouths about how they're perceiving themselves, or if they're shaming other people, that could negatively affect how you start viewing yourself too," said Strouse.
How to prevent this
While the impact of social media can trigger eating disorders among college students, they have the opportunity to implement solutions to positively affect their mental health.
"Distraction technique that's not scrolling on your phone," says Harrell. "Put timers on your social media, and don’t watch TV all the time."
Creating a healthier online environment is also important in reducing negative influences.
"I try to get to reset all their feeds and block people who are doing distorted behaviors," Harrell states.
Finding alternative activities can help break the cycle of comparison and negative thinking.
"I actually deleted Instagram and TikTok for about four months at the peak of my eating disorder, and it was probably the best thing for my physical and mental health," said Nicole.
Many times professional support is often essential for overcoming an eating disorder.
Nicole was referred to a clinic for additional support in overcoming her eating disorder.
“While I wasn’t happy about being sent away to a clinic at the time, it ended up forcing me to recover when I wasn't willing to on my own,” she said.
Jordan achieved recovery through consistent therapy and by actively removing triggers from her life. Distancing from social media can help significantly reduce levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
Strouse is a big believer in getting away from the negative influences, especially from the media.
"Getting outside, going for like a short, 15-20 minute walk to really just kind of get out, be away from it," she said. "Just don't sit there and scroll and let everything affect you."
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