Social media impacting body image of Valley teens, experts say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- In Health Watch, a report from JAMA Pediatrics shows about one in 10 teenage girls have used diet pills, laxatives or diuretics.

According to health experts, the use of non-prescribed weight-loss products can lead to eating disorders.

"I grew up in a household that really tried to take care of their health, but the way that we did that was through dieting," shared Jana Mowrer. "So it was doing Weight Watchers. At that time, it was kind of the Zone Diet or Atkins."

Mowrer's passion for nutrition followed years of discomfort in her own body.

The registered dietician recalled being a teen and restricting what she ate.

This type of disordered eating, which is different from an eating disorder, continued into college.

"That was actually the first time that I experimented with diet pills and was able to lose weight. But again, another unhealthy practice in order to do so."

Mowrer said disordered eating is more common than you think.

"If we're skipping meals, if we're eliminating any food group -- any of those things are part of that disordered aspect, and could potentially lead to an eating disorder, if it's not redirected," Mowrer said.

At Oasis Eating Disorders Treatment and Recovery Center in northeast Fresno, clinical director Stacy Ippolito and staff see dozens of teen girls every day. This is due to social media causing many of their clients to become more self-conscious about their body, food intake and exercise.

"For example, a teen looks up one-hour home exercise routine, and all of a sudden, then things start showing up in their feeds that are related to diet or exercise," said Ippolito. "That can, for someone who suffers from an eating disorder, be kind of fuel for the fire at that point."

Adults are encouraged to pay close attention to their teen and look out for signs of an eating disorder. This includes:

• avoiding meals in a social setting
• frequent bathroom use
• mood swings
• comments about their weight.

"A lot of the teens I talk to are just kind of saying 'I wish my parent would just check in a little more,'" said Ippolito.

While there is no cure for eating disorders, according to experts, recovery is possible by developing healthy habits.

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