Impacto da mídia na distorção da imagem corporal e no desenvolvimento de transtornos alimentares em adolescentes.

Abstract

Adolescents’ eating behavior is influenced by sociocultural factors, such as the media, which often promotes unrealistic beauty standards. This study aims to analyze the role of social networks in the dissemination of unrealistic beauty standards and harmful practices related to food and the body, highlighting how these standards contribute to body dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders among young people. A literature review was conducted in the SciELO and PubMed/MEDLINE databases, using DeCS descriptors such as “eating disorders”, “image distortion”, “adolescents”, “social media”, “internet”, “media”, “media influence”, “restrictive food intake disorder”, “eating disorder”, and “adolescent behavior”, “anorexia”. Studies published in the last ten years were included, focusing on media influence and eating disorders in adolescents. The analysis included 10 studies that evidence the effect of the media on body dissatisfaction, especially in female adolescents. Studies indicate that exposure to digital influencers and social comparison drive the desire for thinness and dysfunctional eating behaviors. The results show that aesthetic pressure, exacerbated by social media, contributes significantly to dissatisfaction with body image. The internalization of unrealistic beauty standards is one of the main risk factors for eating disorders in adolescents. It is concluded that the media exerts a strong influence on adolescents' self-image, contributing to an increase in harmful eating behaviors. Educational interventions are necessary to promote a healthy body perception and mitigate the effects of social comparison on social media.