Constantly checking your social feeds? Don’t let it reflect poorly on your body image. A recent study published in theTheJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found those who spent the most time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of eating and body-image concerns, compared with their peers who were less likely to keep logging on. “This study wasn’t meant to demonize social media,” notes Jaime E. Sidani, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant director of Pitt’s Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health. Rather, it’s important to simply be more aware of whether you are constantly comparing yourself to other people, whether peers or celebrities, she says. Eliminate the negative self-talk, she notes, and spend some time searching for both women and men who have more positive things to say about image.
