A recently conducted study by experts at the University of Haifa in Israel has revealed that adolescent girls spending more time on social networking sites like Facebook are at an increased risk of developing eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia. The research involved the participation of 248 girls aged between 12 and 19 years old.

For the study, participants were asked to inform about their habits regarding the internet, television and the efforts they made to keep a check on their weight. The girls were also quizzed about the opinion they had of their bodies and what did they think about eating disorders.

Following a close analysis, it was found that girls who spent more time on Facebook were at an increased risk of being detected with bulimia, anorexia and a negative opinion about their body.

Apart from social networking websites, researchers also found that girls who viewed more television were at an increased risk of suffering from eating disorders as well.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 95% people suffering from eating disorders belong to the age group between 12 and 25 years. The chances of a person suffering from eating disorders are further increased if they are constantly focused on their body image and the type of food they consumed.