Regrettably, there are very few among us who don't know someone who has experience of bulimia or anorexia.

And while the conditions which cause an individual to purge following a binge, or severely limit their calorie intake to the point of starvation have been a topic of conversation for the best part of three decades, the same can't be said for all manners of disordered eating.

Take what is currently known as the 'chew and spit', for example.

This method, which sees an individual masticate their food before spitting it out to avoid digestion, is often used by anorexics and bulimics, but a recent study now suggests that the approach is not unique to those suffering from the aforementioned disorders.

According to a study conducted by Phillip Aouad of the University of Sydney. internet searches for the practise have risen in the past five years – a finding which Aouad believes stems from discussion on social media.

“Although people, especially online, indicate their initial 'joy' at 'hacking' their diet, CS appears to be able to very quickly turn into something that is anxiety provoking and very distressing,” Aouad warned.

The findings of Aouad's study correlates, according to The Independent, with a study conducted by the University Of Haifa who established a connection between eating disorders and the length of time girls aged between 12 to 19 years old spent on social media.

Elaborating on the findings of the study, Aouad explains: "From what we are seeing in our current study, it becomes incredibly addictive in a very short period of time."

"Moreover, it might give the perception of weight loss at the beginning; however, several reports have highlighted that after sometime it may actually cause weight gain," he added.

There is currently no treatment for the condition, but Aouad insists that this does not mean patients will be unable to break the cycle, adding: "We are yet to investigate in greater detail additional adverse issues related specifically to CS."

 

Bodywhys offers support and information relating to eating disorders. You can access the Bodywhys website here.