#Skinnytok, the return to the cult of extreme thinness and the obsession to control our bodies

Strict and dangerous diets, unattainable exercise routines, alarming messages that promote the extreme thinnessinfluencers and models that disseminate sick bodies and overestimulation of dangerous content in social networks with trends such as #Skinnytok. The consequences? The obsession with the control of our bodies.

June 2 was the National Day for the Fight against Eating disorders (TCA), defined as persistent patterns of alteration of food behavior that significantly affect physical health and/or psychosocial functioning. Within the framework of a society that promotes the Body Positivity and the welfare, The culture of thinness and pressure for being skinny, productive and perfect people seems to grow more strongly than ever.

“You are not ugly, you are just fat.” The term #Skinnytok It emerged as a space in Tiktok to promote messages and “motivation” To lose weight, which resulted in extreme behaviors and unhealthy advice. Such was the alarm that caused the European Union press so that at the beginning of the month the application prohibited Searches related to that term globally. Now, users meet the poster “You are not alone”And a message to request help and access resources.

The Masivity and naturalness With which these phenomena arise, it allows us to think that the obsession with thinness never left. “What changes is speech: sometimes it is explicit, other times it occurs with the health, well -being or” self -care “costume as this new Tiktok trend. But the mandate is the same: being thin, young, productive, desirable”Said the psychologist Agustina Smith (MN 72047). While it is a fact that affects all people, women are like the main victims.

The eating disorders They have worldwide Second mortality rate Highest of all psychiatric diseases, according to the National Association of Food Disorders (National Eating Disorders Association), based in the US. Argentina It is positioned as the Second country with more cases of eating disorders, where 1 in 3 women suffer some TCA. From a psychoanalytic view, “the body is the scene of unconscious conflicts. And in a society that values ​​performance, the control over the body becomes a narcissistic ideal,” says Smith and adds that the theory that “the diet culture and the Extreme exercise It can function as a defense against existential anguish: If I control my body, I control my life”

The 2000 comment of bodies and its impact on the new generations

The fashions They have their high and low but there are certain trends that never disappear, only reinvent themselves. “Each generation has its format to express its symptoms, in the early 2000s were the blogs of” Ana and Mía. “Change the format, but the background is maintained.” The social networks They are presented as the main threat and diffusion channel that generates communities that seek to belong and resonate in the construction of an identity with others.

Psychologist Smith states that today’s risk is that the body image is colonized by a hegemonic aesthetic imposed and amplified by the networks, where Trends as #Skinnytokmasse that discomfort, they validate it, do so “Aesthetic” and make him “content”. Faced with this, a series of measures for Improve our link with networks and not fall in harmful comparisons:

• Regulate the time of use and critically question the content we choose.
• Take the time to ask and think about some questions: What accounts do I follow? What make me feel? What desire are I choosing to see this reos again and again?

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The famous “what as in one day” and exercise routines, became the most popular contents on social networks.

Eating disorders: how they identify and resources to ask for help

The Eating disorders They are defined as persistent patterns of alteration of food behavior that significantly affect physical health and/or psychosocial functioning, which include acts of restriction, binge, compensation, and a pathologically self -assessment focused on the body and weight.

Before reaching the diagnosis, there is a number of Early signals That it is important to recognize and pay attention to them: excessive concern for food, abrupt weight changes, avoid shared foods, eating, food rituals, or constant body self -criticism. The professional detailed some Recommendations For those who suffer from some TCA either conflict with your image:

• The first step is to talk. Putting into words what it feels is to be the beginning of every therapeutic process.
• Interdisciplinary accompaniment is essential: mental health, nutrition, medicine, and an affective network that sustains.
• If someone begins to ask “this is normal?”, “Will I be doing something wrong with food?” It is an important sign to consult with a health professional.
• A previous diagnosis is not needed to ask for help.

In the middle of so pressure, comparison and insufficiency For our bodies and image, it is important to highlight that “there are no universal recipes. Each story has its singular logic. But there is something in common: Silence prolongs suffering. Talking to someone is an act of care. ”