Images of celebs can spark eating disorders

Increased exposure to images of celebrity bodies is behind the large rise in the number of young girls admitted to hospital with an eating disorder, a leading paediatrician has said.

Dr Michie Colin, chairman of the nutrition committee at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, blamed the increase on children’s use of mobile phones and exposure to advertising, citing their ability to constantly look at images of celebrity bodies as a factor in eating disorder cases.

New figures show that the number of girls admitted to hospital with an eating disorder has doubled in the past three years.